Thursday, May 01, 2008

Ova M. Cook

Ova M. Cook, or "Ora," was born around 1829 either in Rawdon, Quebec, Canada, or in New York.

There was an Ova Cook, born around 1827 in New York, who was married to New York native Emma (b. 1829), probably in New York; they had at least four children: William (1858), James (b. 1861), Frank (b. 1863) and Clara (b. 1868).

Sometime after 1858 when their son William was born, they moved from New York and by 1861 had settled in Minnesota.

By 1860 Ova may have been working as laborer and residing at the Germain boarding house in Traverse City, Grand Traverse County.

In any case, we do know that Ova was about 32 years old, stood 5’11” with blue eyes, dark hair and a dark complexion, and working as a laborer when he enlisted in Company B on November 6, 1861, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, and was mustered December 23 at Detroit. He was sick in July and August of 1862, possibly in a hospital in Rhode Island, and was reported as a deserter as of September 21 at Upton’s Hill, Virginia -- probably due to the fact that his hospitalization was unknown to the regiment. In any case, the Regiment was soon informed of his condition and he was returned from desertion on October 1 at Upton’s Hill. Ova was discharged for varicose veins on September 23, 1862 at the general hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.

It is not known if Ova ever returned to Michigan.

By 1870 Ova and Emma and their children were living on a farm in Udolpho, Mower County, Minnesota. In the summer of 1874 one Ova M. Cook purchased 160 acres of land through the Worthington land office in Minnesota.

We do know that Ova was living in Udolpho, Mower County, Minnesota, in 1873, when he applied for and received a pension (no. 295986), drawing $16 per month by May of 1889.
Sometime between October 4, 1895, when he was last paid his pension, and August 12, 1896, when he was officially dropped from the pension rolls on account of death, Ova died in Austin, Mower County, Minnesota, and is presumably buried there.

2 comments:

James Odland said...

Ova M. Cook was born on: July 14th 1829; died on: December 7th 1895. He is buried in: Oakwood Cemetery, Rochester, Minnesota.

He is listed in FindAGrave.com.

---Jim.

James Odland said...

Ova M. Cook was born on July 14th 1829. He died on December 7th 1895. Mr. Cook is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Rochester, Minnesota.

He is listed in FindAGrave.com.