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Howard M. Cook, 76

Howard M. Cook, 76, of Nickerson, died Thursday, January 3, 2013, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 5, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont. Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Friday with the family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m. at Reckmeyer-Moser Funeral Home in Arlington. Visitation will continue on Saturday at the church one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in the Arlington Cemetery at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday. Military graveside services will be conducted by the V.F.W. Post 8332 and American Legion Post 71.

Howard M. Cook was born May 7, 1936, in Fremont, to Lawrence and Ruie (Thompson) Cook. He grew up in and lived in the Arlington area. He was a 1954 graduate of Arlington High School.

He served in the U.S. Army for two years.

On June 16, 1962, he married Shirley Bielenberg in Omaha.

He lived in Omaha, where he drove a gasoline truck, then in 1965 he moved to a farm near Nickerson.

In 1984, he began working for Monke Brothers Fertilizer and Fontanelle Hybrids. He owned and operated Fontanelle Pig Company and the Cook and Otto farming operation.

His wife, Shirley, died March 3, 2000.

On December 7, 2002, he married Karen Smith at Ruthven, Iowa.

He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and the Fraternal Order of Eagles 200, both in Fremont; the Nickerson Volunteer Fire Department and the V.F.W. Post 8332 of Arlington.

He was a past school board member of the Fontanelle School.

Mr. Cook was proud of the 1954 Ford pickup which he restored and drove in parades.

He is survived by his wife, Karen; son, Michael Cook and fiancée, Marsha of Emporia, Kan.; daughter and son-in-law, Kim and Brian Arps of Fremont; step-son and spouse, Floyd "Bud" and Rene Guinn of Tyler, Texas; step-daughters and spouses, Margy and Ted Johnson of Mankato, Minn., Jonna Guinn-Brandt of North Mankato, Minn., Debra and David Orken of Hadley, Minn., and Faith Hoffman of Niles, Calif.; brothers and sisters-in-law, Leslie and Ida Cook of McKinney, Texas, Kenneth Cook of Potter and David and Anita Cook of Omaha; 22 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Shirley.

Memorials may be directed to Trinity Lutheran School and to the Nickerson Volunteer Fire Department.