Bernadine Miller, who with her husband Clark began the farm now known as Cook’s Farm Dairy, died Nov. 10.
She was 98.
Bernadine and her twin sister, Christine, were born Jan. 18, 1911 in Clarkston to E.V. and Sally Bailey. Bernadine was raised on a farm on Pine Knob Road, graduated from Clarkston High School, attended Oakland County Normal and taught school in a rural Clarkston schoolhouse.
She married her high school sweetheart, Clark J. Miller, on June 14, 1933 and they began dairy farming on Seymour Lake Road in Brandon Township at the farm dairy now owned and operated by their grandson, Clark Cook.
Sally Andrews, daughter of Bernadine and Clark Miller, recalls that her father had never farmed, but her parents got a good deal on the farmland, which was about 125 acres at the time.
They increased the size of the farm to about 200 acres over the years, and rented another 200 acres. Bernadine Miller saw many changes in farming? she and her husband started with two or three teams of horses and no tractors. They had only 10 to 15 cows in the beginning, that they milked by hand.
‘They sold cream and lived on $3 a week for a long time,? Andrews said.
‘Mother was a great cook and was always feeding the hired help. She was famous for that. She took care of the chickens, washed the milking machines, and kept busy in church activities, the schools, and the community.?
In1943, they got their first tractor. They originally sold just the cream, then moved to milk in the old-fashioned milk cans, then, bulk coolers. By the early 1950s, there were 50 cows on the farm and an addition to the original barn. In 1958, the barns burned down. Andrews and her first husband, John Cook, helped her parents rebuild the barn and bought the machinery and cattle from them. When Clark Cook, Bernadine’s grandson, built a processing plant at the farm in the early 80s and put in ice cream about a year later, Bernadine was there with a hot fudge recipe that was a big hit.
During 25 years of making it, she was named the Oakland County winner six times for ‘Best Hot Fudge Sundae? by the Detroit newspapers. Bernadine was the longest life member of Seymour Lake United Methodist Church where she also served as pianist and organist for more than 25 years, taught Sunday school, was active in the Ladies Aid, put on many church suppers and Rotary suppers to support the church and keep it going. She was also a life member of Ortonville Order of Eastern Star #286 where she also was a pianist and held various offices. Bernadine’s favorite hobby was baking and cooking.
‘She was a wonderful Christian, loving mother and friend,? Andrews said. ‘We’re all going to miss her immensely.?
Bernadine was preceded in death by her husband Clark, her twin sister, Christine O’Berry, brother Delmas Bailey and son-in-law John Cook; mother of Sally J. (Kendall) Andrews of Reed City, formerly of Davison and Sandra J. (Jerry) Ballard of Florida, formerly of Goodrich; grandmother of John (Rodnie) Cook of Reed City, Clark (Lori) Cook of Ortonville, Jill (Ronald) Walls of Virginia and Julie (Pua) Yong of Hawaii; great-grandmother of 12. A funeral service was planned for 11 a.m., today, Nov. 14, at Seymour Lake United Methodist Church, 3050 Sashabaw Road. Interment Seymour Lake Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Seymour Lake United Methodist Church. Online guestbook at www.wintfuneralhome.com.