Details concerning their sons will finish Stacey and Sidney Cooks’ family story. The Cooks’ son Caleb, 43, is a project manager for a windows and doors company in Madison. His wife, Sarah Pope Cook, is presently a drama instructor and secretary in a private school in Ridgeland. Both hold Mississippi College degrees in vocal performance. They have three daughters, Callie, Abigail, and Lillie. At 39, Joshua Cook earned a mechanical engineering degree at Mississippi State University and is now a design engineer in Maryville, Tennessee, where his wife, Meghan Cox Cook, is a teacher. Their first child Ellie passed away right before birth. Daughter Annie is in the second grade and Eli is in kindergarten. The Cooks’ youngest son, Noah, 38, is a member of the Mississippi Air National Guard, also working worldwide for Exhibition Hub, setting up and taking down venues for art expos. He also holds his mechanical engineering degree from MSU. Noah was deployed in Syria, fought ISIS in 2014, and received a Bronze Star for exemplary service in Special Warfare.
Stacey taught third grade for one year in 1986 at Boler Elementary School, kindergarten for three years, then at Hickory two years, before taking a leave to care for their three boys for two years. She then taught in Newton County schools, kindergarten through eighth grades, finally operating the computer lab about six years. Stacey retired in 2019 after teaching 32 years. Beginning kindergarten as a four-year-old, her early school years were a struggle, but later she said it all “clicked,” and she ended up as Salutatorian from high school. She said that helped her be able to tell students, “Just because you don’t get it now doesn’t mean you won’t get it. Keep trying.”
Sidney commented that he learned, “It’s true–the kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” He continued, “We had fun in our classroom, but we got our work done.” He first taught at Harris Elementary in Hickory until consolidation. At Newton County Elementary, he taught third through eighth grades for 31 years before retiring in 2018. Having driven a school bus for 30 years, he still subs, teaching and driving.
They have lived here since 1980, about 45 years. While at Clarke College, Sidney played baseball and delivered furniture for Troy Brand on Saturdays. The church, Mary Ann and Davis Bond, and Troy and Billie Brand “just took us in.” After their marriage, they served as youth leaders a couple years. Influenced by the men’s leadership at Hickory Baptist Church, Sidney became a deacon in his early 20s, continuing to serve to this day. Stacey has sung in the choir and taught Sunday School through the years, both young children and Jr. High girls. She still assists Mrs. Brand with the preschool choir. Both Sidney and Stacey have worked VBS, of course, and Sidney still drives the church bus.
Sidney still helps at the furniture store, and from Thanksgiving till Christmas he plays Santa Claus all over our area. Since they retired, they both work at the Food Pantry. Stacey shared, “A good friend recently wrote, ‘God isn’t impressed by your perfection. He’s looking for your presence with Him.’
Stacey also commented, “Growing up in a Christian home was one of the best things that happened to me,” adding that, “As a parent, you should teach your children that learning about Jesus is important to you and that it is a way to draw near to God.” So true!
People get ready, Jesus is coming soon!
You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
