Married Jerry Cooksey, MHS Class of 1964

Barbara Martin

Mailing Address:

1043 Helmer Lane
Deary, ID 84823

Phone: 208 877-1800

Barbara Martin Cooksey
cooksey@moscow.com

Updated: May 22, 2010

Barb and Jerry Cooksey - Christmas 2009

Our friendly Mr & Mrs Webmaster has asked that we all update our bios and since I've been trying to get you all to do it, I guess I had better do my share and get it done too :)

I retired in Nov of 2009, and Jerry retired in March of 2010, and have to say we highly recommend it! Not to mention we really enjoy being able to stay home instead of driving that 80 mi round trip to work every morning at 5:30 am. Now I just curl up with a good book and watch it snow. We had some really bad winters, good 'ole fashioned ones with 4-5ft, and we are sooo glad we don't have to drive in it anymore unless we have too! The first thing that I learned when we moved out here is that when the weatherman says it's going to snow in the mtns ~~ that's us, there is an imaginary line right at the edge of Deary that marks the beginning of the mountains although you wouldn't think it any other time of year. The next thing I learned is that "get your Xmas shopping done early, just in case you get snowed in"!

We love living out here, peaceful, quiet, and at night it really seems that you can reach right up and touch the stars.

Have done a little traveling, Glacier Park, West Yellowstone and still planning this years get away :) Maybe we'll have to flip a coin :) We still make our annual trek to Wallowa Lake OR every year over Memorial Day.

The 4th of July the family gathers near Elk River for a long weekend (or longer for Jer and I) of camping, 4 wheeling and just good times. They have a marvelous fireworks show up there and it is so awesome to hear the booms echo off the surrounding mountains.

We don't lack for things to keep us occupied, sometimes I wonder how in the world we got it all done when we were working :)

Shelley Rae married to Duane Bull. Shelley works for Moscow Family Medicine, and Duane works at WSU. They have 3 awesome kids ~ Justin works for North Idaho Rock, and in his spare time, he fills in at Fab Tech as a welder when they need extra help. Austin will be a senior next year, and Ashley will be a freshman next year. Step Daughter Michelle Renee, married to Brian Hubertus and they live in TX. Another grandaughter, Ashlyn, who is 11 now.

All the kids are involved in sports, football, baseball, basketball, soccer and they're all involved in FFA and 4 H. Keeps us very busy just trying to keep up with them :)

Grandpa, Grandma, Ashley, Austin & Justin - Christmas 08

Spouse: Jerry (class of 64) As many of you remember Jer went into the Air Force while we were all still in school. He retired after 20 yrs, returned home, and we were married in 1983 - not as long as most of you but we're workin' on it ~~ just give us time! Coming up on 23 ~~ oh my gosh time flies when you're having fun! Jer works at Washington State University and is thinking about retiring for the 2nd time around.

Daughter: Shelley Rae, married to Duane Bull. Shelley works at the University of Idaho and they have 3 awesome kids ~~ Justin who is 17, Austin is 12 and Ashley is 9. Duane farmed up until this last fall and now he's working full time at Washington State University. The kids moved to Troy, ID and it's a great place to bring up kids!

Step Daughter: Michelle Renee, married to Brian Hubertus and they live in New Braunfells TX. Another granddaughter, Ashlyn, who is 7 and if I do say so, smart as a whip.

I spent a lot of years in food service, 13 with the Moscow School District ~ I had a little taste of the computerized world when we revamped the lunch program there and decided I'd like to learn more. Jer bought me my first computer and I signed up for every class I could.

I left the school district 6 years ago and have been working at the Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Dept at the University of Idaho ever since. Love it, love the kids and after all these years I find I like learning.

Standing atop of Moscow Mountain

This last year we decided to sell our home in Moscow ~~ major project! I truly don't know what we would have done if it weren't for our daughter and her family, I'd been there for 38 years! Time for one big house cleaning session!

We found a piece of property at Helmer, ID (3 miles east of Deary), and moved in to our new home, ~~ should I say "still moving". (Just how long does it take to pack 38 years of accumulation?)

This way we'll be closer to the mountains, 4 wheeling, fishing ~~ we won't have near so far to go play when we retire. Nice quiet, small, friendly community, with NO apartments in our back yard! (They build them on old railroad right a way's these days here in Moscow, everywhere there's a vacant spot, they plop an apartment house in it)

The grandkids keep us very busy, ball games of every kind, dance recitals, 4H and FFA, so at fair time we can be found at the fairgrounds.