Cleve Cook

In 2013, Cleve Cook and his wife Hildred passed away, leaving their children with the responsibility to settle the family estate. Along with this they were challenged with identifying how a portion of the estate proceeds would be used to leave a legacy in honor of their father.

Working with the Emporia Community Foundation (ECF), the family established the Cleve Cook/Emporia Lions Club Fund to honor their father’s devotion to agriculture, the Emporia Lions Club, and the local community. When established, the fund was an unpredictable surprise to the members of the Emporia Lions Club. Thanks to the wise investment and frugal lifestyle of the Cooks, the family of Cleve and Hildred were able to create a charitable fund. This fund will provide financial assistance to identified areas that impacted the lives of the Cooks. While the fund is managed and administered through the Emporia Community Foundation, the Emporia Lions Club has the advisory duties.

In August of 2015, the Fund honored Mr. and Mrs. Cook’s legacy with a gift of $25,000 to the Lyon County Fairgrounds Anderson Building improvement project. The gift established a beautiful Cleve & Hildred Cook patio now located adjacent to the recently renovated Anderson Building.

The Cleve Cook/Emporia Lions Club Fund is just one example of how an individual or family can leave a permanent legacy in honor of loved ones and support local charities and organizations at the same time. It will impact many worthy causes in the years to come.