Centurion celebration: A family legacy

ELLAMETTER-the-one-in-the-pCenturion celebration: A family legacy

Happy Birthday Aunt Ellametter.

By Staff Writer

This year, as the family travels to South Carolina for our family reunion, we will also celebrate the Westside Gazette 100th birthday of Mrs. Ellametter Cooper Bullock. Aunt Ellametter was born on March 15, 1915 to Ben and Hattie Cooper in Clarendon County, S.C. Of the six children born to the couple, only Aunt Ellametter and Aunt Willow Dean, 95, remain to tell our family’s history. The Coopers were sharecroppers and when each child was old enough to work, had to help out on the farm.

Aunt Ellametter married Clarence Gerald and to this union four children were born – Hattie, Moses, Mack and Peggie – though all are now deceased. Later, she married John Bullock and she bore him six children – James, Sylvester, Daisy, LeRoy, Clara and Rose. Clara is now deceased. Aunt Ellametter and John were farmers as well, picking cotton and tobacco to provide for their family.

Aunt Ellametter was also a housekeeper and she worked in the kitchen at Gordon School. Although John died at an early age, that didn’t keep Aunt Ellametter from raising her 10 children. She even raised many of her grandchildren, too! It’s no wonder her children, grand- and great grandchildren, in-deed her entire family, have so much love and respect for such an amazing woman!

Aunt Ellametter knows her strength comes from the Lord and it is no wonder that she is the oldest member of Saint Mark Baptist Church. She sang in the choir and was very active until well into her 90s. Although she doesn’t get around the way she used to, she feels pretty good most of the time and doesn’t have to take a lot of medicine. She has lived in the same house for the last 40 years and takes great pride in her home.

She shares stories of growing up with her brothers Ben, Jake, Esau, Gaines, and sisters Geneva, Elizabeth, Willow Dean, Azra Lee and Roberta with family and her memory is as sharp as a tack. She has no wrinkles to speak of.

As her nephew, Levi, gave her birthday gift, she was so happy, she started dancing! Happy 100th Birthday Aunt Ellametter from your Westside Gazette family!

About Carma Henry 24481 Articles
Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

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