Yvonne Elizabeth Cook

Yvonne Cook, age 91, of Wheaton, Minnesota passed away Monday, August 25, 2025 at the Traverse Care Center in Wheaton.

Yvonne Elizabeth (Elton) Cook was born July 10, 1934, to Alfred and Grace (Christensen) Elton, the oldest of five girls. She was raised in Sisseton, South Dakota where she attended country school and eventually moved into town to attend Sisseton High School. Yvonne graduated in 1952, pursued a teaching degree at Aberdeen, SD and taught country school. Her kindness and compassion made her a great teacher. She met her husband Duane while roller skating. They dated, then were later married and moved to Wheaton where they raised eight children. Her greatest teaching efforts were towards her eight children where the morals she instilled were kindness, honesty and the importance of loving your family.

While Duane worked away from home, she was the head of household where she kept an immaculate home and made sure all children were very well taken care of. They had many homes over the period of almost 70 years of marriage. She made sure to make each one of those a loving home for the family, where meals were from scratch, and were eaten together. Some of the family favorites were homemade fudge, caramel popcorn, date bars, ginger snaps, caramel rolls and chocolate cake with white frosting. She had many careers over the years but still made sure her eight children always attended Sunday School, church, confirmation- always on time.

Yvonne was a special grandmother to all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They have many fond memories of staying with her and getting spoiled by her and grandpa Cook.

The love of family carried through to her sisters and their families, and Duane’s family. She loved spending time with all of them and often said that she appreciated all the loving support from them throughout the years. Many get-togethers were shared with both sides of the family. All the laughter, chaos, fond memories, and good times will be cherished and reminisced about for many years to come.

Vonnie enjoyed drawing, bowling, dancing, flowers, gardening and yardwork, birthday club, bunco club, church circle, her coffee ladies, in her early years – roller skating and mostly spending time with her sisters, “The Elton Girls”….. oh, the laughter. (Think Golden Girls – they got nothing on the Elton Girls). They definitely could have had their own sitcom.

Over the past eight years, some of her mind diminished, but she never lost her beautiful smile and caring personality.

Yvonne was preceded in death by her husband Duane; parents Alfred and Grace Elton; sister Betty Marohl; grandson Christopher Cook; father and mother-in-law Joseph and Grace (Loveless) Cook; brothers and sisters-in-law: Lyle and Hazel Cook; and Lorraine and Donald Pullis, Sr.; brothers-in-law: Ronnie Randall and Bernie Cook; sister-in-law Donna Cook; and many loved nieces and nephews.

Vonnie is survived by her children: twins Noel (Missy) Cook and Neal (Colleen) Cook; Rick Cook, Brenda (Rick) Schultz; Brian (Dawn) Cook; Blaine Cook; Lisa (Cook) (Keith Johnson) Anderson; and Kristi (Loran) Braun; and many loved grandchildren and great-grandchildren; sisters: JoAnn (Dale) Medenwald; Gloria (Gary) Newell; Angie (Gary) Hanson; brother-in-law Danny Marohl; sister-in-law Dolores Randall; brother-in-law Kenny Cook; and many loved nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held Friday, September 19, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wheaton with Rev. Cheryl Berg officiating. A Memorial Visitation will be held one hour prior to service time at the church. A private family burial will take place at St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery in Dumont, Minnesota. Honorary urn bearers will be Vonnie’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Everyone is invited to the Wheaton American Legion following the service for a meal.

Donations can directed be to the Wheaton Senior Diner Meals on Wheels Program in memory of Yvonne Cook.