John Paul Cooks, 52, of troy, died Thursday, September 7, 2000 at Edge Regional Medical Center.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000 at Clay Hill Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. J.N. Flowers officiating. Burial will follow at Clay Hill Missionary Baptist Church cemetary with Harrison Funeral Home directing.

Survivors include his wife, Betty J. Cooks, three daughters, Paula Ware of Elba, Marsha (Don) Horstead of Birmingham, Lisa Burnette of Winterpark, Fla.; one son, Aaron Johnson of Troy; seven sisters, Jessie Lue (James) Houston of Sarasota, Fla., Ruby L. (Columbus) Wynn of Troy; Ocie (Shelly) Phillips of Elba, Myrtle Sue (Gary) Gibson of Cranford, N.J., Mary Lois (James) Starks of Troy, Pearlie Mae (Greg) Partlow of Ozark, Voncile (Danny) Howard of Killeen, Texas; four brothers, Jesse James (Mary) Cooks of Pensacola, Fla., Willie D. (Alberta) Cooks of Troy, Charlie Lee Cooks of Troy, Jimmie D. (Elaine) Cooks of Montgomery; aunts Carrie Kent of Troy, Ruby Magwood of Auburn, Frances Oliver of Sarasota, Elizabeth McNabb of Troy; one uncle, John Henry Barr of Troy, one grandchild, Jared Smith of Birmingham, and two great-grandchildren of Winterpark, Fla., four additional sisters-in-law and one brother-in-law; a devoted friend Willie G. Elliot, a very close cousin Earl Larry and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

Cooks was born Dec. 9, 1947 in Glenwood, to Jesse James Cooks Sr. and Eula Lee Barr Cooks. He attended the Elba Public School System and retired from the Army after 23 years of service. He was employed at Dorsey Trailer of Elba until her served in the Army. He was a member of Clay Hill Baptist Church and enjoyed computer graphics, auto mechanics and music.

Pallbearers will be the United States Army.

Visitation will be held from noon until 6 p.m. Sept. 19, 2000.

Earnest O. Ousley

Earnest O. Ousley, 49, of Roselle, New Jersey, formerly of Troy, died Monday, Sept. 4, 2000 at Clara Maass Hospital in Belleville, N. J.

Born in Troy, Ousley graduated from Academy Street High School. He moved to East Orange, N. J.

and continued his education at Essex County College after a tour of service in the United States Army in Vietnam. He earned an associate’s degree at Essex County College and, then, attended New Jersey Institute of Technology.

He moved to Roselle in November 1978 and joined the Roselle Fire Department on Oct. 1, 1983. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on Jan. 1, 1994 and was a certified emergency medical technician.

He was a life member of the New Jersey State Fireman’s Relief Association for 17 years, was a life member of the New Jersey State Fireman’s Mutual Benevolent Association #55 (FMBA) in Rahway and held the elected position of sergeant-at-arms for the past six years. He also served on several committees within the FMBA. He was active with the Saint Barnabas Burn Foundation in Livingston and the American Burn Association serving on several committees.

He was active with the Shiloh Baptist Church in Elizabeth, where he served on the church’s board of trustees as a vice chairman ans was a bus driver on the church’s bus ministry. He also participated in the Men’s Fellowship Ministry.

Mr. Ousley was also involved with the Senior Citizens Transportation Program in Roselle, as well, and a member of the American Legion Post 229.

Survivors include his wife, Patricia; four sons: Micah and Earnest Jr. of Roselle, Kobie of Atlanta, Ga. and Earnest Renard of Doraville, Ga.; two brothers, Richard and Milton of New Jersey; three sisters-in-law: Susie and Cynthia of New Jersey and Annie V. Bivens of Marietta, Ga.; two brothers-in-law, Michael Bray of Troy and Clifford Bray of New Jersey; four aunts: Bonnie C. Phillips of Chicago, Ill., Elizabeth Ousley of Troy, Emma L. Rodgers of Nacogdoches, Texas and Annie L. Wallace of Hamilton, Ohio; one daughter-in-law, Michele of Doraville, Ga.; mother-in-law, Annie K. Bray of Troy; two granddaughters, Alexis Wood and Elyse Olivia Ousley; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and adopted sons and daughters.

Memorial contributions may be made to Morning Star Baptist Church, 124 Hubbard Street in Troy.

Sept. 11, 2000 10 PM