American Oil and Gas Reporter - February 2017 - 15

AOGR Co-Founder's Passing

Margaret "Joyce" Cookson
Dies At Age 91

M

argaret "Joyce" Cookson, beloved mother, grandmother
and great-grandmother, and the wife for more than 60
years of Charles W. "Cookie" Cookson, passed away with her
family at her side, and went to meet her Lord and Savior on
Sunday morning, Jan. 8.
I was not aware Mom and Dad were throwing caution to the
wind when they launched The American Oil & Gas Reporter in
1958 as a publication serving the Eastern Kansas Oil & Gas
Association. I was only three years old at the time.
But it wasn't long before I knew that the hard work, long
hours, and joy of serving the wonderful men and women of
America's oil and gas industry were in store for my life, too.
When I penned Dad's obituary for the magazine not much
longer than a year ago, I noted how much pride he took in every
single issue produced over the many years with dedicated staffs.
Mom did, too.
One constant was there throughout the years: The same
assistance, advice and patience that I am blessed with today from
my wife, Yvonne, were always there for Cookie from Mom.

Margaret Joyce Cookson graduated with a bachelor of
science in food research from Kansas State University. Prior to
her marriage, she worked for the Wichita Dairy Council. Maybe
that is why I so vividly remember my dad always coming home
from work in time for Mom's culinary delights and dinner with
my older sisters, Lucia and Anne, and my younger brothers,
John and Mike.
Cookie often went back to work for an hour or two after
dinner. But often he had left what appeared to me a rather
imposing, thick manila folder of "proof reading" for Mom to
do. Did she actually invent multitasking?
A diligent officer of the English language, and armed with
AP and AOGR style guidelines, Mom used the dining room table
as the site of red-ink corrections for the industry and a place for
children's homework. Dad often was gone again by the time I
was up to deliver Wichita Eagle morning newspapers, and those
manila folders of articles were gone as well.
We didn't have any drilling or well servicing rigs for Dad to
oversee, or well-site personnel for Mom to manage, and I
certainly do not remember them paying for flights many times.
But we always owned what seems to this day an endless stream
of Ford and Buick station wagons, all fine machinery. Lucia and
Anne often would sit properly in the back seat, and the boys
normally would romp in the tail-end for family travel.
These weren't normal family station wagons, however. While
their 300,000- to 500,000-mile lives would become Cookson
family legends, Dad always had good tread on new tires when
Mom and him would head east or west, and often south, to
attend annual producer/operator conventions, with the "wagon"
loaded full of magazines for the convention.
Mom's smile and love were contagious, right down to her
last hours. She leaves a legacy of Christianity, hard work, and
the love of every tree that grows and every bird that flies, with
too many grandkids and great-grandkids to calculate. After all,
The American Oil & Gas Reporter is only an industry
"monthly," and I never seem to know when another newborn
is going to be announced.
I often ponder whether my father looks down from the
heavens, wondering how many newspapers and magazines I can
"throw" in a lifetime. But I have no doubt whatsoever that Mom
is watching all of us every day to make sure we are eating
enough fruits and vegetables.
- Charlie
FEBRUARY 2017 15
American Oil and Gas Reporter - February 2017

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