Frances De Cook, 89

Frances A. (Brand) De Cook, 89, formerly of Sully, passed away Easter Sunday, Apr. 1, 2018, at Accura Healthcare of New-ton.

Funeral services were held Thursday, Apr. 5, at 10:30 a.m. at Sully First Reformed Church. Interment was in Sully Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested for Hospice of the Midwest or Gideons International.

Frances Alberta Brand was born on Jan. 7, 1929, the youngest of two children born to John and Cato (Wanders) Brand. She was raised on her parents’ farm southwest of New Sharon. She was an excellent speller and never missed a spelling word through the eighth grade. As a young girl, she was involved in 4-H, learned to play the piano, sang in the school choir, and played the saxophone in the high school band. Frances graduated as the valedictorian of her Class of 1947 from New Sharon High School and attended Central College in Pella for one year.

Dec. 14, 1947, Frances was skating with a cousin at the skating rink in Oskaloosa when she met Armand Floyd De Cook. Three years later on Dec. 14, 1950, they were united in marriage at the New Sharon Presbyterian Church and moved to their farm south of Sully. In July, 1951, Armand was drafted into the United States Army and they moved to Fort Leonard, MO, while Armand did his basic training. While Armand was stationed in Germany for 14 months, Frances moved back to live with her parents and worked in the office at Ideal Manufacturing Company in Oskaloosa.

In September 1953, Frances and Armand were reunited and moved back to their farm near Sully where they resided for the next 60 years. Frances and Armand were blessed with three children: Ruth Ann, Arvin Floyd, and Mark Alan.

Frances enjoyed being a full-time stay-at-home mom and a farmer’s wife. She loved to work outdoors with her flowers, in her vegetable garden, mowing the lawn, walking beans, and unloading hay and straw. She faithfully helped Armand care for all the livestock, including hogs, sheep, calves, milking cows, and especially the ponies, donkeys, and mules. But her greatest joy was her chickens from the tiny chicks, to butchering the broilers and selling the eggs to her “egg customers” for 60 years. The night before she and Armand moved to Heritage Manor in Newton in May 2013, she was still outside doing her chores of feeding the ponies, chickens, cats, and dog.

Frances enjoyed sewing and also loved to crochet. At Christmastime, she always had a crocheted or sewn gift for each of the nine grandchildren and was usually finishing the last one on Christmas Eve. She spent countless hours in her kitchen baking bars, cooking and canning, and freezing the produce from her garden.

Family came first for Frances, and she received great happiness when her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren gathered for the first Sunday of the month dinners. Christmastime was an all- day and evening event with games, singing, a program, food, and presents.

Frances received several ribbons at the county fair for her many baked goods, canned and fresh produce, and sewn and crocheted items. For 60 years, she and Armand attended the Iowa State Fair. For 10 years she was an information volunteer, and for 30 years, she showed their ponies. This became a family tradition for three days, with lots of fun and great memories. She and Armand were members of the Lynnville Saddle Club, active with the Gideons, attended Waverly horse sales, and she accompanied Armand on the WHO tractor rides, trips to Montana to visit the ranch where they bought their calves, and to the music shows in Branson, MO.

Frances was a faithful member of Sully First Reformed Church for 60 years. She taught Sunday school for 30 years, helped with sewing days, and attended the Golden Hour Bible study group.  Her love of music was demonstrated by playing the piano, organ, and accordion and singing in the church choir.

Her family that was very important to her, and those who will cherish her memory are: Ruth Ann (Douglas) Dop of Monroe, Lenis-wife of the late Arvin De Cook of Sully, and Mark (Karla) De Cook of Sully; nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Anna Mae Nikkel of Sully.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Armand De Cook, on Jan. 15, 2015; her son, Arvin De Cook, on June 7, 2009; her parents, John and Cato Brand; her brother, Clarence Brand and his wife, Vera; her parents-in-law, Arie F. and Jennie (Huyser) De Cook; and the following brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Walton and Nellie Fay De Cook, Gertrude and Pete Goodyk, and James Nikkel.

Frances will be remembered as a kind and loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

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