Helen Cook

   Helen Cook, wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, of Mesquite, went home to be with her Lord October 18, 2020. Born Reba Helen Onley on August 24, 1936 in Maury City, Crockett Co., Tennessee to parents James Weldon & Amy Loudell (Parrish) Onley, she was the oldest of six children. At a very young age, Helen knelt beside her bed with her mother and asked Jesus to be Lord of her life. She was baptized in a creek (where the cows came to drink) at Clearwater, Texas.

   Helen graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1955, attended Paris Junior College and East Texas Baptist College before moving to Dallas to work. She began attending East Dallas Baptist Church, where a young man spotted her and “picked her out of the rest.” In August 1956, going home to Mount Vernon for the weekend, she got in a car with James Arville Cook, the first of many rides for Helen and James. They were married April 6, 1957 at Winfield Baptist Church, Winfield, Texas.

   In 1958, the Cook family began to grow with the birth of their daughter, Denise. In 1960, son David was born and the family grew to five with the birth of Scott in 1962. The kids were loved well and taught the value of family and serving God.

   One of Helen’s biggest assets was her prayer life. She read God’s Word, planted it in her heart and spent time with Him every day. If she knew you, she prayed for you. Helen prayed for her family, her church, her friends and their families, her neighbors, government leaders, coaches and players of professional football, baseball and basketball (she loved her sports!) and anything else she was asked to pray about.

   As a young girl, Helen began serving her Lord and church. She was faithful to tithe (taught by her mother), played the piano, sang in the choir, taught Sunday School and Bible Studies, sponsored (and cooked for) mission trips, was a counselor for camps, and worked with Homebound and Senior Adults. As a church secretary, Helen volunteered at East Dallas Baptist Church and Arnett Benson Baptist Church (Lubbock). She served on staff at Paramount Baptist Church (Amarillo) and Casa View Baptist Church (Dallas). After retirement, she served on committees at Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church and she and James served with Texas Baptist Men Retired Builders and Disaster Relief. There was never a time that Helen was not serving. Even in her 70’s she wrote devotions for youth choir mission trips – countless numbers of students and their families have been reached through these devotions.

   Helen loved traveling, camping with James and going to their farm with family. She loved birds, especially red birds, flowers, and knew all their names. She was a great cook, her hot rolls were the best! She loved all her family, but the grandkids and great grandkids were very important to her.

   Helen is survived by husband, James, her children: Denise Chesser (Doug), David Cook, and Scott Cook (Kimberly); eight grandchildren: Jonathan Chesser (Schaedel), Matthew Chesser (Rebecca), Phillip Chesser (Amber), Tyler Cook (Danielle), Aaron Cook, Sarah Cook, Maegan Barraza (Adrian) and Emily Cook; ten great grandchildren: Avery, Luke & Jacklyn Chesser, Kinsley, Annaleigh, Felicity & Harrison Chesser, Kason & Emma Cook, and Jonas Barraza; three brothers: Leonard Onley (Carolyn), Glen Onley, and Clifford Onley (Mary Ann); one sister: Louise Taylor. Being the oldest one in her family, she leaves behind many cousins, nieces and nephews.

   Helen is preceded in death by parents Weldon & Loudell Onley, brother Happel Onley, brother-in-law Paul Taylor, and two sisters-in-law, Charlotte Onley and Phyllis Onley.