Lawson Ernest Cook

Lawson Ernest Cook, age 62, of Tonasket passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 6, 2011 after a long fight against his cancer. He will be greatly missed by his wife of 44 years, Linda E. Cook of Tonasket and his son, Kenneth R. Cook of Buena Vista, Colo. He is also survived by his father-in-law Albert H. Libby of Tonasket, Brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Gordon and Jeanette Mooney of Tonasket, and David and Robbie Libby of Chico, Calif., Nephew John Shepard and his wife, Ann, of Seattle, and several nephews and nieces and their families in California.

Lawson was born in Memphis, Tenn., and his parents, who are deceased, moved to California when he was two years old. His remaining sister, Nancy, lives in Memphis. After attending school in California he met his wife, Linda, in Placerville, Calif., and they were married in Reno, Nev., on Dec. 25, 1966. He worked in Placerville and then they moved to British Columbia, Canada in 1969 where he had work and they lived there for six years and his son, Kenneth, was born there. In 1975 Lawson and his family moved down to Tonasket and they have lived there ever since.

Lawson loved trucking and did long-haul trips for several years and owned his own truck and company, L&L Trucking. In 2003 he gave up trucking and started selling motorcycle parts on Ebay and did very well at it for a business. After the economy made it difficult to continue selling on Ebay he went to work for Trancare, out of Wenatchee, taking people to their doctor appointments and he really enjoyed his job as he was back to driving again. He said it didn’t have to be a big truck, it was driving, and he was happy doing it in a car. He continued with Trancare until November 2010 and, due to his health, had to give up driving for them.

Lawson loved motorcycles and, after a motorcycle accident, he didn’t give it up he just went and bought him a Trike. He and his wife loved to take motorcycle trips with all their close friends or just go by themselves to different places. They have so many good memories from their rides, from going to the Grand Canyon, to Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park just last September with all their great friends, to just day rides around the state. He wanted his wife to learn to ride the Trike and he would be happy to know she plans on doing this and continuing to ride with all their friends.

Lawson had been one of Jehovah Witnesses for ten years and his memorial was held on Jan. 9, 2011 at the local Kingdom Hall. His memorial was very well attended and that was a tribute to him on how well he was liked and thought of as a very special person. All his family and friends were so precious to him and he loved them and valued their friendship, his friends were family as far as he was concerned. Lawson loved his God, Jehovah, and the scriptures from the bible brought him comfort and hope in his last days. Our hope, and his hope, of seeing him again are well brought out in John 5:28, 29 and Revelation 21:3, 4. We know this hope is yet to come in the near future and Lawson knows we will all be there to greet him at that time.

Bergh Funeral Service of Oroville/Tonasket in care of arrangements.