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I’ll never forget the day, November 9, 1959, Daddy and
Noble had gone to the Cook Field and the younger kids were at home with Mama. Terry was the baby. I was away at work. Daddy
and Noble had seen the smoke from the Cook’s Place and they ran all the way back miles across the fields. Noble remembers
that he was at least 9 years old and barefoot at the time. It was 6:00 p.m. and I was on my way home from work when I saw
the huge smoke. They stopped us on the highway. I asked what was going on? My aunt was in the road and she said: "Noble
house burned down and one of the children was killed in the fire." I remember that as I was arriving to the house, I saw
daddy with a hand full of clothes. He was getting the only things left which were the clothes hanging on the fence. Afterward,
daddy said that a voice spoke to him saying, "Can you take this?" This was when he broke down. He had already had the
"eye accident" when he almost lost his eye; he had already had his arm ripped by a hog; and now this. This was the last straw.
He surrendered and started in the ministry. He held his first revival at the Southside Church and it turned out to be a 28
nights revival. Missionary Betty Henderson I remember one night about 10-15 miles out of Crockett, daddy’s
chest started hurting so bad that he asked me to drive the bus back to Crockett. I was only nine years old at the time and
I did drive the bus back. Noble Cooper, Jr. We lived six miles away from any store, but one day Mama was
craving ice cream because she was expecting. Daddy walked all the way to the store to buy Mama that ice cream cone. It was
just a wet cone when he made it back home. Missionary Betty Henderson We remember when there were at least 18 people in our car, a
1953 Pontiac, while riding with daddy to church. The smaller ones standing, some sitting in laps, almost hanging out the doors,
but we made it there every time. Betty and Dee At daddy’s first revival at the Southside Church, Bro.
Brown started on his way outside the church, but he took a deep breath and collapsed. Daddy began to pray and he prayed until
Bro. Brown started breathing again. Bro. Brown got up and danced back inside the church. He had been very sick and always
had ulcers and couldn’t eat, but after the prayer, that brother went home and ate everything he wanted and was healed
ever since that night. Missionary Betty Henderson I remember when Daddy went to Groveton
and was confronted by a group of men who did not want holiness there. Daddy talked with them and went inside the church anyhow
alone. One of the other men told him, "Go ahead and have church Elder Cooper, I have my gun in the car." He said he
didn’t do it that way. The house was packed and what broke the ice that night was when Bro. D.C. Williams, one of Groveton’s
own, danced from the back of the church to the front while daddy was playing his guitar. Revival broke out! After that night,
daddy would wait for the young folks to get out of the ball games, then he would have church and souls were saved. Missionary
Betty Henderson
When daddy was younger, he used to put his
guitar behind his head and play it jumping around. I remember when he used to put a knife on the guitar and play it
to make it tremble. The dogs and cats took up time with him. I used to think how that when he had so many children,
he had time for the dog. The dog would ride with him. He would give the cat food and the food was so good to the
cat that I wanted to slap it. And one thing about it, daddy would never raise his voice. He would get lower and
lower and primp his mouth. That's when we knew he meant business and we got somewhere and sit down. Daddy used
to always say, I want to have something. When we asked him for something, he wouldn't tell us that he didn't have it.
He would say, I'll see about it. He went somewhere and got it somehow. Betty Henderson
Daddy loved coon hunting and he would go
coon hunting with Supt. Jefferson. One day he brought 19 coons home for mama to clean. She tried, but I think
that there are still some coons buried down there. Daddy put his foot down, like the priest put his foot down in the
water. He stood while we came through. He held the water back for his family. He held it back for my cousin
who just said she got her husband there. He held it back for my sister to get the Holy Ghost. He kept holding
the water back till I crossed over on dry land. Daddy, the church is full today because you still got your foot
holding the water. Thank you for holding back the water. Noble Cooper, Jr.
Daddy, you made it! Some don't even
know that you're still alive. There's never any announcement for a funeral, but the word gets out. I'd rather
you show me love while I'm living, not when I'm died and don't know it. I feel good knowing I did all I could. Daddy
I love you. You always said, Marva, I'll pay you back. But daddy, you owe me nothing. I owe you. I
knew something was wrong and that's why I gave up my home, my job, and my friends to come to see about you. You've done
your work. I couldn't have taken all the calls. I remember the yellow bus. There was no excuse for members
not getting to church because daddy would pick them up. Daddy, you have members today still showing you love.
