Velma Viola McCrary

VELMA VIOLA TAYLOR- MCCRARY "COOKIE"

WAS BORN IN HARLAN COUNTY KENTUCKY, ON FEBRUARY 11, 1951, TO WILLIAM ROY TAYLOR AND IVITA MAE TAYLOR. SHE WAS THE FIRST BLACK HARLAN MUSETTES IN THE HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR THAT LATER TOURED IN EUROPE, AND SANG AT THE VATICAN IN ROME, ITALY. SHE WON EVERY TALENT SHOW SHE ENTERED DURING HER TENURE AT HARLAN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. COOKIE WAS MULTI-TALENTED, ALSO PLAYED THE CLARINET IN THE HIGH SCHOOL BAND FOR THE HARLAN HIGH SCHOOL DRAGONS. HER
VOICE WAS RECOGNIZED EARLY ON IN HER LIFE, AS SHE SANG WITH HER YOUNGER SISTERS MONA AND PATSY, AND WERE KNOWN AS THE TAYLOR SISTERS.

AT THE AGE OF 18, SHE MOVED TO YOUNGSTOWN OHIO, WITH HER TREASURED AND BELOVED AUNT JENNETT SHIPP. SHE WAS AN EXECUTIVE SECRETARY FOR YOUNGSTOWN AREA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. SHE WOULD GO ON TO MEET HER HUSBAND AND SINGING MATE FOR MANY YEARS, (AND LET ME TELL YOU, IF ARETHA FRANKLIN WOULD HAVE HEARD HER, SHE WOULD HAVE SAID , THERE’S ONLY ROOM FOR ONE OF US).

SHE AND HER HUSBAND , CHARLES LINDSEY MCCRARY JR. WOULD GO ON TO HAVE THREE SONS, HOWARD, DON, AND JAMES (JAY), WHO INHERITED HER MUSICAL GENIUS OF SINGING AND PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. THEY IN TURN PASSED THEIR GENES TO THEIR CHILDREN WHO ARE ALSO MULTI-TALENTED.

COOKIE DEDICATED HER LIFE TO THE LORD AT MOUNT OLIVE BAPTIST CHURCH IN HARLAN KY AT AN EARLY AGE. HER FAITH WAS AN EXAMPLE FOR HER YOUNGER BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

SHE ATTENDED GREATER MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH IN SAN FERNANDO WHERE SHE SANG IN THE CHURCH CHOIR. SHE SANG “OH MARY DON’T YOU WEEP” DURING AN EVENING PROGRAM WHERE A VISITING PASTOR WAS SO MOVED BY HER SINGING THAT HE SAID WHEN SHE CALLED “LAZARUS” FROM THE TOMB, HE “HE SHOOK LIKE A CHICKEN!” SHE “TORE” THAT SONG UP!!

SHE WAS BELOVED AND CHERISHED BY ALL WHO MET HER!! SHE LIVED AN AWESOME AND AMAZING LIFE! SHE WAS A LIFE LONG LEARNER OF THE SCRIPTURES, AND FAITHFULLY ATTENDED THURSDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY WHERE HER WORDS OF WISDOM WILL BE DEARLY MISSED!

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