Leota Jaeger Cook

One of the oldest members of the Jaeger family, Leota Cook, passed away this past week at the age of 102, the last of 14 children from the Adam Jaeger family.
Devoted wife, mother of five, registered nurse and a driving force behind the Meeker Herald, Leota passed away peacefully on July 29 in her adopted home in Colorado. She will be forever remembered for her loving kindness and generosity to both her family and community while never forgetting her Imperial roots. Never known to say anything negative about anyone, she was a shining example for all to see and admire.
Remembered by most in the White River Valley since 1964, Leota was a tireless volunteer who spread her Christian energy across countless organizations and programs aimed at helping to make Meeker a better place to live.
Her loving heart was continually on display, spreading joy, comfort and happiness in a seemingly effortless manner. A shining example of how a good Christian life should be lived, Leota grew from her simple Nebraska farming roots into a person who knew that life was very precious and should be lived to its fullest despite all its challenges.
Born April 12, 1924 to Adam and Augusta Jaeger in Imperial, Nebraska, Leota was the youngest of 14 children who grew up in that farming community. German immigrants who migrated to the United States in the 1880’s, the family’s sod house was gradually expanded over the years to accomodate the growing family before they moved into town.
Church and school were her early focal points in life, graduating from high school in 1942 followed by her chosen profession of wanting to help others by becoming a registered nurse.
Ironically when she came back to Imperial after working as an RN, she was introduced to a man who was renting a room in the house owned by her mother. Jim Cook from Rifle, Colorado was a linotype operator working for the Imperial Republican and it didn’t take long for the two to realize they were the perfect match for one another. Married April 9, 1950, the young couple moved on to Torrington Wyoming where they began their family. To this union, five children were born; Jim, Mary, Tommy, Kim and Mike over the next 9 years as the family moved on to Ft. Collins and later on to Brush, Colorado. How she managed to raise a family and keep everything going despite working the night hospital shift from 11 p.m. 7 a.m. is still a marvel to her family. Wanting to do more to help raise their growing family, the Cooks made the decision to move to Meeker where they arrived on January 1, 1964 when they bought the local newspaper from Richard Lyttle. The challenges were many in the early days of newspapering which cancelled Leota’s career as a registered nurse, as her time and energy was needed to help run the growing newspaper.
Ever mindful of how words in print can affect one’s life, Leota was forever a steadying influence on how stories should be written.
Best known for her gathering and writing news call the “locals,” she was also active in the weekly production of the paper in the mailing of the Herald to the hundreds of people who wanted to keep track of the happenings in Meeker.
While her newspaper and home life kept her busy, she was also extremely active in the Methodist Church where she volunteered to help with countless Sunday programs, funerals and cooking for the Meeker Lions Club which the Methodist women did on a weekly basis for the organization.
However, for the family, she is best remembered for her daily vigilance and caring for her children and husband. Meals were always well prepared, the house was forever clean and the needs of the family were always front and center. Never a harsh or punishing word was ever said in front of the family and to this day, the children can never remember their parents fighting over anything.
After the paper was sold in 1993 when Jim’s health started to fail, Leota continued to devote her selfless spirit to her community and family which blessed her with 10 grandchildren as the years rolled by. As they all agreed, Grandma Otie had a way of making every grandchild feel loved in the way they needed, a grandmother without the pressure and expectations of rising children and unconditionally loving them.
Blessed with exceptionally good health, Leota lived in her own home until she was 97 when she moved to the Walbridge Wing. She was preceded in death by her husband Jim who passed away in 1998, 11 month old Tommy in 1954 and son Mike in 2023. Funeral services will be held in Meeker on Friday, August 7 at 3 p.m. at the Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to The Herald Times in her name to help keep the community’s newspaper going.