Ezel Cook Sr.
Happy Birthday: May you live 9 more decades
Ezel Cook Sr is a man steadfast in his opinion who hates cold food, likes to roll his sleeves under, and says grace before every meal. Born in 1935, when Roosevelt, the president who created social security, was in office.
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Raised in a log cabin, built with mud in the cracks to keep out the wind, sleeping on a pallet, not a bed. During the depression his daddy, Papa Sid, made furniture from cedar wood until he was hired on the railroad working hard labor, but enough to support 10 children and his wife, Ma Mary.
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Growing up during the depression, he learned a good lesson. If you only got one bullet - you better do right with the one chance you got, or you'll wind up hungry.
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Hired on by the town of Alta Vista, Ezel was the first black man to drive heavy machinery receiving half the pay his counterparts made for doing twice the work. He likes to say, "You can do anything with some education and perseverance."
He grew up during a time where segregation was a part of life, and he led by example. A man of his word, he follows the Bible; right and wrong is a clear line. He doesn't give excuses. He speaks directly. You don't know what he is capable of, until you challenge him and find out. His word is consistent, he shows up the same way, every time you see him.
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In 1967, his future wife Nell was working the assembly line third shift. He said to himself, "I'd like to meet that girl." A year later, after a lay off, she returned to work, Ezel was her supervisor working 3rd shift. One night, he says, "Call me," she went home and didn't know his name, she couldn't find a Cookie in the phonebook. The following day He said "I thought you were gonna call me." Since then she's been working for him for 55 years.
He put in an application the first week of July 1962, and on Sept 17, General Motors hired him. Worked at the plant for 7 years in the union, then moved into management for 21. After working for GM for 28 years, he took early retirement, because he didn't want to move his children to Detroit. When they asked him to return, he told them, "You don't have enough money to make that happen." After retiring from the car company, he ran Cook's Transportation, a 6-car fleet, driving seniors to their health appointments.
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Everything they gave him, he did. Met quota. On time, on budget, on schedule. He likes making macaroni and cheese with Velveeta and some sugar, sharing his knowledge if you ask him, but he also realizes sometimes you gotta jump in the creek to find out you're gonna get wet.
For 19 years the treasurer for Mount Olive Baptist, Ezel led the church to add on 42 feet, a vestibule, bathrooms on the main floor and an office, with no debt. Most people talk, but he does. He never tires of sharing the word. He likes to say, "If you want to do something, let God help you and you can do things you never imagined."
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He raised four children, Ezel Jr, Tonya, Keith, & Kevin. A role model, disciplinarian, teacher, musician, husband, father and deacon. A strong African American role model with insight and knowledge. Didn't grow up with privilege, but persevered and prospered through hard work explaining, "You gotta make good choices, be blessed to learn the lessons you recieve, we did what we needed to do. While we're here on this earth. We all have a chance to do the best we can with the faith of God behind you."
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Ezel is an unwavering man of God who doesn't change his mind easily. Sees the world in black and white, not gray. On Saturdays you might find him mowing his 2.1 acre yard or retiling the floor in the laundry room.
So whether you roll your sleeves up, roll them under, or button at the end, think about approaching life like a country boy, that lived 9 decades. Laugh hard from your belly and remember his words, "While you're on this earth, all days are good, some just might hurt a little more."
