[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 117 (Thursday, July 30, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H9172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LIFE OF VERMEL COOK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute a woman of 
success and pay tribute to Vermel Cook, 95 years old, who passed just 
this last week, born on November 24, 1913, a woman that has a very 
special place in my heart, and that of the city of Houston. Mr. 
Speaker, can you imagine a woman born before the conclusion of World 
War I, in the midst of a segregated South, who became an important 
surgical nurse who attended to the surgeries of the famed surgeon, Dr. 
Michael DeBakey, and Dr. Denton Cooley, at the Methodist Hospital.
  What an achievement. And she did that for 30 years. In her 30 years I 
would imagine she saw some of the first heart transplants. She saw the 
first opportunities to give new life to patients through the genius of 
Dr. Michael DeBakey, already passed, and Dr. Denton Cooley, who still 
lives in our community. I'm very proud that this woman raised beautiful 
children, 6 children. She has 8 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren.
  And one of her wonderful children was a dear friend of mine, the 
Mitchell family. Her granddaughter, Pam Mitchell, who is saddened by 
her death, is one of the 8 grandchildren. And her wonderful daughter, 
surviving daughter, JoAnn Griggs, as well, had the opportunity to live 
with a great mother and a great father. Her husband, deceased, Leroy 
Cook, they were married for 50 years and produced great talent for the 
Mitchell family. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell and granddaughter Pam and 
grandson, her young grandson, traveled around the community and 
provided great music.
  She was a woman of religion as well, a member of the Progressive New 
Hope Church under the Reverend Ennis Brown, and she served at that 
church for many, many years, a great historic church in the city of 
Houston. But then as Pastor Brown passed away, she moved to one of the 
up-and-coming starring churches under the leadership of my dear friend, 
Pastor Samuel Ratliff, Brentwood Baptist Church. And I am reminded of 
my visits to that church when Pastor Ratliff and all of the leadership 
of that church always rallied around Sister Cook. They always were so 
grateful of her presence there, and, as well, the spark and the 
laughter and the smile that she brought to the congregation.
  I will always remember her, generous in spirit and heart, a nurturer. 
And now I know why. A surgical nurse in the midst of a segregated 
America, living through World War I and World War II, standing at the 
side of the founder of the veterans hospital system of America, Dr. 
Michael DeBakey. And then his tutee, Dr. Denton Cooley, two giants in 
the field of medicine. Now their fallen hero goes alongside of Dr. 
DeBakey, my very dear friend, Sister Vermel Cook.
  As she is buried this coming weekend I would ask that we remember her 
challenges, but also her spirit. I will always be proud to have known 
her and to have recognized the greatness of her service and how she 
pioneered for nurses who now have come behind her. She'll be 
funeralized on Saturday, this coming Saturday, August 1, 2009, at the 
Brentwood Baptist Church. Though we are saddened by her passing, we 
know that this will be a commemoration, a celebration of the pioneering 
spirit and the successes that she had. We pay tribute to Vermel Cook; 
yes, fallen, but yet successful, a woman that we can be very proud of 
in this great Nation that gives us opportunity. God bless you, Vermel 
Cook, and God bless America.

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