Obit: Cook, Charlotte Baer (1872 - 1953)
Contact: Dolores Kenyon
Email: eldolken@potc.net

Surnames: Baer, Cook, Stockwell, Poplett, Wanner, Holway

Source: Neillsville Rep & Press (January 1953)

Charlotte Baer Cook died January 10 at 7205 W. Blue Mound Rd., Milwaukee. Services were held in Milwaukee Tuesday, January 13, followed, in accordance with Mrs. Cook’s wishes, by cremation. The ashes will later rest in the Neillsville City cemetery.

Mrs. Cook was widely known in Clark County, having at one time been local writer for the Granton News, which was conducted by herself and her husband, Francis Joseph Baer.

She was born Charlotte I. Stockwell, oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.S. Stockwell. She was born July 14, 1872, at Port Huron, Michigan. The Stockwells came to Wisconsin in 1877, locating in La Crosse County. There, Mr. Stockwell was Superintendent of Schools. The family came to Clark County in 1885. Mr. Stockwell held various county offices. His name has been perpetuated in local history by appearing in the name of one or more subdivisions of Neillsville. His daughter, “Lottie” worked in the office of register of deeds.

Lottie’s marriage to Mr. Baer took place in 1903 and it was then that they became partners in the Granton newspaper as well as in family relation. In addition to getting out the Granton News, they wrote and published a history of Clark County.

The Baers returned to Neillsville in 1921, having merged their newspaper interests with others published in the county. Their activities continued on the old Neillsville Press, predecessor of The Clark County Press. They also pioneered in establishing the Neillsville golf course. To that enterprise great effort and much money was devoted. A beautiful course was created, which remains a community monument to their enterprise, though something less than a commercial success. Eventually, after various vicissitudes, the course was taken over by the present non-profit organization, consisting of stockholding members.

Mr. Baer died in 1936. In 1938 Lottie married Samuel J. Cook of the town of Grant, an old friend. They lived in Neillsville until his death. Since then Mrs. Cook has usually spent the open season in her house on Fifth Street and the winter with her daughter Helene, Mrs. Milton Herold, at 7205 W. Blue Mound Rd, Milwaukee 13, Wis.

In addition to the daughter Helene, Mrs. Cook is survived by a granddaughter, Mrs. Ray Poplett of Chicago. There are two surviving brothers, C.D. Stockwell of Eau Claire and A.R. Stockwell of Neillsville, and two surviving sisters, Mrs. Ernest Wanner of Bismarck, N.D., and Mrs. William Holway of Madison. Daughters of Mr. Cook are Mrs. Alfred Magnuson and Mrs. Eugene Short, who reside locally.