Edythe Boston

M.K. "Curly" Cook

Edythe (Hall) Boston of Canon City, Colo., a Goodwell native, was inducted into the Panhandle State Association's Alumni Ambassador Hall of Fame on Saturday evening, April 17, 2004, at the association's annual meeting and banquet.  In his nomination of this year's co-recipient, Association Past President Troy Morris stated, "The first year that I was president . . . I met Edythe Boston. She has been at almost all the Spring Reunion banquets since that time and (has) celebrated her 60th year reunion."  Mrs. Boston is a Life Member in the Panhandle State Association of Alumni & friends.

      Edythe Hall was born on a farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle, the daughter of Richard and Carry Hall. She graduated from the 8th grade at New Bethel and her family moved to a farm near Goodwell. Edythe attended secondary school at Panhandle A&M College, earning her high school diploma with honors. She enrolled in classes at the same college, now known as Oklahoma Panhandle State University, majoring in Home Economics and education. In 1933, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree and received a lifetime high school and 5 year teacher's certificate.

      When Edythe Hall and Sid Boston were married August 2, 1934, she resigned her teaching position as only single women were employed as teachers during the Depression. The Bostons had two sons and two daughters and lived in Goodwell and Guymon for 14 years. Edythe was active in the Methodist church, garden club, and Order of Eastern Star, eventually becoming a Past Worthy Matron. In 1948, Sid and Edythe bought a -5acre mini farm in Canon City, Colo., where they lived for 16 years.

      Among her accomplishments, Mrs. Boston was president of both Rainbow Mothers and DeMolay Mothers, a leader of Home Economics 4-H clubs, a Cub Scout Den Mother, and Girl Scout leader. Edythe is a Methodist church member who has sung in the choir, taught Sunday School, sponsored the Youth Group and served as Superintendent of the nursery department.

      Edythe Boston has been a member and supporter of the League of Families of POW-MIA's for 38 years, working for a full accounting of American service people. Her son, Colonel Leo Sidney Boston is MIA in Vietnam. In 1971, Edythe and Sid went to Paris, contacting the Vietnamese ambassador to plead for more humane treatment of POW's.

      Mrs. Boston has been a member of the American Association of University Women since 1950, and had a chair donated in her honor at the Fremont Center of the Arts in March 2001.  In that year, she was honored as Woman of the Year. Edythe was given a life membership in the Women's Society of Christian Service, now known as United Methodist Women, and is Acting treasurer of the Evening Star Mission Circle.

      In her creative efforts, Mrs. Boston has attained championships in bread making, jelly making, Governor's cookie jar contest, and won the Cotton Bag Sewing contest two times at the Colorado State Fair.  She also won the Grange sewing contest two times and recently received her 16,000 mile hiking stripe and in July, 1988, was honored as Colorado Recycler of the year. With her artwork she placed 2 nd in the Florence Flag Contest.

      Edythe Boston has played bridge in the Royal Gorge Bridge Club, at Colorado State Prison (visiting only!), and the Canon City and Skyline Clubs. She has also competed in many regional tournaments, amassing over 1100 Master Points. Mrs. Boston now ranks Silver Life Master. She recently played in the Hawaiian Regional and was listed in the top 50 scores.

      After writing poetry for thirty years, Edythe Boston published a 300-page book of her works, some of which have also been published in Cappers magazine. In 2003 her Blue Book of Gems #2 was published.

M. K. "Curly" Cook, Ph.D. was inducted into the Panhandle State Association's Alumni Ambassador Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 17, 2004, in Goodwell. In nomination of Dr. Cook to the Hall of Fame, Alumnus Dan Daniel wrote, "Curly Cook is and has been a cowboy, an innovator, a humanitarian, and educator, and probably the best Extension Animal Scientist to ever pull on a pair of boots. It is a great feeling to nominate him for the Hall of Fame Award at an institution that I love so very much."  Dr. Cook and his wife are Life Members of the Panhandle State Association, the alumni arm of Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell.

M. K. "Curly" Cook is the youngest of six children of Cecil I. and Anna Mae Cook, born on September 26, 1934, in Logan (Beaver County), and was raised on a wheat and livestock farm. Curly was educated in the Beaver County schools, graduating from Beaver High School in 1952.

Curly attended his freshman year of college at Oklahoma A & M University and transferred for his sophomore year to Panhandle A & M College, Goodwell. He worked his way through college by working at the college beef barn and, after his marriage, he was employed by Rentie Hamilton of Texhoma as herdsman for the Cross S Ranch.

Curly married Sandra Blankenship of Guymon on June 6, 1955, at the end of their junior year at PAMC. They have two children, Kimberly Cook Dunlap of Decatur, Texas, and M. Currey Cook of Anchorage, Alaska, and two grandsons, Chuck and Jake Dunlap

Following graduation from Panhandle A & M College in 1956, Curly managed the Hisson A&M Farm, Sand Springs, and then returned to Cross S Ranch in Texhoma as ranch manager. Curly and Sandra moved to Georgia in October, 1959 in ranch management near Barnesville, Ga.; then the Cooks moved to Athens, Ga., for Curly to start graduate school in 1960. When he completed his masters in Animal Nutrition, Curly began his employment with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service.

Dr. Cook's career with Extension spans 31 years, with roles as Mitchell County Agent, Area Livestock Specialist, and State Extension Animal Science Specialist. During this period, he also attended graduate school at the College of Veterinary Medicine receiving his Ph.D. in Rumen Physiology from UGA in 1975, was promoted to Head of Extension Animal Science Department in 1981, and in l989 became Associate Director of the Cooperative Extension Service in charge of all agricultural and natural resources programs.

Dr. Cook's educational responsibilities included teaching beef production practices to County Agents and cattlemen as well as preparing magazine articles, bulletins, circulars, slide sets and videos. Dr. Cook retired from the University in May 1992.

During his service to the citizens of Georgia and the State, Dr. Cook served in numerous leadership roles: Chairman & Vice-Chairman, Southern Extension Section, American Society of Animal Science; one of the pioneers in organizing and forming the National Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) which is still very active and has strong leadership in the livestock industry; organizer of the 4-H Horse Program; director, vice-president and president of the Georgia Association of County Agents; vice-president and president of the Georgia Cattlemen's Association. His appointment to the chairmanship of the Agri-Center Planning Committee by Governor Joe Frank Harris was one his favorite endeavors. Through the work of this committee, the Georgia National Ag-Center was constructed.

Curly and Sandra are both retired to a small farm in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, where he continues to raise commercial cattle and hay. He stays busy with research projects with the University of Georgia and with major seed companies.

Although Curly is retired from The University of Georgia, he stays involved with the College of Agriculture. He is presently serving as President of the University of Georgia, College of Agricultural, Ag Alumni Association. He still works to improve the quality of the education for all the young people with agricultural interests.