Obituary of Doyce Eugene Cook

Doyce Eugene Cook October 12, 1923 - September 18, 2014 Doyce Eugene Cook went home to his Heavenly Father Thursday, September 18, 2014, just one month away from his 91st birthday. He was current residing with one of his daughters in Round Rock, Texas. Mr. Cook passed away quietly and peacefully at St. David’s Medical Center from complications following surgery. There, he was given the best of care throughout this journey. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 pm Mountain Time on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, at Bethel Baptist Church, 12129 North Denver City Highway, Hobbs, NM, with Pastor Jimmy Crawford leading the service. Viewing and respects will be all day on Monday, September 22, 2014 at Kirby-Smith-Rogers Funeral Home at 321 W. Washington, Lovington, New Mexico. Doyce was born October 12, 1923 in Frankston, Texas to Archie Eugene Cook and Susie Audrey Richards Cook. He had two brothers and one sister: Coy Roland Cook, Morris Ray Cook and Doris Fay Cook Lytle. His parents and siblings have all preceded him in death. Doyce married his sweetheart Nellie Marjorie Taylor in Seagraves, Texas on June 3, 1945 and spent the next 61 years with her until her death in September, 2006. They had two daughters, Linda Susann Cook Bolding and Patricia Nell Cook Clevenger who spent their years growing up on the family farm between Lovington and Hobbs, New Mexico – attending and graduating from Lovington schools in 1968 and 1971, respectively. Doyce and Nell homesteaded their farm in Knowles Community, Lea County, New Mexico in 1946, where he remained until his 90th birthday in 2013. At that time, he sold his farm to a close friend and made his life for the next year with his daughter and son-in-law Linda and Randal Bolding at their home in Round Rock Texas. There, he enjoyed his “pets,” walking across the back yard: birds, deer, squirrels and 12 wild turkeys! Growing up in Frankston, Texas, at the age of 14, Doyce had to drop out of school to take care of his family when his father became ill. He farmed and ranched from that time forward all of his life, and participated in one the largest cattle drives in Texas. He was never afraid to take on whatever it took to care for his family and all whom he loved. He was one of the best freight haulers around after he and Nell were married, in order to earn money for the farm they had established. At age 47, Doyce wanted to do more for his family, knowing that college was coming soon for “his girls.” With their encouragement, he went to night school and obtained his GED (now his daughters were checking HIS homework!) and went to work for the United States Postal Service in Lovington, NM, where he made many friends in the community by serving them there. All the while, he continued to grow cotton and run the farm until he retired from the post office at the age of 72. He always said he kept his farming job – farmers never retire! A charter member of Bethel Baptist Church in Knowles Community, Hobbs, New Mexico, Doyce served his Lord as a Deacon and Sunday School Superintendent for over 50 years. With a servant’s heart, his life was a testimony of Christ’s love for us, shared unwaveringly with his family, his friends and the many people who crossed his path. Everyone knew and loved “Mr. Cook.” His last words were “precious Jesus, precious Jesus.” Doyce always said his best years were the years he was raising his family. He loved having his children, nieces and nephews and at the farm – extending his love and care to his immediate and extended family. Later, as their families grew, he loved having his grandchildren, great grandchildren and his extend families’ children there as well – where they could all run and play free from care in the sanctuary of the family farm. Mr. Cook is survived by daughter Linda Susann Bolding and son-in-law Randal Bolding of Round Rock, Texas; and daughter Patricia Nell Clevenger of Midland, Texas. He is also survived by 8 grandchildren (Chad Bolding, Meghan Bolding Flemmons, Randi-Ann Bolding, Patrick Clevenger, Rori Clevenger Smith, Tucker Clevenger, Treasure Clevenger Ledder and Nellie Beau Clevenger Ratliff) and 12 great grandchildren; 14 nieces and 7 nephews and their children. We will all miss him terribly, but we celebrate the life he lived so fully on this earth and the eternal life he now enjoys.