About 60 people attended a May 15 ceremony to dedicate the Festus park in the 300 block of South Adams Street, which was renamed the Willliam Earl Cook Sr. Park late last year. Cook, the first and only Black mayor in the history of Festus, died in 2020.
His daughter, Tamyka Cook of Festus, who attended the Festus Parks and Recreation Department dedication ceremony, said her father probably would have felt uncomfortable with the attention.
“He’d probably hate this honor, but he deserved it, Tamyka said. “I say he’d hate the honor because he didn’t do anything to stand out. He just did it because it was the right thing to do. If he could help someone, he would.”
The park used to be called South Adams Park, but the Festus City Council changed the name in September 2024 to honor Cook.
Tim Wade, Parks and Recreation Board president, spoke at the dedication and said the board plans to make several improvements to the park, including upgrading its playground, extending the concrete pad at the park pavilion and adding a basketball court.
“We’re really excited about this project,” he told the crowd.
Tim Wade, Festus Parks and Recreation Board president, gives the dedication speech at Willliam Earl Cook Sr. Park. To the left is Festus Mayor Sam Richards, who also spoke during the ceremony.
Wade said a new sign featuring the park’s new name was supposed to be unveiled at the dedication, but it had not arrived in time.
Cook was the Festus mayor from 2009-2010. He previously was a Festus City Council member and served on other civic and charitable organizations, including the Festus Tourism Commission, the Cultural Diversity Committee and the Giving Something Back to the Community organization. He also served in the U.S. Marines.
In 2021, Cook was inducted in the Festus R-6 School District Hall of Fame posthumously, although he knew he was to receive that honor before his death.
Cook attended the old Douglass High School, which enrolled Black students from the area during segregation, but after segregation ended, Cook enrolled in the Festus School District and graduated from Festus High School in 1957, the first year an integrated class graduated from the school, according to information from the district.
Cook’s sons, Earl Cook Jr. and Chikosi Cook, both of Festus, also attended the dedication, as did Cook’s widow, Rhonda Abbas-Cook of Wentzville.
Family members said they were pleased to see the city honor Cook.
“I’m very honored. The whole family appreciates it,” Cook Jr. said.
Chikosi Cook said he was thrilled to see the park named after his father.
“This honor is awesome because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” he said. “All these people came out to pay tribute to my dad. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Abbas-Cook said she, too, was happy to see the park named after her husband.
“It’s just such an honor that his life continues on,” she said. “Earl was born and raised right here on South Adams Street. This park has many, many years of memories for him. I feel blessed they chose this park to be dedicated in honor of him.
“I feel like he’s looking down from heaven feeling very emotional for this honor.”
Festus Mayor Sam Richards said Cook deserved the honor.
“I was friends with Earl. He was a Marine and I am a Marine,” Richards said. “He did so much for this community. I’m very happy the parks board wanted to name this after Earl. I’m just real happy to have this happen, because he deserves it.”
Other attendees praised Cook and the city for honoring him.
“It’s a happy day,” said Tracy Johnson of Herculaneum. “It makes my heart so happy. Earl Cook was the best. He is truly missed.”
Maurice Mosby, who grew up in Crystal City and is back in the area for an extended visit, agreed.
“I’m ecstatic they’re naming the park after Earl,” Mosby said.