NILES — Wrapped in a green jacket, long-time Cass County employee Barbara Wood Cook smiles under the sunshine of spring, though a chill still lingers in the air and the dead grass still crunches under her feet.

From the front yard of her Niles home, she calls her two large dogs, an energetic poodle and a friendly lab, and they follow her into the house, where the three of them are met by a curious cat, as Cook wipes off her shoes, still dirty from the time she spent caring for her horse earlier that morning.

“This is what I’m doing now, which is nice because I’m relaxing and taking things easier,” Cook, 79, said, scratching one of her cats on the top of its head. “I don’t have any big plans for retirement.”

Cook recently resigned from serving on the planning commission in order to retire. She had served on the commission for 18 years.

Cook served many positions in Cass County, including as supervisor of Pokagon Township and as the chair of the Pokagon Township Cemetery Board. She served secretary of the Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees from 1964 to 1990, after retiring as an educator in the Brandywine School District. Cook was an appointed member of the Cass County Historical Commission, where she helped to have locations in Cass County named as historical markers and led historical tours.

“I’ve done a lot in the county,” Cook said. “I was always looking for something to do. I’ve managed to be involved in a number of projects and positions.”

Cook said she has been so involved in the county because it is her home. Born and raised in Niles, Cook has lived in the area her entire life.

“My family grew up here in Cass County. Even in the 1850s, they were living here,” she said. “That is important to me, to take care of where my family is from.”

Despite her dedication to the county, Cook said that now was the right time for her to retire and slow down her life.

“I’ve put in a good number of years, and it is time for me to step down,” she said. “I’ve decided it’s time for me to slow down, smell the flowers and enjoy the sunshine.”

Cook’s years of service in the county have earned her the respect and friendship of many county officials. To honor Cook, the Cass County Board of Commissioners will host a reception in her honor at 5:30 p.m. May 3 in the Kincheloe Room of the county building on State Street in Cassopolis. 

“Barb is a Cass County treasure, a person who has given a great deal to the community,” said Cass County Commissioner Roseann Marchetti. “She is a wonderful woman.”

Cook said that she also appreciated all the people of the county and all the projects she was able to work on.

“[Cass County] is a great place to live, and I’m glad I was able to service it for so many years,” Cook said.