Beatrice May Cook

Beatrice May Cook (Gramma Bea) passed away from natural causes at 4 AM on June 23, 2019 at Ashley Manor in Eagle, Idaho.  Beatrice was born in Onalaska, Washington, on May 17, 1926.  She was preceded in death by two brothers, Jesse and Charles (Chuck) Gish, two sisters, Twila Snider and Claudia (Midge) DeFord, one son, Fredrick Briggs, and two husbands, Clifford Briggs and Verlon Cook.  She was survived by one brother, Arnold Gish, four sons, Clifford Briggs, Thomas (Michael) Briggs, Timothy (TJ) Briggs, and Walter Briggs, four daughters, Carmen Adkins, Rosemary (Rose) Barr, Sandi Babcock, and Julie Wiemer.  She was also survived by numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and a few great, great grandchildren.

While Beatrice spent most of her life as a homemaker, she ventured into childcare at Superkids with her eldest daughter in Boise, Idaho, after her children were grown.  She spent nearly ten years there teaching phonics to young children in pre-school.  Some of these children grew up to work in the elderly home facilities where “Gramma Bea” resided.

Gramma Bea’s hobbies were organic gardening, crocheting, and cross stitching.  She loved her children, grandchildren, her day-care children, music, ice cream, and potato chips.