- Date Of Birth: November 12, 1918
- Date Of Death: September 29, 2014
- State: Nebraska
Mrs. Cook died Monday, September 29, 2014, at Heritage of Bel Air.
Beth Evalyn (Baumann) Ankerstar Voss Cook was born November 12, 1918 to G.J. and Evalyn (Huebner) Baumann in Hadar, NE. She was baptized in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hadar, confirmed at Grace Lutheran Church in Norfolk, where she remained a member for 89 years. She graduated from Norfolk Senior High School in 1937.
After graduation she worked as legal secretary for five years in the Spillman and Ptak Law Office. She later worked as secretary at Sidles Company and also part time for Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation. She thoroughly enjoyed working with staff and students for eighteen years as secretary to the principal at Norfolk Senior High. While at Senior High she served as American Field Service chairman, a foreign student exchange program.
She was married to Leonard Ankerstar from 1941-1962; their children are Diane (Chuck) Kribs, Lafayette, CO, grandchildren David Hamling, and Laurel Hamling and great grandchildren Melanie and Daniel Wilkerson of Lafayette, Colorado; Vicki Beth Blattert, Norfolk; Sheryl Ankerstar (David) Dalke, and son K.C. Terry of Ft. Collins, CO; and Dana (Karen) Ankerstar of Sarasota, FL and his children Jesse (Jessica) Swift, Erika (Grant) Tinker, Kelly (Julia) Swift; and Tristan Ankerstar, all of Colorado.
In 1967 she married Lawrence Voss who died in 1989; her step-daughters are Joan Voss Miller and son Cord of Arlington, Texas and Shirley (Sandy) Plakidas of Baton Rouge, LA., their two sons Kostas (Paulette) Plakidas, and Tony (Alyson) Plakidas and children Sophie and Charlie.
She married Warren Cook in 1995 who preceded her in death in 2008. Her stepdaughter is Dr. Susie Cook, and son Jeffrey of Arizona; stepson Robert Cook and his children John, Matthew, J. J., and Rob; the children’s mother is Jane Cook Krepper.
Beth was a member of Grace Lutheran Ladies Aid, Mary-Martha Society, Norfolk Lutheran Women’s Guild, Norfolk Antique Auto Club, Lea-Thi-Ta Delphians, Ta Ha Zouka Questers, Lutheran Community Hospital Service Guild, Braille group, Elkhorn Valley Historical Society and a hospice volunteer. She repeatedly held offices in these organizations. She was co-leader of the first Girl Scout Troop in Norfolk to receive the Curved Bar award. Her hobbies were knitting and walking; she enjoyed refinishing antique furniture and caning chairs. Among her collections were antique salt dips, wooden carvings, and locally carved miniature Santas.
She was preceded in death by her mother, husbands Leonard Ankerstar, Lawrence Voss, Warren Cook, and grandson, Jason Blattert. She is survived by her children, 15 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.
LEARNING TO PUT PEOPLE, NOT PAPER, FIRST IN THE OFFICE
Sometimes in our lives we meet people who impress us by the job they do; the care they give. In the 1970’s I worked in a school where I met one of these people, the school secretary. That woman gave something I’ve rarely seenand I want to tell you what she gave.
She immediately gave each person who entered the office her full and complete attention, whether they were: chairman of the board, a teacher, a student looking for direction; whether they were a current employee or a new one.
