Central Alabama Fair legend passes away
Published 8:48 pm Monday, February 23, 2015
A legend of the Central Alabama Fair, Eugene Middlebrooks, of Valley Grande, passed away Feb. 20 at age 78.
Middlebrooks was known as Mr. Cozy Dawg at the Central Alabama Fair, imploring people to, “Come get your Cozy Dawg!” He was the voice of the fair for more than 25 years, trying to sell his famous corndogs to everyone who walked through the gates.
“He’d sit on that stool and carry on a lot of sales talk. People got to know him,” said Gerald Anderson, treasurer of the Civitan Club.
Eugene Middlebrooks, known as Mr. Cozy Dawg at the Central Alabama Fair, has passed away.
A member of the Civitan Club himself, Middlebrooks was beloved by children at the fair.
“He would be out at Wal-Mart or some place and these little kids would say ‘Momma, momma, there’s Mr. Cozy Dawg’ and he would beam from ear to ear,” Anderson said.
Serving up hot, delicious corndogs wasn’t Middlebrooks only specialty. He was also known for his involvement with the Civitan Club, being an active member in First Baptist Church and his dedication to the Easter Seals Alabama Rehabilitation Center.
“He was interested in helping the needy, the unfortunate, the handicap and so on,” Anderson said.
Bill Neighbors, the president of the Civitan Club, expressed his gratitude for Middlebrooks and all that he meant to the Civitan organization and the community.
“Some might say he was the backbone [of the club],” Neighboors said. “He was a terrific friend, a terrific Civitan and a terrific citizen of the United States.”
