Edna Cooke

Edna Josephine Tomerlin Cobb Cooke, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and lifelong pillar of strength and love, passed away in her home at the age of 99, surrounded by loved ones. Born in Arkansas, Edna Josephine Tomerlin was the sixth of eight children. At the age of one, her family moved to Oregon. 

In 1943, at the age of 17, Edna fell in love and married Charlie Cobb, an enlisted soldier in theU.S. Army. One year later they welcomed their first child, Edna Helen Cobb. Soon after Helen’s birth, Charlie was deployed overseas to fight in World War II. Edna courageously returned to Oregon with her young daughter, traveling across the country by train — an early sign of the independence and determination that defined her life. After the war, they reunited and made a home in Oregon. Their second child, Barbara Lee Cobb was born. 

In 1947, Charlie was awarded 100 acres through a military land lottery. Edna, 23 years old, agreed to sell their belongings, pack their truck, and move to Wyoming with their two daughters, 5 and 3 years old. They built a life on their homestead, Heart Mountain Wyoming. Starting with only a Japanese Relocation Camp barracks for a home and one for a barn, they made it home with hard work and love for their family. Edna enjoyed sewing and made dresses for her girls out of flour sacks, or any material she could find. Charlie and Edna had a deep love for Christ and became charter members of the First Southern Baptist Church in Powell, Wyoming. She raised her family, helping to clear and farm the land, and teaching through example what it meant to be resilient, resourceful, and rooted in purpose. 

In 1987, Edna and Charlie moved into town so she could care for him during his battle with Parkinson’s Disease. As always, she made their home a place of comfort — for Charlie, for her children and grandchildren, and for anyone who walked through the door. After Charlie’s passing, she continued to anchor her family with steady grace. 

In 1993, Edna reconnected with her high school sweetheart, Hal Cooke. They were married and shared nearly five years together. Hal’s sudden passing brought another season of loss, but Edna remained the heart of the family, carrying others with her calm strength. In her final years, she shared her home with her eldest daughter Helen and son-in-law Ronald, who cared for her with the same devotion she had shown to others throughout her life. 

Edna was a woman of quiet routines and deep love — toast with jam in the morning, lunch at noon, dinner before 5:30, a book a day, and a phone always nearby to talk with loved ones. Her presence was a comfort, her love a constant.She is preceded in death by Charles H Cobb (husband), Harlan Cooke (husband), Barbara Lowry (daughter), and Dick Lowry (son-in-law). 

She is survived by her 101 yr old sister Pearl, her daughter Edna Helen Carter (Ronald); grandchildren Rick Lowry, Rochelle Lowry LeRoy (Dennis), Aaron Carter (Megan), Ronda Elias (Franky), Ryan Lowry, and Susan Lowry; and great-grandchildren Kyle Church, Caleb Lowry, Kaitlyn Church, Bentley Carter, Teagan Carter, and Tali Elias. Edna’s legacy lives on through the family she loved and supported so deeply, and through the lessons she taught simply by living her life with grace, strength, and heart. She will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her.

Services will be held at Crown Hill Cemetery on July 2nd, 2025 begining at 10 am.