Enjoying life, family at 100

For Newport Beach resident Elsie Cook, Aug. 11 will mark a special day in her life: She’ll turn 100.

Cook is the first member of her family to reach that age.

“I’m happy for her,” said Cook’s oldest son, Vincent Cook. “She amazes everyone in the family.”

Cook lives at Avalon Assisted Living, where she has resided for almost seven years, but she has been a prominent member of the community since 1951.

It was that year that Cook and her husband Sylvester moved their family and business to Costa Mesa.

“We moved our business from Los Angeles when we moved here,” Cook said. “It was a construction business.”

The family developed S.J. Cook & Sons on a plot of land on Placentia Avenue. The business was only the second constructed on the street.”When we moved here, Costa Mesa was just a wide place in the road,” Cook said.

The family had driven by the area many times and was drawn to it.

“We used to drive down this way to go to Newport Beach, and there was something about the area that we liked,” Cook said. “I really fell in love with it, and the people are all so friendly.”

S.J. Cook & Sons worked on many buildings in the community, and one of its projects was the groundwork for St. Joachim Church of Costa Mesa.

Cook enjoyed staying active in the community and was a regent for the church’s Catholic Daughters group for two years.

She was also a member of the Mater Dei High School Parents’ Assn., and she worked for both Bay Escrow of Costa Mesa and U.S. National Bank of Huntington Beach.

Cook was born in San Bernardino County and married her husband in 1930. They had four children ? Vincent, Bill, Diane and Christine.

Over the years, Cook has seen her family grow much larger. She has 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, with another on the way.

Cook said having such a large family is one of the ways she has managed to stay so healthy and sharp over the years.

“I have a very wonderful family,” she said.

Cook grew up on a 10-acre ranch as an only child, so she said it was sometimes lonely.

She now has many family members and friends to keep her company, many of whom will be present at her two approaching birthday celebrations.

Cook will celebrate at Avalon Assisted Living on Aug. 11 with some of her resident friends and a few family members, and her family is holding a big bash for her at the Newport Beach Tee Room the following weekend.

Both parties have been in the works for months.

“I am excited, but I didn’t think much about it until now,” Cook said.

Family members and friends said both parties are going to be full of surprises.

Cook’s family party will be complete with music, dancing, food and a cake to Cook’s exact specifications.

“The cake is going to be three tiers because she wasn’t sure what kind she wanted,” said Rita Cook, Cook’s daughter-in-law. “It’s going to be chocolate, carrot ? which is mom’s favorite ? and vanilla with raspberry cream.”

After filling up on cake, Cook said she is going to make an appearance on the dance floor.

“I promised to dance with my son-in-law with my wheelchair,” she said.

Cook said she believes the party is going to be quite a big deal.

“The big deal is you being 100,” Vincent said to his mother’s remark.

Cook has seen and done a lot in 100 years, and she said she is happy at the place she is at right now.

“I’ve sold my home and industrial business, and all I have to do now is sit and enjoy life,” she said.