COOK, GEORGE.	1765-1815 	TELFAIR

George Cook was born in North Carolina about 1765. He died at his home in 
Jefferson County, Georgia, about 1815. His wife was Jane Ashley, born about 
1768 in North Carolina, daughter of Nathaniel Ashley (Vol.11). To them were 
born six known children (order of birth not certain), viz:

1. Hugh	b. 17--, m. Molsey Parker, Jan. 10, 1830. Died 	1833.
2. Eliza C.	b. 17--, m. Julius Alford.
3. William	b. 17--, died single In N. C., 1827.
4. Louisa Jane	b. 17--, m. Josiah Rodgers.
5.  Mary	b. 1800, m. John J. Twiggs.
6. Margaret	b. 1804, m. George Paulk, May 14, 1835 (Vol-lll).

Nathaniel Ashley was the administrator on the George Cook estate in 
Jefferson County, and the administration was transferred to Telfair County 
in 1830, where the administrator having wound up the administration, was 
dismissed March 1831. Mrs. Jane Cook, widow, drew land in the 1827 Georgia 
land lottery, resident of Telfair county at the time. She receipted the 
administrator March 19, 1829, for $10,000 in full for her part of her 
husband's estate and shortly after married Francis H. Cone. Receipts from 
the children named above are also on record in Telfair Court of Ordinary.

COOK, JOHN JASPER	1839-1815 		BERRIEN

John Jasper Cook was born in Wilkinson County, Georgia June 13, 1839, a son 
of Elijah Cook (Vol.111). He was married October 9, 1865 to Lucretia 
Sirmans, born August 20, 1838, a daughter of James Sirmans (Vol.IV). They 
had six children:

1. Milvinia	b. 8/9/1866, m. Barney B. Chism, 11/25/1883.
2. Charlotte	b. 9/23/1867, m. William Jack Boyett, 8/27/1882.
3. Aaron	b. 6/23/1868, m. Nancy Baldree, dau. of Wm.
4. Sarah	b. 10/23/1872, m. James Hall, 12/23/1887, 	son of Edmund Hall.
5. James Melvin	b. 5/3/1874, m. 1) Cora M. Knight, 2/5/1899, 2) Mrs. Maude 
McKinnon Vickers.
6. Mary Helen	b. 2/20/1876, m. Orville A. Knight.

John Jasper Cook enlisted in March of 1862, at Nashville in Company "I", 
50th Georgia Regiment. He obtained sick furlough in January of 1865, and 
was at home at the surrender. He bought his parents homeplace in 1865 where 
his son, J.M. Cook, later lived. He lived there until his death about 1915. 
His wife, Lucretia, died January 11, 1917.


COOK, AARON A.	1868-1946 	BERRIEN

Aaron A. Cook was born in Berrien County, Georgia June 23, 1868, the son of 
John Jasper Cook (Vbl.VIII) and Lucretia Sirmans, the daughter of James 
Sirmans (Vol.IV). Aaron was married on December 11, 1887 to Nancy Roseada 
Baldree, born in Berrien County on September 18, 1868. She was the daughter 
of William A. Baldree and Lucinda Boyd. She died on December 9, 1951. To 
Aaron and Nancy were born:

1. Lillie Victoria 	b. 11/30/1888, m. Raymond Bostick.
2. William Marcus	b. 9/18/1890, m. Carrie Knight, dau. of Aaron
3. Lucious Perry	b. 1/4/1894, m. 1) Susie Mae Beaton, 	2) Lois Stansel.
4. Lona Belle	b. 11/4/1895, m. 1) Bud Smith. 2) John A. "Teat" Burkhalter
5. John Plimp	b. 2/12/1898, m. Myrtle Fender, dau. of Mathew.
6. Verdie Lee	b. 9/25/1900, m. Henry Rogers, son of Perry.
7. Lawson Howard	b. 9/14/1903, m. 1) Lavrayne Fender, 	dau. of Tucker. 2) 
Myra Giddens, dau. of Joseph.
8. Isaac Clayton	b. 12/5/1906, m. Mattie Elma Sirmans, dau. of John H.
9. Aaron Henry Littles	b. 7/10/1909, m. Vera Giddens, dau. of Henry.
10. Essie Pearl	b. 10/ 11/ 1912, m. 1) James Arthur Walls, son 	of James. 
2) Jay Mitchel Sirmans, son of Jay.
11. Rosie Esther	b. 3/30/1915, m. never married.

