Manning V. Cook

Manning V. Cook, 95, passed away at home early Saturday morning, January 8, 2022, after a period of declining health.

Service:  11:00 am, Friday, January 14, 2022, at Saginaw United Methodist Church

Private Family Interment:  10:00 am, Saturday, January 15, 2022, at Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park, Colleyville, Texas

The Family respectfully request that memorials may be given to Saginaw United Methodist Church Endowment Fund, SUMC, 209 S. Bluebonnet Drive, Saginaw, TX  76179.

He was born November 10, 1926, in Booneville, Mississippi and spent his formative years on a farm named Three Oaks in Artesia, MS. As a child and young adult Manning was known as Ped.  The nickname was formed by the melding “Red”, for his coppery hair and “Pet,” the endearment his mother used. After high school, he joined the U.S. Army in 1944 and trained with the Paratrooper Airborne Infantry.  He said that the first time he traveled on an airplane he had to jumped out of it.  He was on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific with the mission to invade Japan when the war ended.

Manning attended Mississippi State University and in 1950 moved to Fort Worth for employment, first working at General Dynamics and then for many years at International Service Finance Company as a loan officer. From 1979 to 1985 he was an underwriter for Government Employees Insurance Company.

Through his landlady Manning met a fellow Mississippian, Pearl Harwell.  On August 19, 1952, the two were married and later bought a house on the west side of Fort Worth.  In 1955 they had their first child, a son, Manning Vandiver Cook, II (Van) and daughter Dorrie came along two years later.  In 1965 the family moved to Saginaw and a year later they welcomed their third child, a daughter, Barbara Beth, ”B.B.”.

The Cooks were a Scouting family.  Pearl held numerous volunteer positions with the Girl Scouts and Manning was the Boy Scout leader for Van’s troop.  The two went on many camping trips which usually ended with a story to tell.  The story often involved a snake(s).

Active members of Saginaw United Methodist Church, Manning served on many committees through the years. The church was a place where they made a second family and contributed to their community.

A Mason, he was proud to be a 60+ year member of the Lake Worth Masonic Lodge #1430 AF & AM, a member of York Rite and Scottish Rite.  He served as a master of the lodge and regularly attended the Grand Lodge of Texas. He spent several years traveling with his friend, Jimmy Henley, to work with members of lodges across Northeast Texas plus helped many fellow lodge brothers learn their lessons to earn their degrees of Masonry.

Manning enjoyed the outdoors, camping and bird hunting.  He trained several English Setter bird-dogs and walked many miles with them at the National Grasslands near Decatur.  Manning and Pearl enjoyed their yard too.  Manning mowed his own grass until his early nineties, which kept his neighbors on alert.

He had a great memory which enhanced his love of storytelling.  He also was known to be an avid football fan, watching both college and professional football, especially the Dallas Cowboys.

In retirement, Manning was at loose ends.  His friend and EMSISD administrator, Elmer Watson, recruited him to work part-time as the mailman for the school district.  He always said this was the best job he ever had – going to each school in the district to deliver the mail, making friends with the front office staff along the way.

Manning was a family man and loved being a grandparent.  He was very proud of all four grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Pearl H. Cook; son, Van Cook; parents, W. Harvey Cook and Hazel Cook; sister, Ida Frances Klages; brother, William H. (Bill) Cook, Jr.

Manning is survived by daughters Dorrie Hall (Keith) of Trophy Club, TX and B. B. Stotts (Jeff) of Pittsburg, KS; brothers, Stan Adams of Rush, CO and Jack Adams (Debra) of Cedar Park, TX.  He was grandfather of four grandchildren, Taylor Hall (Mara) of Arlington, VA, Katelin Hall of Denver, CO, Madison Stotts of Denton, TX and Avery Stotts of Pittsburg, KS, along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who he loved dearly.