Martha Anne Calhoun Cook

Martha Anne Calhoun Cook of Murray, Kentucky, 77, died peacefully at home and surrounded by family on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. She was born on March 12, 1946 in Paducah, Kentucky, daughter of Terry Ney Calhoun and Garva Loraine Johnston Calhoun.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Dr. Gene Cook; her beloved parents; and her brother, Dr. Terry Lynn Calhoun of Kuttawa, Kentucky. Survivors include her son, Gene Cook, Jr. (Trish) of San Jose, California; her daughter, Lori Cook (Jake Wegmann) of Austin, Texas; and her grandchildren, Dylan Cook and Addie Wegmann. Martha is also survived by several cousins and two nephews whom she loved dearly.

While deservingly known as a loving wife and mother, Martha was also a person of place. She grew up in Lyon County “Between the Rivers” where her parents operated a farm and a small grocery store. Upon completion of Barkley Dam, Martha’s original homeplace was flooded, and the family moved just north of Kuttawa where Martha lived until she left for college. Her deep attachment to Lyon County and its people remained strong throughout her life.

Martha was also a scholar. At the encouragement of a teacher, Martha left high school a year early to attend Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, where she graduated with degrees in biology and psychology. She later pursued her medical technologist training at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, where she also met her future husband. Beyond the classroom, Martha was a lifelong learner committed to challenging ideas and expanding her mind through reading and conversation. She inherited this love of learning from her own mother and paternal grandmother and passed it down to her children and grandchildren.

The funeral service will take place at 2pm on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at the J.H. Churchill Funeral Home & Cremation Services with Dr. Greg Earwood and Rev. Kerry Lambert officiating. True to her sense of place, burial will be in Bethlehem Cemetery in Land Between the Lakes in Lyon County, Kentucky. Visitation will be from 12-2pm on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to CASA by the Lakes (http://casabythelakes.org) or the Bethlehem Cemetery Fund (c/o Fredonia Valley Bank, ATTN: Bethlehem Cemetery Fund, 226 East Commerce Street in Eddyville, KY 42038).

Online condolences can be made at, www.jhchurchill.com