Annie Cook

Annie Laura Tompkins was born on August 30, 1932 in
Lowndes County, Alabama to the union of Cliff Tompkins,
Sr. and Annie Bell (Reives).
She was the fourth child in a family of twelve children.
From her parents union, there were six children: Cliff Tompkins
of Cincinnati, OH, Tommie Tompkins (deceased), Estelle
Wallers (deceased), Elizabeth Shields (deceased) and Ethel
Lue Stiles (deceased). After the passing of Annie?s father, Cliff
Tompkins, Sr., her mother was re-married to the late Rev.
Louis Sommerville whom Annie remembers fondly as her
father, ?The man who raised her.? Her mom and Rev. Sommerville
had six children from their union: Russell Sommerville,
Robert (Lorna) Sommerville (of Montgomery, AL), Sadie
Ingguls, Virginia (William) Boyd, Paul (Jackie) Sommerville
and Richard (Sharon) Sommerville, of whom the five are from
Cincinnati, OH.
She received the Lord Jesus Christ into her heart at the age
of twelve and was baptized at Bethel Baptist Church in
Pleasant Hill, AL. Annie attended Burlin Norman High
School in Sardis, AL. It was there where she played basketball
and began to sing in the choir. The family formed a group
called ?The Singing Jays.? They sang gospel songs throughout
AL and FL. They became a well known gospel group and sang
on the Selma radio station many times.
It was during one of their singing engagements where she
would meet her husband, George Cook, Jr. They were married
on December 25, 1951 in Sardis, AL. Shortly after marrying,
they moved to Cincinnati, OH. Annie and George had four
children: Annie, Rebecca, George III and Jeffery.
She joined Jerriel Baptist in September, 1952 under the
leadership of Rev. Al Goodwin. She served the Lord by using
her gift of voice and in joining the ?Gospel Chorus.? She
served as a faithful member of the choirs for more than forty
years, until retiring in 2000. After retiring from the choirs, she took on a new, personal mission of visiting the sick. While
visiting in their homes, rest homes and nursing homes, she
would engage in prayer and singing.
Annie went home to be with the Lord on November 1, 2012.
Her children, Annie Barnett, Rebecca Cook, George Cook III
and Jeffery Cook; son-in-law, Robert Barnett and daughter-inlaw,
Cheryl Cook; grandchildren, Marquita, Raphael, Rachel,
Kaleena, Eric, Felisha and Markus; great-grandchildren,
Marquis, Ray, Adrian and Adrienne; and a great-great-grandchild,
who will all miss her. She leaves to cherish her memory,
a host of other relatives and friends.