Mavis Elaine Anderson Cook

Mavis Elaine Anderson Cook, age 88, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 25, 2021, at Glenview Assisted Living in Shell Lake, Wisconsin. She was born at home on November 4, 1932, to Otto and Anna Anderson in the township of Drammen near Mondovi, Wisconsin. She attended Sheldon Valley School through 8th grade. Her graduation ceremony was held at the State Theater in Eau Claire with a celebration at Carson Park following. Since attending high school was voluntary, Mavis chose to learn to cook with Betty Crocker School of the Air and learned to crochet and knit. A friend of hers convinced her to go to high school so she graduated in 1951. After graduation, Mavis went to work for O & N Lumber as a bookkeeper and cashier.
Mavis met Tom Cook at the creamery in Mondovi. Tom was hauling milk at the time and Mavis was dropping off the family cream can. They met again at the O & N Lumber when Tom was buying wood for a rack for his truck. Their first date was going to a movie. They married on February 25, 1953.
Mavis spent her life working beside her husband at the Gambles Store they owned with Tom’s dad as well as the farm they had for over 50 years. She was very active in her church, holding various positions on committees, making soup for Soup and Sermon during Lent, and making crafts and baking for the Annual Christmas Walk hosted by Our Savior’s Church. She sold Avon for many years. She was also a proud member of Sons of Norway.
Tom and Mavis loved to travel and took many great trips including Hawaii, Norway, Ireland, Germany as well as many bus trips with their good friends Wally and Helen Haas. They also enjoyed traveling to California to visit Randy and his family in California. Mavis bowled for many years, starting in high school and as time went by she participated in many bowling tournaments and did quite well. There was not much that interfered with her bowling day.
Mavis and Tom left the farm in 2012 as Tom’s health began to deteriorate. They eventually moved to Spooner where Tom became a resident of Maple Ridge Care Center. Tom passed away in 2015. Mavis enjoyed her new friends at United Methodist Church in Spooner, especially her sewing group and after church lunch group. Mavis suffered a stroke in April 2020 and then became a resident of Glenview Assisted Living Center in Shell Lake where she made many wonderful friends.
Mavis is survived by her three children- Randy (Rita) Cook, Ann (Bill) Schroeder, and Jane (Paul) Gilbertson, eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Margaret Segerstrom, brother Harold Anderson, and Amy Anderson who died at age 5 of Leukemia, and her daughter-in-law Karen Cook.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, July 30, 2021, at 11:00 AM at Our Savior’s United Methodist Church with Pastor Joeng officiating. Burial will follow at Riverside Public Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Friday from 10:00 AM until the hour of the service.
The family requests that memorials in the name of Mavis Cook be directed to either Our Savior’s United Methodist Church, 210 N. Eau Claire St. Mondovi, WI 54755 or Spooner United Methodist Church, 312 Elm Street, Spooner, WI 54801.
Please share a memory of Mavis or send your words of comfort to www.talbotfuneralhomes.com.