Mr. Cook had another son, John Virgil Cook. He was born February 17, 1890 
and died August 17, 1977. John Virgil was raised by his paternal 
grandparents Jasper and Lucretia Cook and married Vertie Arnetta Mattox. 
His mother was Sarah Malissa Baldree.
Aaron and Nancy Cook were members of Empire Primitive Baptist Church, and 
are buried in Empire Cemetery with graves marked. Mr. Cook was a farmer and 
a carpenter. He served in the Spanish-American War. He was a Veteran of 
Foreign Wars, Valdosta, Georgia. He lived in Berrien (later Lanier) County, 
Georgia all of his life.

COOK, BENJAMIN T.	1842-ca.1924 	BERRIEN

Benjamin T. Cook was born in Georgia in February of 1842, the son of John 
Cook and Martha Knight, who were married December 5, 1841 in Wilkinson 
County, Georgia. Ben and his parents are listed in the 1850  census of 
Wilkinson County, Georgia and in the 1860 Baldwin County, Georgia census. 
After his service in the Confederate Army, Ben married Samantha Jane Taylor 
on December 14, 1865, in Berrien County. Jane was the daughter of William 
Jackson Taylor and his wife, Samantha Jane Rogers. Jane was born about 1850 
in South Carolina.
The children of Benjamin and Jane Taylor Cook were:

1. William Jackson	b. 3/13/1867, m. 1) Annie Laura Mathis,
	d. 2/1/1951.	9/25/1887, Berrien Co,
	b. 4/17/1871, d. 10/7/1910, 2) Nancy Barker, 3) Carrie E. Sullivan,
	b. 10/ 19/1878, d. 11/20/1942.
2. Frances "Fannie" 	b.	1868, m. "Bud" Benefield.
3. Mary	b.	ca. 1871.
4. Henry	b.	ca. 1875, m. Fannie Giddens.
5. James Lewis	b.	2/7/1876, m. Elizabeth Virginia "Lizzie"
	d. 5/31/1945.	Duren, 8/24/1899, Berrien Co. b. 4/13/1879, d. 8/28/1942.
6. Elijah "Lige"	b.	ca. 1883, m. Eva Studstill, 2/9/1905.
7. Martha	b.	ca. 1884, m. Charlie Tucker.

Jane Taylor Cook died on June 7, 1888. Ben married his second wife, Arrilla 
"Sis" Stone, about 1889. Arrilla was born in March of 1867. According to 
the 1910 Berrien County Census, they had been married 20 years and were the 
parents of 7 children, six of whom were still living in 1910:

8. David	b. 6/22/1891, m. Lou Annie Gray. d. 4/1/1957.
9. Elizabeth	b. 9/??/ 1894.
10. Nancy	b. 10/??/ 1897, m. Isaac Gray.
11. Leonard	b. 2/??/ 1899, moved to Alabama.
12. William Harrison 	b. 11/13/1902, m. Mineola Smith, b. 3/10/1904. d. 
2/l/1967.
13. Celia Samantha 	b. 6/5/1907, m. Eddie Gray, I I / I 1/ 1922.

Benjamin T. Cook applied for a Confederate Veteran's pension in 1920. His 
claim reported that he had enlisted May 1, 1862, at Macon, Georgia with 
Company "A", Ist Confederate Georgia Regiment. He was a resident of Baldwin 
County at the time. He was captured November 23, 1864, at Milledgeville, 
Georgia and held as a prisoner at Point Lookout, Maryland until his release 
June 10, 1865. He was one of the fortunate few to survive the terrible 
conditions at that cruel prison camp.
Ben's physical description, listed on his Oath of Allegiance, describes him 
as being a resident of Milledgeville, Georgia, of florid complexion, dark 
brown hair, hazel eyes, and 5 ft. 3 3/4 inches tall. Ben's application for 
a pension was accepted, and he was awarded $6.00 a month.
Family members who remember Ben recall a man with a temper, who enjoyed 
family get-togethers, such as barbecues. He walked with a limp, which was 
the result of his breaking his leg when he fell from a barn roof. He 
rebroke it before it healed, thus the limp.
Ben died at his home in the 10th district of the newly formed Lanier County 
sometime in the early part of 1924. He is buried between his two wives at 
Empire Cemetery. His home still stands as a reminder of the industrious man 
who came to Berrien County and made a home for himself and his large family 
after the Civil War.
Sources: Tombstones Empire Cemetery; Georgia census records 1850 Wilkinson 
County, 1860 Baldwin County, 1870-1910 Berrien County; Interviews with 
grandchildren of Ben and Jane Cook; Pension Records from Georgia Archives; 
Berrien County and Wilkinson County marriages records; Interview with Celia 
Samantha Cook and her sister-in-law, Mineola Smith Cook, at their home on 
October 13, 1990; Cook family Bibles.
Contributed by: Linda Ward Meadows of Adel, Georgia, great-great 
granddaughter of Benjamin T. and Samantha Jane Taylor Cook.

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