Gene E. Cook

ST. PAUL – Gene E. Cook, 70, of St. Paul died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007, at the VA Medical Center in Grand Island, after a long battle with cancer. Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in St. Paul with Rev. Thomas G. Hyde officiating. Burial will be at a later date in the Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul. There will be no visitation as Mr. Cook donated his body the Nebraska State Anatomical Board in Omaha. Peters Funeral Home of St. Paul is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Cook was born on May 25, 1937, at Cushing, the son of Wayne and Irene (DeBord) Cook. He is survived by his wife, Jacequline of St. Paul; one daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Tim Ross of St. Paul; four step-sons and daughters-in-law, Tom and Regine Seberger of Shawnee, KS, Mark and Betty Seberger of Larkspur, CO, Jerry and Suzee Seberger of Omaha and Jim and Toni Seberger of Colorado Springs; two step-daughters, Chris Seberger and special friend, C.L. Stevenson of Grand Island and Barbara and Mitch Sunblade of Lincoln; three brothers and four sisters-in-law, Dick and Joyce Cook of Palmer, Darrel and Sharon Cook of Scotia; Kevin Cook of Cheyenne, WY, Margaret Cook-Clarke of Carroll, IA and Dorthea Cook of Valentine; and one sister and brother-in-law, Judy and Douglas Rother of Alamogordo, NM. He is also survived by one grandson, Riley Ross; six step-grandsons, Zachary Ross, Zachary Seberger, John Seberger, Johannes Seberger, CJ Seberger and Aaron Seberger; and three step-granddaughters, Kirsten Parker, Liz Bozin and Jordan Seberger; and one step-great-grandson, Blake Bozin; numerous nieces and nephews; and two sisters-in-law and their husbands, Mary Jo and Rick Vickers of Monument, CO and Jerrie and Bill Fleming of Tollesen, AZ. Gene grew up in Cushing and attended schools in Cushing and Palmer and was a 1955 graduate of St. Paul High School. He served in the U.S. Air Force from May 1955 to Febr. 1959, where he was stationed at the Portland, Oregon International Airport. He then worked on the last large railroad gang the Union Pacific Railroad organized. He was also the fourth man hired on the first Gerald Gentleman Jim Power Station in Sutherland. He was united in marriage to Jacequline Seaman Seberger on March 22, 1968 in York. The couple lived in various communities and states where he worked in construction, with his last twenty years at nuclear power plants as an insulator. He retired in 2004 and the couple returned to St. Paul. Gene loved baseball. During his service years he played for the Del Monte team in Portland. He often spoke of the fact that they only received pay when they won, and that they did not often lose a game. He also played in the Sherman-Howard League and at one time held the highest batting average ever for that league. He was a member of Am vets Post NE15 of Grand Island. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, James and John Cook; and one brother-in-law, Robert Seaman. Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society or the family’s choice.