Aurelia Ellen Cook, October 25, 1908 - June 21, 1995

In 1997, Goshen High Alumni Association inducted its first member into the Goshen High School Hall of Fame. The honoree was Aurelia Cook, aka "Cookie", Goshen Township High School Class of 1927 and beloved Goshen teacher. Aurelia Ellen Cook was born October 25, 1908, in a house that formerly sat across the road from the current Goshen Middle School at 6667 Goshen Road, Goshen, Ohio. She was the only child of Herbert Noah Cook and Minnie Ellen Patterson Cook. At the time of her birth, her parents shared their home with Aurelia’s widowed maternal grandfather, Samuel A. Patterson from Owensville, Ohio. Her father, Herbert, had two sisters, Laura D. and Aurelia A., who lived nearby at 6603 Goshen Road. It appears that Aurelia Ellen was named to honor her aunt Aurelia and her mother. At age 13, Aurelia’s father became "ill" and she was temporarily moved in with her aunts, Laura and Aurelia. Their home started as a log cabin, built around 1804 by German craftsmen for Jacob Stroup. In 1875, the house and farm was purchased by Aurelia’s paternal grandfather, James McCollum Cook (1840-1914, Co G 89th Reg OVI) and his wife Nancy A. Thacker Cook (1838-1917). James Cook’s son, Herbert (1877-1957) and his wife Minnie (1882-1963) lived in Aurelia birth place until their death. Aurelia Ellen, who had moved into the "cabin" with her aunts in 1921, ended up inheriting both the property of her parents and her aunts. She lived in the "cabin" until her death in 1995, making the Cook’s occupation of the farm property last about 120 years, from 1875-1995.

Aurelia was educated in Goshen, graduating in the Class of 1927. There were eight girls and three boys in her class. Lester Hause was principal, Frank B. Hoggat, Superintendent. All of her Goshen school years were in the old building now called the "Green" building which was torn down in 2015. In the fall of 1927 she entered Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, majoring in education. She was a very active member of the Alpha Chi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma sorority and she was a Big Sister in her sophomore and senior years. She graduated from Miami University, Class of 1931, with a Bachelor of Science degree. Her first teaching assignment brought her back home to Goshen Schools in 1932. She taught fifth grade. Thereafter her teaching assignments ranged from elementary grades to high school social studies, economics and English, as well as sponsoring many clubs, events and yearbooks.

One of her greatest passions was travel. She spent her summers exploring the world and then bringing her stories back to share with friends and students. It is kind of ironic that she loved traveling so much because she never learned to drive. According to Kathryn Marr, "She never owned a car but she saw more places than you and I will ever dream of". She often talked of one of her trips to Alaska in which she used dog sled to reach her destination. She also loved dogs and bred Dalmatians. If you visit the "cabin", the whelping shed is the little white building behind the garden of the cabin. She had a large collection of ceramic Dalmatians that she had purchased during her travels and had received from former students. And one cannot over look the fact that she obviously loved to bake because she offered cookies and milk to lots of visitors! It is a fond memory of many.

In 1968, following 37 years of teaching, Aurelia retired, but she continued to work as a substitute teacher. She remained active with Delta Kappa, Kappa Phi, the Clermont County Retired Teachers Association and the Goshen Historical Society. She also helped many people in the community, but did so anonymously.

In the fall of 1968, a new Goshen school building, directly across the road from her home, was named in her honor, Cook Elementary. Kathryn Marr states that Aurelia was "very proud of the fact but would never dwell on it". Miss Cook like that fact that she got to substitute in the building that bore her name and many of the students thought it cool to have the person their building was named after as their teacher.

Aurelia was described by colleagues, students and friends as, kind, nice, reserved, calm, intelligent, quiet, demure and friendly. Betty Christman, a former student and friend once said of Aurelia, "She believed each child had its worth, and because of that I have never heard anyone say a single, unkind thing about her."

Miss Cook’s closest and dearest friend was Kathryn Stagge Marr. The two of them grew up as neighbors and maintained their friendship their entire life and both had Goshen buildings named in their honor. In 2002, during a major renovation, the two schools were physically combined together to form the Marr/Cook Elementary, a great symbol of such true and lasting friendship.

On June 19, 1995, Aurelia suffered a massive brain hemorrhage. She was found lying on her floor by her friend, Kathryn Marr. She lasted two days on a respirator and passed on June 21, 1995 at Bethesda North Hospital. She is buried in Myers Cemetery, Goshen, Ohio with 17 of her family members including great grandparents Noah (1812-1882) and Elizabeth Cook (1812-1892), grandparents James McCollum Cook (1840-1914) and Nancy Thacker Cook (1838-1917), aunts Laura D. Cook (1873-1942) and  Aunt Aurelia A. Cook (1881-1958), parents, Herbert "Bert" Noah Cook (1877-1957) and Minnie E. Patterson Cook (1882-1963) and others.

Following her death, Aurelia’s home, farmland and belongings were offered at public auction. With the help of Larry Mohrfield of Pleasant Plain, the farm was purchased and held until it could eventually be acquired by Goshen Board of Education on which to build a new high school. It was the ideal location. With the property in possession and the tax support of the community, a new Goshen High School opened its doors to students in the fall of 2002. The house that had been owned by Aurelia’s great grandfather, James; her two aunts, Laura and Aurelia A.; and then by Aurelia Ellen, was left standing on the school property when the new school was built. The Goshen Board of Education has leased the house and the surrounding property to the Goshen Twp. Historical Society. With the efforts of many volunteers and donations by the Kathryn Marr estate, Aurelia’s home has been restored to the original cabin, circa in 1804. It now serves as an education center for the people of Goshen, including the GTHS School of Blacksmithing.