In Loving Memory of Leonard Leland Cook Sr.

A Life and Legacy

May 20th, 1941 – April 24th, 2026

Some men leave this world quietly. Others leave tracks so deep they can never be erased. Leonard Leland Cook Sr. was that kind of man.

Born May 20th, 1941, Lee Cook was forged by hard years, and harder work. He proudly served in the United States Army before going on to spend more than fifty years in the logging and road construction industry in some of the roughest and most unforgiving territory in the Pacific Northwest. Steep hillsides, mud, timber, rock, breakdowns, weather, and long odds were all familiar companions to him.

He built and operated Lee Cook Logging and Trucking and later KRC Road Construction (named for his granddaughter Krystle, who was murdered in 2000). On the CB, they called him Big Cookie—a fitting name for a man larger than life, not easily forgotten.

Through the years, he worked alongside all three of his sons, Steve, Jeff, and Lee Jr., showing them by example what it meant to work hard. He did not back away from difficulty. In fact, the harder the job, the more he wanted it. He loved the challenge. He loved solving problems. He loved the satisfaction of doing what others said could not be done. He thrived on late nights, or working all night to solve a problem, feeling most alive when the odds were against him.

A trait he has passed down to his family.



Among all the machines he ran, none meant more than his D-8 Dozer. In a way, the machine was a reflection of the man himself—powerful, dependable, and built to keep pushing no matter what stood in his way. Today, that same D-8 is proudly part of the Liberty Dirtwork fleet, the most prized machine, a living symbol that Lee Sr.’s work and spirit are still moving and shaping the earth.

His legacy lives on through Liberty Dirtwork named for Liberty Cook—now four generations strong, from Liberty Cook to Lee Sr., to Lee Jr., to Isaiah.

Lee Sr. taught his family the value of hard work, perseverance, and a love for the trade.

He could light up a room with a story. If Lee was talking, people listened. He would have you laughing until you cried or completely mesmerized by what story he was telling. His grand children all agree, there was no better grandfather.

Lee also had a softer side, and it showed up in the things he loved most. He never lost his taste for ice cream—whether it was plain scoops, a strawberry milkshake, or a Blizzard in hand, he enjoyed it like a kid. He loved a good fish & chips from Cap’n Yoby’s, and he loved to talk about how much he loved that fish. His grandkids learned to love the same treats, now those things will taste a little like memories of grandpa.

He loved his family the way he knew how. Sometimes quietly, but when he said “I love you” it meant the world. He was married to Delores for 63 years, and together they weathered hardships, heartbreak, and life’s many storms. Through it all, they endured. His children Steve, Jeff, Lee Jr., and daughter Lori remain an important part of the family and legacy he leaves behind.

He passed away April 24th, 2026, surrounded by a family that loved him so very much.

We will miss him more than words can say, but we take comfort knowing his legacy still moves forward—in the family he built, in the values he gave us, and in the sound of that D-8 still at work.

And by the time we see you again, we’re certain Heaven’s roads will be graded smooth and there won’t be much timber left to fall.

Rest easy pops—we’ve got it from here.

Meet Leonard-Carrying four

generations of pride.

Leonard isn't just the name we gave a dozer, it's the name of of four generations of men in our family-men who believed in honest work, looking a neighbor in the eye, and keeping your word.

From the first Leonard who worked the Washington mountain land with little more than a shovel and a strong back, to the the next who learned to run the early machines, to the one who taught us that faith and family come before everything by taking a leap of faith and carving his name in The North Dakota ground, and the one who is helping to continue building a legacy. Each leaving their mark, and now their name lives on-breaking new ground, building roads, and helping other families lay their own foundations.

Every project we take on is a page in their story. Early mornings, long days under the North Dakota sun, and the satisfaction of knowing the job is done right-just like the Leonard's before us would have wanted.

When you see Leonard out on a job site, you're not just seeing a dozer at work. You're seeing a promise-one built over decades, handed down like a well-worn set of tools, and kept alive with every cut, grade, and load of gravel. Because at Liberty Dirtwork, this isn't just a business. It's our family story. And we're honored to make it part of yours.

Car show

We enter heavy equipment in the "Rods and Rock Car Show". Thank you Dan Stewart for putting on the event.