Bernhard (Koch) Cook (1863 - 1900)

Born 25 Oct 1863 in Watertown, Wisconsin

Ancestors

Husband of Kathryn (Kinney) Cook — married 6 Jul 1891 in DeWitt, Iowa

Descendants

Died 27 Jun 1900 at age 36 in Belle Plaine, Iowa

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Janet Hartje [send private message]

Biography

Benjamin Cook was born Bernhard Koch October 25, 1865 in Watertown, Wisconsin to Anton Koch(1821-1903) and Anna Maria Lamair(1828-1905). We do have proof from the will of Anton Koch that Benjamin Cook was Bernhard Koch.

Benjamin had four brothers and three sisters. His brothers were Engelbert(1854-1932), Franz Heinrich(1856-?), Joseph(1865-1923), and Antonium(1870-?). His sisters were Anna(1858-1932), Josephine(1861-1937), and Maria Magdalene(1868-1934). I believe Benjamin left his childhood home at about the age of 16. When he left home he changed his name and ended up in Belle Plaine, Iowa.

The first record I found for him in Iowa is his marriage. Benjamin Cook married Kathryn Kinney(Kate 1871-1931) on July 6, 1891 in Clinton, Iowa. In the 1895 Census from Belle Plaine, Iowa, Benjamin is listed as a bridge builder, married to Kate with two children, and a Catholic. The two children in this census are Maud N.(1891-1963) and Frank Henry(1893-1939). The next Census was June 1, 1900. Benjamin is again a bridge carpenter and now he and Kate have three children. Their third child is Bernard Roy(1895-1959).

I tried to find some information about which Railroad bridges Ben worked on in Iowa. I found one article in Every Other Daily Union on page 4, Thursday, February 23, 1899. He was working on a bridge that would eventually connect to the high bridge west of Boone, which would be complete in two more years. The crew he was working with were at Montour, Iowa (located in Tama County).

I found another article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette on Page 2, May 3, 1899. This article says Ben Cook has gone to New Orleans to represent the lodge of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen at the national meeting.

Sadly Ben’s life ended much to soon. A few short weeks after the 1900 Census, Ben was run over by a train. In a few of the articles about his horrific death it was mentioned that he was a member of the local lodges of the Iowa Legion of Honor and Independent Order of Redmen. Another mentioned that he had two brothers living in Watertown, Wisconsin.

Benjamin Cook aka Bernhard Koch died June 27, 1900 in Belle Plaine, Iowa. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, in Belle Plaine, Iowa.

Sources

Marriage

• "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XJH9-N9V : 8 March 2016), Benjamin Cook and Kate Kinney, 1891.

Census

• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN9K-C3R : 29 May 2021), Bernhard Koch in entry for Anton Koch, 1870.

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN4P-PHW : 20 February 2021), Beneard Koch in household of Anton Koch, Watertown, Jefferson, Wisconsin, United States; citing enumeration district ED 182, sheet 350A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,430.

• "Iowa State Census, 1895," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VT3J-TM7 : 17 November 2014), Benjamin Cook, Benton, Iowa, United States; citing p. 5, 1895, State Historical Society, Des Moines; FHL microfilm 1,021,711.

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9K9-32C : accessed 4 April 2017), Bernard Cook in household of Benjamin Cook, Belle Plain Township Belle Plain city Ward 1 & 3, Benton, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1, sheet 9B, family 206, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,417.

Children

• "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XJJJ-YLB : 8 March 2016), Bernard R. Cook and Frieda M. Siepmann, 1921.

Death

• "Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XVWC-5ZV : 16 January 2020), Benjamin Cook, .

• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV22-1G8L : 13 December 2015), Benjamin Cook, 1900; Burial, Belle Plaine, Benton, Iowa, United States of America, Oak Hill Cemetery; citing record ID 75929688, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.