Marva N. Ware
Happy Birthday. You've lived passed
all of your brothers - they lived to be 75. I heard everyone referring to that yellow bus alot today. Two months
ago, I was standing in that very bus. They say that behind every good man, there's a good woman. And that's right,
if mama wasn't behind him, there wouldn't be anybody to push him. Perry Cooper
I wrote this poem a long time ago.
I don't want to have written it and never read it to him. Reading of the poem, "The Ideal Man".
I don't know about anybody else, but when Cousin Leonard Simpson started playing that guitar like daddy, it ran my mind back
to the Centerhill church one night. God had just saved me and I could not hold my peace. Daddy was playing the
guitar in that tone, I sent someone to tell Mama that I couldn't hold my peace. The person came back to me and told
me that Mama said, "Let God have His way". And I let go while in the choir at Centerhill. God took over the service. The
Lord was doing something for me on today. If you can just remember, you ought to want to look back and say God
Renew, Restore, Make me over, Revive Me! Daddy, we need you to live for us now. We could not spend any time
with you unless we were at church. I would come in from out of town and daddy would be leaving out, Hi Dede, Bye Dede.
We need you to live for us now. I know that God will hear all of us in here if we prayed. I want us to have a
prayer vigil for him before we leave. I know what God can do. Dee Cooper-Durden
I remember daddy preaching "Saints in God's
Showcase" and Be an Overcomer. Do we have any overcomers in the house today? Touch your neighbor and
say: I'm an overcomer! I'm an overcomer! Do you remember when he preached, A Highway shall
be there and a Way, but None, None, None but the righteous shall enter therein. See, you've got to be holy to travel
this highway. Holy! Holy! You know some people believe in being sophisticated, but I want to feel my religion
sometimes. I want to know God is with me. I want to know He's in me! Gonna be a meeting in the
air. Gonna be a meeting in the air, Saints gonna meet up there Oh Saints gonna meet up there. The saints gonna
meet up there, The saints gonna meet up there, gonna be a meeting, gonna be a meeting, gonna be a meeting in the air!
Terry Cooper
I want to thank them for raising me up in
a holy home where there was peace. In some homes, there's so much fussing and fighting and people carrying on that the
children can't live with their parents. But I'm happy to say today that there never was any yelling and screaming or fighting
in our house. Cheryl Johnson
I'm the baby girl, but I'm bigger and taller
than all the others. They all have to look up to me. I just want to say, Daddy I love you and Happy Birthday.
Dorothy Woodard
Tell daddy this for me, "The candle that burns
the fastest don't last the longest." Christopher (absent)
*********************************************************************************** RELATIVES
This train is a clean train, this train. To my father in
law, my mentor in the Gospel. Thirty three years ago, I may not have gotten out of the hospital. They weren't
looking for me to live. It was darker than ever. They told them to call my family, because they couldn't do anything
for me. My college friends and I had been in a terrible car wreck. You see on that night, we were on
our way to get into some devilment. Young people, don't gamble with your life. You only have one life to live.
That car lwe we in landed somewhere out in a field near Centerville, Texas. The Lord said to have no other gods beside
Him. Back then, sports was my god. Any sport, you name it, I could do it all.
When we had the accident, the other passengers in the car broke a leg and one lost an eye, but I was in the back seat.
I went over the steering wheel. My flesh was still on it. I was not moving so they thought that I was dead.
But a man called Jesus! Somebody told Pastor Cooper that he needed to go and see about a young man. At the
Hilcrest Hospital in Waco, Pastor Cooper came and he told them that he and his wife wanted to see the Henderson young
man. The hospital staff told him that he couldn't take his wife back with him. He told them that he wanted his
wife with him and the nurse got the authorization. When they came in, I was not moving. They said that the only
thing moving was a bag. I did not look anything like myself. At that time I knew nothing about the
Lord. Pastor Cooper whispered a silent prayer, looked at his Missionary Cooper and said, "He's going to be alright".
They left and went on to Memphis, Tennessee. For 12 days, I was a vegetable. For 28 days, I stayed
in the hospital. God blessed me to get out of the hospital, but I went out and started doing the same old things.
