Yvonne ‘Voni’ Dolores Cook

April 28, 1932 - January 1, 2021

Yvonne “Voni” Dolores Cook was born to Walter and Marion (Hansen) Wachenfeld on April 28, 1932 in South Gate, California. She was the youngest of four children and was preceded in death by her brothers Jack Conway and Walter Wachenfeld Jr, and her sister Betty Lewis.

After attending kindergarten at Miles Avenue Elementary School in Huntington Park the family moved to Sacramento where she continued her education and enjoyed playing paper dolls, house, school, secretary, jacks, skating, and many other childhood activities.

During frequent visits to her maternal grandparents in Huntington Park she met “the boy next door”, Donald Jack Cook. One Christmas vacation she renewed her friendship with Don and they were married on October 20, 1951 at the Methodist Church in Huntington Park. They raised their three children - William, JoAnn, and Linda - in Huntington Park, moving to Downey in 1983.

In Sacramento she was employed as an information operator for the phone company, a babysitter, and a waitress, but her most unusual job was that of a turkey tail-tier. Voni was very involved in their children’s activities, serving in school PTAs, as a Cub Scout den mother, and a Girl Scout leader. After her children were grown she worked as an assistant to Augustus Hawkins, U.S. Congressman, and a travel agent, specializing in cruises.

Voni’s hobbies included baking, traveling, quilting, genealogy, scrapbooking, and card making. She also enjoyed serving in various positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was an active member of the Paramount Ward at the time of her passing.

A widow for over thirty-five years, Voni passed away on January 1, 2021 and will be missed by all who knew and loved her. She is survived by her son William (Alicia) Cook, daughters JoAnn (Jim) Hertzler and Linda (Jeff) Middleton, nine grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren, to whom she is lovingly known as Nana.

Services were held on January 23rd in accordance with current pandemic regulations.