DALLAS — Larry Cook was always fascinated with American history, in particular the presidents of the United States. Over the decades, he’s collected enough presidential memorabilia that would make any historical museum envious.
Twenty years ago, Larry’s wife Diane wanted to fulfill a lifelong dream of his in meeting a living president, so for Larry’s 44th birthday, Diane was able to arrange a visit to Plains, Georgia, where the Plains Township, Pa. residents would meet President Jimmy Carter.
“It all started with Larry wanting to meet a president, and I found out if we went to Plains, Georgia, President Carter did Bible Service and would take photos afterwards,” Diane explained, of how she arranged a meeting with her husband and President Carter. “We went down and took his parents and sister and we entered the church, there was President Carter and we sat for his Bible service, which was fantastic. After the service, President and Mrs. Carter took a picture with everyone that waited.”
Diane continued, “We couldn’t believe it, oh my God, we were so in awe to see him and he was so friendly, we just loved it.”
For many, the story would end there, but Larry took pen to paper and wrote a letter to President Carter thanking him for the Bible Service and how much he and Diane fell in love with Plains, Georgia.
“He (President Carter) hand wrote a letter to me immediately, inviting us to come back to Plains,” Larry said. “At that time, the President found out I was a history buff, and I had a large presidential collection and we also owned an estate liquidation business. He then asked if we could advise him and Rosalynn on how to sell some of their memorabilia to raise money to benefit the historic renovation of Plains.”
The Cooks met and discussed with the Carters several times before deciding to take on the project of selling off memorabilia for the president.
According to Diane, the project was called Plains Helping Plains, which was a catchy phrase tying in the two towns together in 2011. There were three auctions all together and more than 300 pieces were sold with the help of the Cooks.
Consequently, the Cooks and the Carters became very good friends over time where the Cooks would travel to Plains, Georgia, averaging up to five times a year for nearly the last 20 years.
“We just love it there,” Diane said, of Plains, Georgia, with a population of 530 people. “We really fell in love with the town.”
The Cooks held the Carter auction at their auction house in Plains Township when the Carters came to the Wyoming Valley for the first time in 2011.
In 2013, President Carter and Rosalynn spoke at the Wyoming Monument where the Cooks were heavily involved with their visit.
President Carter returned back to Wyoming Valley, solo, in 2015 for yet another fundraiser, this time staying at the Cooks’ residence. Mrs. Carter was ill at the time and couldn’t travel to Pennsylvania.
“It was so neat,” Diane remembers of President Carter’s stay. “We dined at the Mary Stegmaier Mansion and then afterwards we came back home and President Carter needed a snack so he had cheese and crackers and a Coke Zero.”
The last time the Cooks saw the Carters was for Rosalynn’s 95th birthday where Larry was asked to give a tribute speech at the celebration party.
“I actually gave a tribute speech at her 95th and 96th birthdays, but both Carters were too ill to get the (last) party,” Larry recalls.
“Mrs. Carter was into saving the Monarch Butterfly so we were able to release butterflies and she has a butterfly cake,” Diane said, describing the birthday parties. “They have a butterfly garden dedicated to her. We released butterflies on her 95th and 96th birthday celebrations.”
When Larry was writing his book, “Symbols of Patriotism: First Ladies and Daughters of the American Revolution” published in 2021, he had some input from Mrs. Carter.
“Mrs. Carter was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, as myself, and we just have so much in common, we just do,” Diane said, holding back emotions. “She was such just a wonderful, caring and kind person, she just was.”
While Larry was writing his book, he would occasionally get a phone call from Mrs. Carter on the book.
“Mrs. Carter would call me while I was writing the manuscript, and she would tell me she had another story to tell me and she said, ‘Now Larry I’m not telling you what to do, you don’t have to put this in your book, I just thought you should know about it,’” Larry recalls.
Over the last two decades of traveling to Plains, Georgia, the Cooks have enjoyed a great relationship with the Carters along with the stories and memories they hold.
“President Carter had us down to Plains for an event and he was introducing us and he said, ‘Larry and Diane are confused at which Plains they live in,’” Larry reminisced. (The couple has since moved from Plains Township to Dallas.)
This weekend the Cooks are preparing to attend an invitation-only funeral ceremony at the Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the Emory University campus at Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
From there, the hearse carrying Mrs. Carter will travel 140 miles to Plains, Georgia, to a family-only interment at the Carter residence on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
“We are honored to be invited to her funeral service,” Larry said. “It’s going to be a big event and I know President Biden and Vice President Harris will be present and other high level dignitaries, so it’s an honor to be invited.”
After the invitation-only service, the Cooks plan on driving to Plains, their home away from home to see old friends, where the Carters made them honorary citizens in 2011.
“We are not sure what we will be doing on Wednesday, but at least we will get to Plains and play it by ear,” Larry said.
The Cooks plan on watching the motorcade to deliver Mrs. Carter to her resting place and bid farewell one more time to the woman they loved and adored and called a friend for nearly 20 years.