Capt. James "Kenny" Cooke, Ret.

Capt. James “Kenny” Cooke, Ret., age 89, of Merlin, died Thursday, February 10, 2011 at Three Rivers Community Hospital.

James Kenneth Cooke was born on Nov. 30, 1921 in Pleasant View, Kentucky to Harlan G and Roxy Ann Cooke. The oldest of four children, Ken’s mother passed away when he was seven years old. His father married again to Minnie Troxel. Ken’s dad was a coal miner, and due to poor health, moved the family to Oregon in a Model A to Glendale, Oregon where he worked at Dollar Lumber Mill. They built a home there, raised chickens and sold eggs.

Times were hard so Ken soon volunteered to serve in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Stationed at Tiller, they built roads and camp areas, the railroad at Coos Bay and did various construction projects. Ken carved the entrance sign to the Oregon Caves, which still stands today. He then went to work for a local contractor until World War II and then he entered the United States Army at Roseburg, Oregon in 1942. He was sent to England to train and there he met his wife of 67 years, Marjorie Edna Joan Sellwood. They were married in St. Martin’s Church on May15, 1943. Ken served in the 121st Batallion Engineer Co. B, 9th Army, attached to the 29th Infantry Division and was part of the first wave at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France on D Day. Only 56 men out of 216 in his unit survived the assault. Ken eventually met the Russians at Elbe River in Germany. He was awarded the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. At war’s end, Ken returned back to the states, and later Joan and their first daughter joined him in New York. The family settled in Grants Pass.

Ken was a local contractor for many years and then owned and operated Myrtle Craft Studio on Dowell Rd. as a family business for 21 years.

Ken was very active in the area. At the end of the war, he joined the National Guard in Grants Pass and served as Commanding Officer for many years. Ken was the commanding officer during the Roseburg explosion in 1959. Ken retired from the U. S. Army National Guard with the rank of Captain. In 1999 he was named to the 186th Infantry Hall of Fame. He was a Captain and Lifetime Member of Josephine Country Sheriff’s Posse, Drill Team Captain, and was 1981 state president of Oregon Association of Mounted Posses, was commander and District Commander of The American Legion Post 28, Chef de Gar of 40 et 8, Caveman Vintage Car Club Charter member and president, Retired Officer’s Association, GP Masonic Lodge, and served on the Josephine County Fair Board for 18 years.

He is survived by his wife, Joan, their four children: Jean Schmidt, Suzanne Shoemaker, Terry Cooke and Robert Cooke, all of Grants Pass, plus four grandsons:Jeff Van Cleave, Kevin Cooke of Grants Pass, Justin Shoemaker of Aloha, Oregon, Jerred Shoemaker of Hillsboro, Oregon , a granddaughter, Kayleen Cooke, five great-grandchildren and a sister, Odella Coons of Jacksonville, Florida.

Services will be held at Hull and Hull Funeral Directors at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17,2011. Interment will follow with military honors at Granite Hill Cemetery and a social will follow at the Josephine County Fairgrounds.