Asaph Cooke (abt. 1806 - 1869)

Born about 1806 in Granville, Washington Country, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Louisa C. Webber — married 3 Apr 1828 in New Haven, Huron County, Ohio

Descendants

Died 28 Dec 1869 at about age 63 in Granville, Washington Country, New York

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jeanne Wingert [send private message]

Biography

• 1. Written by Jeanne Sand Wingert

The spelling of the Cooke name moved back and forth between Cooke and Cook. The original spelling of the earlier ancestors was Cooke. During the Revolutionary War, the Asaph Cooke family line removed the "e" to disassociate themselves from the English. At sometime after the conflict, the "e" was put back, but never-the-less, the changes in spelling persisted. Some members seemed to prefer the spelling, Cook, and continued to use that, while others in the same family put the "e" on. Asaph (4) used both spellings over the years.

Asaph, was born in Granville, Washington County, New York. Asaph's gravestone reads 1801, but that is incorrect. Asaph's parents were married March 15,1803 in Granville, New York, and Asaph was the first born child of Asaph Cook (1781) and Mary "Polly" Stewart. On the 1850 US Federal Census, Asaph's age is listed as 46 years, which means that he was born in 1804. Edwin Nathaniel Cooke, in his autobiography written in 1875, gives his brother's birth date as 1806. One would think that a brother would remember a birth date. How curious it is that there are exact date records for the earlier ancestors, but for this family line in the 1800s, sparse exact records exist.

As a boy of about 13 years old in 1817, he moved with his parents to Huron County, Ohio. The trek through mostly unbroken land in late November and December took about six weeks. The place to which they moved became known as Cookes Corners because so many Cooke relatives populated the area. The place was later named Four Corners, and today, this tiny community is known as North Monroeville. There, in that remote place, which at that time was considered the far west, Asaph grew to manhood.^[1]

He married Louisa Webber, age 17, of Plymouth, Richland County, Huron County, Ohio. in 1828. (The record of their marriage which can be found at the Norwalk County Courthouse, Office of Common Pleas, Norwalk, Ohio, reads as follows: "Asaph Cooke Jr. and Soza C. Webber. This certifies that on the third inst. (Inst. means in or of the present month) I joined in marriage Mr. Asaph Cooke Jr. of Ridgefield and Miss Soza C. Webber of Plymouth Richland Co." Written information from the Deputy Clerk, Patricia J. Burr, in May 1998, said that no date was shown for this record, but the marriage record above and below it was April 1828.)

AUTO-BIOGRAPHY OF E. N. COOKE, November 12, 1875--Oregon In the year 1828 my brother Asaph married Louise Webber of Richland County, Ohio. They raised a large family. Soon after their marriage they moved to Illinois where they remained several years; subsequently removed to Pierce County, Wis. Their present address, Rock Elm P.O., Pierce County, Wisconsin. My brother Asaph died at the above named place in the year 1873. [Note: This is an incorrect date. His tombstone reads 1869, which most liklely is correct according to information in his wife, Louisa's obituary.] Edwin, Charles and Sylvester and several of their daughters live in that vicinity. I visited them seven years ago and found the young men, my nephews, and nieces well informed persons. My brother Edward was married in 1854 or 5. His wife died in 1868. They had one child but it died in infancy. His P.O. address is Four Corners, Huron County, Ohio.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ History of the St. Croix Valley, Vol. 2, by Augustus B. Easton; pub. 1909. Ellsworth Public Library, Ellsworth, Pierce County, Wisconsin. p.657
2. ↑ E.N. Cooke, Oregon, Auto-biography, November 12, 1875. Copy in possession of Russell Miller.

• Find a Grave, database and images (: accessed 19 September 2022), memorial page for Asaph Cooke (1806–28 Dec 1869), Find A Grave: Memorial #86106930, citing Poplar Hill Cemetery, Elmwood, Pierce County, Wisconsin, USA; Maintained by Jeanne Sand Wingert (contributor 47314572) .