Elizabeth Louise "Betty Lou" Cool

1925 - 2022

Betty Cool left this world on May 9, 2022 after a lifetime of enjoying her family, friends and flowers.

Betty was born in Kimball, SD, at her grandparents on Aug. 30, 1925 to Evelyn (Weins) Cahill & Thomas Aloyious Cahill. She was named Elizabeth Louise, after both of her Grandmothers but was called Betty Lou.

Her folks occupied different farms north of Platte until moving to town when she was six years old and in the 1st grade after her dad bought the WNAX Gas Station. When she was in the third grade the family moved to Yankton where her dad ran a station called "Gasoline Alley" – then back to the Cahill farm. When she was nine years old they relocated to Mounds, Louisiana, where her dad operated a sawmill and Betty and the family also picked cotton.

When Betty was 13 years old the family moved back to Platte where her dad, again, went into the gas business.

And on Jan. 3, 1945, she married her lifetime partner, Lawrence Henry Cool, when he was on leave from the US Navy where he was serving in the south Pacific during WW II.

Their first son, Larry, was born in 1946. Later in 1948, Larry was diagnosed with Polio and was moved to the area polio center in Aberdeen.

Their second son, Tom, was born in December of 1949, at Mitchell.

In March, 1950, the family left for New Haven, Conn., where L.H. attended photo school on the GI Bill. Returning to Platte Lawrence set up a photo studio, first in their home and later on the Platte main street where he added a sporting goods business. Betty did bookwork for her dad's gas business. Dan Cool was born in July 1953 at the Platte Hospital.

They sold the sporting goods business and moved the photo studio to their new home on the corner of Main Street and US 50. They later erected a new building on the southwest corner of the intersection and in March, 1967, opened a new funeral home, photo studio and flower shop. They ran all three businesses until selling out in in June 1984 and retiring.

Lawrence Henry Cool passed away on June 11, 2009, and the couple's eldest son, Larry Gene, died on March 26, 2015 followed by his wife, Pamela's passing on April 25, 2017.

Betty continued to live at the home which L.H. built for her in Platte until she began having memory and health problems and moved to extended care facilities in Platte.

She is survived by sons Tom (Sharon) Cool of Sioux Falls and Dan (Linda) Cool of Platte along with several grandchildren, great grandchildren and a great-great granddaughter plus her two sisters, Jo Ann Heetland of Gilbert, Arizona and Lois Dvorak of Brookings, South Dakota.

Elizabeth Louise "Betty" Cool, 96, of Platte, SD passed away Monday, May 9, 2022 at Platte Care Center Avera. Funeral Mass is 10:30 AM Friday, May 13, 2022 at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Platte. A Committal Service will follow at Platte City Cemetery. A Wake Service will be held at the church on Thursday, May 12, 2022 at 7:30 PM. Mount Funeral Home of Platte is assisting with arrangements. Expressions of sympathy may be extended to the family through mountfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Wings & Hope, Melcher Museum, Platte Library or Platte Heritage Society.