By Staff
More on the Cook family
By LYDIA GRIMES - Features Writer
I want to finish the material that I have on the Cook family of the Damascus area. I have been contacted by a lady who said that she would bring in some additional information on the family. If that happens, I will come back to the Cook family again. Robert James Cook 1857-1933) was a son of George Cook Sr. He married Doshie McGowin (1861-1941). The McGowin family was a very early pioneer family of the area near Damascus. Robert James and Doshie Cook were the parents of seven children: Irvin George Cook (1881-1971), Vallie Cook (1884-1957), Lillie Cook (1887-1963), Tobe Cook (1897-1969), Bertha Cook (1902-1988), Marlin James Cook (1892-1982) and Albert Cook (1894-1981).
Irvin George Cook married Ola Lambert (25 March 1881-27 Oct. 1956). They were the parents of Sylvia Cook who married Cyrus C. Koon and Mildred Cook who married William Green.
Vallie Cook married William Walt Blackmon (8 Sept 1879-1979) and they had Jessie Blackmon and Bessie Blackmon.
Lillie Cook married Robert Stone (28 March 1871-2 Dec. 1943), probable son of Charles Ellison Stone and Mary Kilcrease. They had Benjamin Marlin Stone who married Louise McGowin (10 Dec. 1913-4 Jan. 1968) and had Charles Stone and Mack Stone.
Tobe Cook married Lucille White (4 Aug. 1900-30 July 1980) and had Edith Cook, James Cook and Doris Cook.
Bertha Cook married Shelly Evans (31 July 1895-27 March 1972) and they had Rudolph Evans, Cathleen Evans, Geraldine Evans and Jimmy Evans.
Marlin James Cook married Roezelle King (5 Nov. 1902-10 April 1963) and they had four children.
I am sure that there is much more on this family, but this is all that I have been able to gather at this time. If you have anything to add, I will be glad to receive additional material.
Let us move on to something else. Summertime is the time when most families get together and have their annual family reunion. My family is no different. This past weekend I attended my family reunion at Asbury Methodist Church in Dale County. It was a time to renew friendships and see family members that I haven't seen since last year at the reunion.
Family reunions are times of fellowship and good food, but they can be so much more. For those of us who do family research, they become opportunities to gather more information. Some of that information is entertaining while some of it is useful and enlightening.
I have a cousin who is interested in family history, not only her own, but others as well. She is known in the area of Skipperville to be one of the more knowledgeable people about both history and genealogy. I knew that she was working on something but had no idea that the end result was so near at hand.
Most of you know that I recommend finding cemetery records wherever you are doing research. Some counties have up-to-date records while some lag behind. The last cemetery record done for Dale County was in 1948 which means it was way out-of-date. My cousin, Manonia Martin Snell has just compiled, with help from her friends, a 600-page cemetery record book with over 26,600 entries. It will be delivered from the publisher in three weeks and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Just in case any of you have relatives in Dale County, and some of you do, I will give you the information to order one. The book is $45 plus $6 shipping and handling. Checks may be mailed to Dale County Genealogical and Historical Society, 416 James Street, Ozark, Alabama 35360. If you think you might be interested, don't wait as there are not many to go around.