JOHN C. LEE, 70, of Lathrop, Missouri, died January 25, 1997, of
cancer.
John loved his wife, his family, his church, his many volunteer
organizations, his many friends and neighbors.
He was a retired Amoco Oil dealer and farmer.
His hobby was antique tractors especially IHC. He was very
dedicated to the Lathrop Antique Car, Tractor, and Engine
Association.
He is survived by his wife, Beverly Lee.
John will be forever missed by all who loved and knew him.
Submitted by Brad Foster, 13501 S. E. State Rt. 116,
Edgerton, Missouri 64444.
WILLIAM M. LAMB; 88, one of the last of the old-time steam
engineers, died May 25, 1997, in Lexington, Kentucky, not far from
his boyhood home of Athens.
As a young man in Fayette County, Kentucky, Lamb threshed grain
and steamed tobacco with an 18-HP double-cylinder Gaar-Scott engine
built in 1917. Later, he apprenticed with the Southern Railroad. He
would have enjoyed a career in railroading, but World War II
intervened. Lamb joined the Army. During WWII, he saw action in the
European Theater in the Fifth Armored Division, and, in 1952 and
1953, he served with a Combat Engineer outfit in Korea. On furlough
in WWII, Lamb visited his uncle, Ed Gerhard, in Missouri; Gerhard
owned a rare 50/150 HP Nichols-Shepard engine which Lamb helped to
run.
A witty and intelligent writer and a frequent contributor to the
Album, Lamb delighted in telling about his steam-era experiences.
One of his favorite stories related how he drove the Gaar-Scott
from one side of Lexington to the other. Since the last streetcar
of the day had passed, he hopped the engine up on the tracks to
avoid crushing the pavement. As he put it, ‘Everything was
going along fine, when here came a streetcar toward me! That other
streetcar operator wasn’t the last, after all!’ Quick
thinking enabled him to get out of the scrape.
Over the years, Lamb took part in steam shows from Maryland to
Iowa. Lamb’s understanding of history, skill in engineering,
and sense of humor brought him a warm welcome wherever he went.
Renowned engineers respected his authority. The same tribute which
he paid the late Harry Woodmansse applies now to Lamb: ‘Along
with him, a great deal of knowledge passed out of the world.’
Surviving is daughter Patricia Ellis of Lexington, Kentucky.
Submitted by Dr. Robert T. Rhode, 4745 Glenway Avenue,
Cincinnati, Ohio 45238-4537.
MARCELLA REILLY COOKE, 77, of Billings, Montana, quietly
departed from this life, Wednesday, March 26, 1997, to begin
anew.
While nursing in Omaha, Nebraska, Marcella met Oscar Cooke. She
ended her nursing career when she married her beloved Oscar in
1952. The newlyweds settled in St. Joseph, Missouri, where Oscar
had a branch of his machinery business. Marcella, already a savvy
business lady, fit in as a perfect partner with Oscar. During their
43 years of life together, this ‘dynamic’ duo had many
successful business ventures. In 1958, they made the move from
Missouri to the CX Ranch in Decker, Montana. When Oscar decided to
get out of the cattle business, Marcella leased his share of the
ranch from him and ran her own cattle business.
Marcella shared Oscar’s love of collecting antiques and she
was a vital contributor to the building of Oscar’s Dreamland
And Yesteryear Museum. Her devotion and love of not only her
husband but of her rural heritage led her to enjoy participating in
the accumulating of antiques to build this fantastic museum. She
spent countless days trucking ‘treasures’ home, attending
auctions, purchasing antique items and giving tours of the museum.
She was also the half of the partnership that kept the business end
running smoothly.
Marcella was preceded in death by her devoted husband, Oscar,
and her oldest brother, Edward Reilly. Marcella is survived by her
two children, Riley Oliver Cooke, of Laurel, Montana, and Marcie
Ann Limpp, of Roberts, Montana; one sister, two brothers, two
granddaughters, and many nieces and nephews, all very dear to her
heart.
Submitted by her daughter, Marcie Ann Limpp of Roberts,
Montana.