I was a devil, but God had something for me. February, 1972, my nose started running. When I went to the doctor,
the doctor already knew. I stayed in the hospital 14 more days. After that, nobody had to tell me to say
goodbye to the world. I got down to business and on one Saturday night, I'll never forget it, at Galilee God did something
for me. I used to loved bumfire wine. Some people are ashamed to tell what they used to do. I thank God
he brought me out. When I left Galilee that night, I was filled with the Holy Ghost. God made me
a new creature. I used to not be able to dance at parties, but oh since I got the Holy Ghost! Rev. Haywood
Henderson, Jr.
Honoring my special uncle and mother in the gospel. I wouldn't
have my husband if it wasn't for Uncle Noble. In fact, everything I have. My husband was saved in the Groveton
revival. I used to just live with them. They taught us girls to be real ladies, how to carry ourselves.
Uncle Noble told us, "When you go in a church, don't get on the back seat. Missionary Earline Bennett
I'm so glad to be here. The Lord has blessed me to start
my own church, Disciple Temple True Holiness COGIC. This man has done so much for us and the Cooper Family. Rev.
Leonard Simpson
(Rev. Simpson played his Guitar Impression
of Pastor Cooper's congregational music. Then he played the solo, You Got to Move, song by Dee and Leonard.
Praises went up! Joy came down and Supt. Cooper is almost standing to his feet now! The service has been
high all this time, but is even higher.)
You have
suffered for so long, You have gone, You were strong, For your faithfulness, It's your time now. You have traveled,
Preachers didn't treat you right, I can see you with a crown. Your faithfulness, For your faithfulness, It's your time
now. Pastor Cooper preached "Bells on the horse, say Holy" and "When He comes to make up His Jewels".
I tried to be like my father, but I couldn't make it. Pastor Cooper would tell me, Bro. Bennett, go get your bible.
Turn to Leviticus 19:2 and he'd let me know how God put a difference, how you got to be Holy. Then he'd say turn
to Isaiah and he would tell me about the false prophets and Ezekiel 36:26 about a clean heart. Elder Cooper, I want
to thank you for training me and most of all for living the life in front of me. You know there were some skunks and con
men preachers he tried to hang around Pastor Cooper, but he loved them all. There was one preacher who used
to fall out all the time saying he had a heart condition. When Pastor Cooper came to the Groveton Teenage Place with
his guitar, we all paired up to dance. There were no sanctified folks in Groveton. Mama said, "That's a preacher.
Ya'll can't dance." Pastor Cooper used to sit at church till football and the socials were over. You know the
socials where you'd just hang around, dance, belly rub. But when he'd hit that guitar! I hate to be selfish, but
I said that he came to Groveton just for me. Pastor Cooper, you've done enough. If you never pick up that guitar
again, you've done enough. Back then when my payday came, I'd buy my wool suit with $2 down and $2 when they catch you.
Had no sense. I came in the church dancing. I had my suit, Elder Cooper had his guitar, we were ready to dance.
Let's get it on! It's sad but, if you wanted to get saved in Houston, Texas tonight, you'd have to go to Hell.
We were going to church morning, night and noon eating bologna sandwiches and cookies. We didn't have no Dairy
Queen. I had my $40 a week job, paid my tithes, paid on last week's grocery, put gas in the car ---but Happy!
Elder Cooper, thank you for just staying faithful. Some of you don't know this. I'm glad God delivered me.
You see these television fellows go in and shoot up people. I was the nicest boy in the neighborhood, but a hurt young
man. And hurt turns to hate. I had made a list of all the people I wanted to kill. I had my 410, 22 shorts,
14 hollow points...pistol. Hate makes you a murderer. On a friday night, Elder Cooper was having church and something
told me to go in that church, you can find help. I had enough respect to take my pistol off and I put it under the car
seat. I saw Elder Strong and he told me, Yeah man, go on in there. I was waiting for someone to call the altar.
Sister Mattie Jones started singing "God's calling you" . That night, I stood up and I've never been the same since.
I don't remember walking up. It was like something just picked me up and glided me down. Folks treated Pastor
Cooper bad and some were his own kinfolks whom he was trying to help. You would have to be a pastor to understand.
