Dawn Cadwell

Dawn M. "Cookie" Cadwell, age 50, of Pine River, passed away July 29, 2011. She was born August 8, 1960, in Ames, Iowa, to Bill and Janet Michael. Cookie grew up in Pine River where her father was a school administrator and her mother was a teacher. After their children graduated, Bill and Janet moved their family to Alaska. At a young age, Cookie decided to become a nurse so she could take care of her mom and dad when she grew up. She completed her LPN degree along with her best friend, Teri, and later earned her RN degree in Brainerd. She began working in clinics and nursing facilities in Alaska. Cookie married Bob Cadwell in 1992 and they moved to Anchorage where Bob worked as a chef at the Sheraton and Cookie specialized in oncology. She also worked with stem cell patients who had to leave the country to get the stem cell transplants since that was not done in the U.S. She had to send many children to Ronald McDonald houses in the lower 48 states, which was very difficult for her, especially since some of them did not make it home again. When her mother became ill and passed away in 1998, Bob and Cookie moved back to Pine River to be close to their families. Since there weren't any jobs available in her specialized field, she dug out her 1981 LPN school nursing home project. She shared her dream of opening a care facility with Bob and her father and they were determined to make it a reality for her-with her telling them just how it had to be done. The dream was realized when they opened Brookside Comfort Care in Pine River, which has become one of the most homey and caring assisted living facilities in the world. When her healing hands comforted you, it made you feel safe and loved because she had a way of sending a loving warmth all over you. And we can't forget all the animals she nursed back to health and the strays she fed and sheltered. From squirrels to skunks-it didn't matter-because all God's creatures need love and comfort.

Dawn suffered a brain aneurysm on July 4 and lost her very tough fight on July 29. She will be missed by so many family members and friends whose lives she has touched. God must need her for something very special and she's probably working already.

Dawn is survived by her husband, Bob, father, Bill, brother, Shawn, several aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, her special Texas cousins, and all her wonderful friends.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Janet, brother, Dana, grandparents, Hazel and Tommie Michael and Beulah and Herman Hegna, several cousins, aunts, uncles and seven of her Pomeranians.

Services will be 4 PM on Thursday, August 4, 2011, at First Lutheran Church, Pine River, with Pastor Tristan Borland officiating. Visitation will be 5 to 8 PM on Wednesday, at Kline Funeral Home, Pine River, and one hour prior to the service at the church.