Joe Cook

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <B>Ashtabula Bicentennial Celebration</B><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Century Schoolbook" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B>  </B></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B>  </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Century Schoolbook" ><B> </B></FONT><B> </B><A HREF="Home.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ashtabula Bicentennial Celebration"><U><B>Home</B></U></A><B>          </B><A HREF="History.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" History "><U><B>History</B></U></A><B>        </B><A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biographies"><U><B>Biographies</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 2010 WIDTH="159"><div> <IMG SRC="4fea1d70.jpg" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="161" height="215"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>Joe Cook - 1942</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>______________________</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="500a1d60.jpg" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="161" height="214"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Joe Cook II</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>(Joe's Father)</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>______________________</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="502a1d70.jpg" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="161" height="215"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Joe & Alice</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Cook</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>______________________</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="504a7a50.jpg" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="167" height="165"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Rodney, Joe,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>&</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Grandaughter,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Meagan</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>______________________</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="5089fef0.jpg" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="159" height="239"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Joe Cook</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Best of County Award</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>_______________________</B></I></div> <div> <A HREF="id106.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Life Time Achievment Award"><U><I><B> <IMG SRC="50aad820.jpg" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="173" height="130"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <I><B>(Click to enlarge)</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Life Time</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Achievment </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Award</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>________________________</B></I></div> <div> <A HREF="id106.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Life Time Achievment Award"><U><I><B> <IMG SRC="50ca55e0.jpg" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="165" height="94"></B></I></U></A></div> <div> <I><B>(Click to enlarge)</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Harbor High</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>School</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="50ea2c70.gif" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="162" height="199"></B></I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="582"><div> <B> Joe Cook</B></div> <div> <B>by</B></div> <div> <B>Darrell E. Hamilton</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>        Joseph  Rhoderic  Cook Jr.  was  born  in Ashtabula on December 9, 1924 to Joseph & Clara Sachli Cook on  December 9, 1924.</B></div> <div> <B>        Joe's  ancestors  were  early settlers in Ashtabula settling on North Ridge East about where the Ashtabula Mall sits now in 1806. </B></div> <div> <B>        When  Joe  was  born, his father was an attorney who had his office in the old  Cook  Arcade  on  Main  Avenue.  Joe  had  two  older  sisters with Joe being the youngest. His mother was from Erie, Pennsylvania. </B></div> <div> <B>          Joe grew up  in the  Harbor at 1123 Walnut Blvd. He has very fond memories of his childhood.   Joe talked about the stores in the  Harbor, the Lift Bridge, sledding down  Walnut Hill in the winter  time,  watch-ing the  Ashtabula  Car Ferry come in every day and visiting the Coast Guard Station. </B></div> <div> <B>           At  the  Coast  Guard  Station,  the  men there would often let him walk out to their look out point with them at the end of the dock. They would often let  Joe  do  small tasks for them such as  punch  the  clock for  them.  The  coast  guard  station  fascinated  Joe. Often Joe and his friends,  which  he  mentioned  by  name, would go down to the Harbor and make a day out of it.  According  to Joe, the Harbor was a different place then. There were a lot more stores on  Bridge  Street plus the old Harbor  Theater.  The  ships  were  different plus  there  was numerous fishing  boats  at  the Harbor at one time. Fishing was a big industry at the Harbor when Joe grew up.