Marcella Ford (Jean Cook’s Mother)
Kathleen Cook Simpson’s recollections of her grandmother (recorded by Rosalie Cook):

She had scarlet or rheumatic fever as a child which weakened her heart. She had a heart attack when Kathleen was about 10 years old (approximately 1976). She wouldn’t go to the hospital – she layed on the floor for a whole day saying it was just her back. Finally, Jean and Bill came over and took her to the hospital. After that, she was on blood thinner medication (Coumadin). Years later, she fell and broke her hip. She needed hip replacement surgery. She was evaluated by cardiologist and they warned her of the risks of the surgery but told her that without the surgery, she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She chose the surgery but they had to take her off the Coumadin before the surgery. She passed away during surgery.

Also, she used to be a firefighter.

Recollections by Jean Cook

Jean & Bill Cook

Jean Ford Cook was engaged to another man before she met Bill Cook.  Her father met a man on the bus who was a diamond merchant in NY.  This man gave her father some diamonds to take home for Jean to look at.  Then, Jean and her father went to this man’s house to pick out a diamond.  They chose a perfect blue-white stone.  After they broke the engagement, she gave the ring back.  Her father told her “I think you’re in love with the ring!”  Jean met her husband, William (Bill) Cook at work when they both worked at Equitable.  They dated for about a year before they were married.  They were engaged in January and married on June 26, 1965. 

Cook Family

Bill’s mother died of stomach cancer in approximately 1970.  Her daughter, Carol Cook Tesoriero, now has stomach cancer as well.  Bill’s father died of a heart attack when he was 72 or 74 years old, approximately 1975.

Recollections by Jean Cook

Bridget (Delia) Creed Ford

Bridget (Delia) Creed Ford was born in ???  in Tipperary Ireland.  … Jean has lots more info…. 

Cousins

The O’Melia and Manion families are cousins on Jean’s father’s father’s side.  They originally lived in Brooklyn but at the time of Jean’s father’s death, they lived in Chappaqua. 

“Black Kate” Costello.  They called her “Black Kate” because she was dark haired and brown eyed, uncommon for the Irish.  She was what they called the “Black Irish”.  In New York, she went to Horn and Hardart (cafeteria-style restaurant where you put nickels and dimes into the vending machines to get your food.)  She sat at a table and waited to be served because she didn’t know it was self serve.

Recollections by Jean Cook

John Ford was born in 1903.  He graduated from St. Benedict’s Prep in 1921.  He graduated from Catholic University in Washington DC sometime around 1925.  Even during the depression, he always had a job.  He worked in New York City for the phone company (“Ma Bell”).   During the Depression, his family lost a lot in the stock market.  They felt that they were gypped out of an oil stock by Elliot Roosevelt.  They believed that they lost their other stocks legitimately but they blamed Roosevelt for the oil stock loss.  John Ford sold all of his stock to buy his home and he never bought anymore for himself.  He bought his daughter Jean stock in “National Newark and Essex Bank”.  She originally got $0.25 dividends.  Now, in 2006, it is worth $400 per year. Continue reading →

Recollections by Jean Cook

Sophie Bartel Eustace

Sophie Bartel Eustace married her first husband Charles Eustace.   Sophie and her first husband had 5 sons together. (1900 NYC census says 7 children, 3 living).  Her first husband (Charles Eustace) died of appendicitis.  She remarried Gabe Collins.  He was born in Ireland and was 10 years younger than her.  (Confirmed by census info). 

She was a tiny little lady. She had a candy store in “Hell’s Kitchen” on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.  It was called “Hell’s Kitchen” because this was during the time period when the gangsters and mobsters were in that area.  The mobsters would all come into her store to buy their newspapers.  Sophie buried two husbands as well as her five sons  all her children.  Her son Charles Eustace Jr. was the last to die when he was 65 and she was in her 80s. 

When she was elderly, she lived in the Bronx with her son Charles Eustace Jr. and his wife Johanna Eustace until Charles died in 1949.  After the funeral, Sophie climbed up the 5 stories to the apartment.  Then, she went to live with one of her other sons.  Finally, she went to Snake Hill senior home in Jersey City, NJ.  Her date of death is unknown.

Charles Eustace Sr.

Charles Eustace Sr. was supposed to be a big man.  Although was described as being English, we assumed that he was of Irish descent since Eustace is a common Irish name.  (Census indicated that he was German).  He died from appendicitis.  As the emergency squad was carrying him on the stretcher, they dropped him and his appendix burst.