I tried my best to be like my pastor. Folks misused him and he came right back for more. I couldn't. I preached,
Enough is Enough. Even now, he's faithful. Sister Bennett thinks Elder Cooper's her daddy. Oh yeah, she
says uncle, but she really sees him as her daddy. Elder Marvin Bennett
***********************************************************************************
MEMBERS
You can't find anybody who can build 7 churches. Pastor
and Missionary Cooper just took me in as if I were one of the children. I stayed over their house and they treated me
like a daughter and whenever I tried to leave, they would talke me into staying and I enjoyed it. They are like a father
and mother to me. They have never changed. They're the Real Thing. I wouldn't fool with them if they weren't
and they put it down it me. You all just don't know, you have some jewels. Pastor and Missionary Cooper are jewels.
They've been everywhere. One time, when I was in Hitchcock with them, the people enjoyed them so, they were asking,
"Where'd these people come from? Evangelist Martha A. Mills
Once I had lost all confidence in everyone, but the Saints.
I was in the hospital and I just wouldn't eat anything at all. Pastor Cooper came to that hospital and took the food
and fed me and I did eat. I've always tried to find ways to be a blessing to him because I am so grateful for all he's
done. When he was at the church, I would try to bring him something to eat. Sis. Mary Ann
I thank the Lord for those two wonderful people. I can say
that because they prayed me out of my sin. I was a wino, an alcoholic. Here, for the Galilee new church building,
Pastor Cooper did everything by himself. He got the loan, then he brought it here for the saints to sign. I always
let Pastor Cooper know that if I were not present, I was always on his side. You know everybody ain't giving you credit,
but if he was laying across there, he wouldn't hear this. I'm telling Pastor Cooper, Hold you head up. You
can wake me up at any time of the night, I'll be there for you Pastor. Bro. W.D. Ross
I want to thank God for all the representatives of the families.
We honor and thank God for Sister Cooper, but today is his day. I remember him singing, I look down the line and I wonder
just to see how far; You got to move; Savior, don't you pass me by; God's calling you. Then sometimes he may have been
away about three days and he'll come in singing, "Victory, victory shall be mine. So I asked the Lord to give me something
to write about him and this is what he gave me: "Shoulders of a Giant". Missionary Mary Hall
Pastor was a father for Bobby and me. He was always
carrying us up and down the highways, praying for us, feeding us and being so nice to us. We need to just do and not
talk alot. My sister in Houston couldn't be here but said that he came to our rescue alot. We do love you.
If we die and go to hell at Galilee, we ought to. Missionary Linda Mills
I got my start right here after I heard Pastor Cooper's sermon,
"Let's go fishing". Through Missionary Cooper inviting my mother to come to church to get her feet prayed for.
Thank God for these two beautiful people. I find that Holiness is just right. They tarried over us many night.
I thank God I'm saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost. I thank God for the whole family. Sis.
Sophia Willis
I remember in Groveton when Pastor Cooper picked up his guitar
and we thought we were going to dance. I know because I was there at the teenage place. But he started playing
"You got to move". That's when our mother told us that we couldn't dance because that was a preacher. God saved
me through Elder Cooper. Sis. Gracie
Pastor Cooper reminds me of Job when he said, "My righteousness I will
hold fast. I will not let go!. He preached the sermon about "neglecting". He would drive that old yellow
bus so we could have some transportation to church. One night, that bus broke down somewhere by Riverside. Pastor
Cooper started walking and I said I believe I'll go walk with him. He started walking too fast and I couldn't keep up
with him. He was going so far down that road that I said, I believe I'll go back. Jeremiah 5:1 said "Run to and
fro through the streets of Jerusalem, see and know, and seek in her open places if you can find a Man. I thought about
Pastor Cooper and how he said that when he was a young man, his mother would call him to let him know about this and how to
do that. Then I thought on Matthew 1:21, And she shall bring forth a son and I came up with this for Pastor Coopers
name:
In order to get my N, I went to Nehemiah 5:19 and it said,
Remember me, my
God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
To get my O, I went to Obadiah 1:17,
But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness;
the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
I didn't have a book of the Bible for my B,
but I remember God told Jacob to go up to a little place called Bethel and dwell
there and there God told him, Your name is Jacob, your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your
name.
For my L, I went to Leviticus 19:20, Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: "You
shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
And lastly, for my E, I went to Ecclesiastes 7:1
and it said, A good name is better than precious ointment.
And when you put it all together, you've got NOBLE.
Sis. Luberta Perry
Copyright © 1998-2011, Cooper Ministries Publishing (CMP). All rights reserved.
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