</B></div> <div> <B>           Joe  attended  Jackson  Elementary  School  through the seventh grade. He then attended Harbor High School from eighth grade where he  graduated  in  1942.  While  in  was  in  school,  Joe  delivered news-papers for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. </B></div> <div> <B>           There are two childhood  memories  that Joe wish he didn't have. One  day  his  childhood  friends  came  by  and  wanted Joe to  go  with them  on  one  of  their  excursions  to  the  Harbor  and  play follow the leader.  However,  Joe  was in the  middle of doing some yard work and his  father  wouldn't  let  him  go  unless  the yard work was completed. His  friends  went  on  without  him.  James  Ramsey,  one  of  Joe's  best friends  was  the  leader  that  day.  On  the way to the Harbor that day, they stopped off at the water works.  Had Joe had been with the group that day, Joe would been right beside or right behind  the Ramsey  boy because they were such good friends. It's a good thing his father didn't let Joe go that day.  Jack  Ramsey  climbed the transformer that day at the  water  works.  He  didn't  get  very far when he was electrocuted to death. The death of his friend devastated Joe and the incident bother-ed Joe for years.  According to the look in Joe eyes,  it still bothers him today. Joe was ten years old at the time.</B></div> <div> <B>          Joe's father,  actually was Joe Cook Jr. Joe was actually Joe Cook the third and called Junior  when he was at home. </B></div> <div> <B>          Joe's  father  was  a  very  busy  attorney.  He  had  ran  for  federal office and had been very active in the community.  The  family  did not get to see him as often as they would have liked to.  One  day when Joe was fourteen years old, Joe, his mother and two sisters sat down to the dinning room table  to  dinner.   While  they  were  eating,  Joe's  father grasped his chest.  Before  any  help  could  arrive,  Joe's  father died in his chair. He was forty-seven years old.  Joe  stated  that  he could hear the "death rattle".</B></div> <div> <B>            After Joe's father death, his mother had considered moving back to Erie to be closer to her family. She however, decided to stay in  Ash-tabula and let the children finish school in Ashtabula. </B></div> <div> <B>          While in high school, Joe worked for Broughton Beverage for two summers.  One  summer  he  worked  at   Geneva-on-the   Lake.   In high school,  Joe  was  manager  of  the  basketball  team, played in the band and participated in various extra curricular activities. </B></div> <div> <B>                War had broke out and Joe was drafted right after high school into  the  Army.  Joe's   sisters,  Marjorie   and  Ruth   were   already   in</B></div> <div> <B>college.  Joe's  mother   had  insisted  that  her  three   children    would receive good education. However, Joe's education would have to wait until after his three years of service with the Army was completed.</B></div> <div> <B>                 After Joe got out of the Army,  his  mother  had  already moved to Erie to live with her sister.  Joe moved to Erie and attended Gannon University  in  Erie and graduated with a degree in business.  He  later worked for Chef-boy-ar-dee out of  Cleveland in sales and later worked his  way  up  to  management.  His  job  kept  him on the move for many years.</B></div> <div> <B>             Joe's first wife was from Erie. He had one son, Joe Cook IV, nick-named Rodney, who was born in Buffalo in 1949.</B></div> <div> <B>             The  last  place  he  lived  before  moving  back  to Ashtabula was New  York   City. Joe visited Ashtabula quite frequently over the years. While was on a visit to Ashtabula in 1986, Joe  became  concerned  over the poor condition of the Harbor. He called one of his friends in Ashta-bula and a meeting was set up.  Joe  came  to  Ashtabula  and proposed the Harbor  Coalition.  It  was  accepted  on the  spot.  Joe  promised  to come  back  to  Ashtabula  every  month  to  help.  He went back to New York   and completed surveys for the Harbor. Finally Joe realized that the time was right to move back to Ashtabula. </B></div> <div> <B>                   Joe  had  meet  Alice  Cook, his present wife in New York City. During the Harbor Days Festival, a drawing was held for a basket. Joe put Alice's name on a ticket. Alice won and Joe called her in New York City and told her that she had won. He also told her that if she wanted it, she had to come and get it.  Well, one thing lead to another and they now have been married for fourteen years.</B></div> <div> <B>                 Joe  had  a lot of interesting stories to tell.  Because of  limited space, this is only a short sketch of Joe's life. </B></div> <div> <B>                  I  have  interviewed  numerous  people in the past few months on  video.  Itis my wish that these  edited tapes can be preserved in the Ashtabula Municipal "Museum" for future generations to share. </B></div> <div> <B>                  Joe quite simply is a good and decent man just like his father. I  could  have  listened  all day  instead of the two and half hours that I taped of Joe. If you have any comments to Joe,  phone him at  478-4021. </B></div> <div> <B>                In parting, Joe wants to leave the people of  northeastern Ohio these words of wisdom:</B></div> <div> <B>                 "Don't give up on yourself or others. Keep to your perspectives and beliefs.   Trust in God."</B></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>