Ella “Gay” Cook, 73, of Plato, Mo., passed away in her home with her family by her side Sept. 4, 2017. Gay was born June 13, 1944, in Dunkirk, Ind., to Basil Edger and Mary Anna (Sutton) Hathaway. She moved to the Plato area in 1951 and remained there all her life. Gay graduated from Plato High School.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, John, Bud, Paul and Charles Hathaway; two sisters, Kay Hall and Pauline Jones; and an infant son, David Lee Cook.
On Sept. 26, 1964, she married Wayne Cook and they raised two boys, Danny and Darren. Gay was a longtime member of the Plato Baptist Church, where she was church secretary for years and was always willing to help with Bible School and Sunday school or wherever she was needed. She also enjoyed babysitting; she loved keeping babies, kids and grandkids. Gay helped at the Plato Food Pantry for several years; she loved helping people with their needs.
Gay is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Wayne of the home in Plato; two sons, Danny Clark and wife, Teresa, of Lebanon, Mo., and Darren Cook and wife, Cameron, of Lynchburg, Mo.; seven grandchildren, David Cook and wife, Stacey, Rylee Cook, Tyler Clark, Tim Clark, Ashley Akers and wife, Sandy, and Stetson and Whitley Welch; six great-grandchildren, Carlie, Carson and Cambrey Cook, Gracie, Lanie and Gus Akers; her siblings, Jim Hathaway and wife, Ruthie, of Plato, Mo., Don Hathaway and wife, Judy, of Evening Shade, Mo., Sam Hathaway and wife, Gretta, of Boiling Springs, Mo., Ann Massey and husband, Melvin, of Success, Mo., and Nyla Byrd of Venice, Fla.; and many nieces and nephews.
Gay loved the Lord and could quote scriptures and lived her life by showing love and compassion to all. Her home was a loving home and gathering place for friends and family. She was an awesome cook and enjoyed feeding anyone that stopped by. Gay had many talents; she loved to paint and painted many pictures and saw blades. She also enjoyed gardening, sewing, quilting and crocheting, raising chickens and was an avid mushroom hunter.
Gay was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She will be greatly missed, but we have peace in knowing she is not in any more pain and we will see her again.
Services were 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8, at Plato Baptist Church, Plato, Mo., with Pastor Phillip McGuire and Wesley Wallace officiating. Burial was in the Stark Cemetery. Pallbearers were Brian Hall, Chris Hathaway, Jason Hathaway, Nathan Scott, Travis Hathaway and Wesley Shrode. Honorary pallbearers were Steve Hathaway, Toby Fletcher and Bill Davidson.
The family requests memorials to Stark Cemetery. Online condolences may be made at www.evansfh.com.
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