The Starts of My Very Long Line of Ancestors-Brooks Genealogy

Yup, that's me.

I guess when you start down a road, you need to start at the beginning. And I guess when you start on a path to find your ancestors, you start with yourself. So here we go!

My mom and dad met, fell in love, and married in Allendale, Wabash County, Illinois. My dad was George Edwin Brooks born July 10, 1900 in Finch, Ritchie County, West Virginia. My mom was Opal Clark. (No middle name so she later chose Imogene as her middle name. I think I could have thought of a better name but oh well.) She was born August 30, 1907 in Allendale, Wabash County, Illinois. They were married May 27th 1926. She actually was married one day and graduated from high school the next day.

George and Opal on their wedding day.

My brother, Bill, was born in Allendale in 1928 and I followed 10 years later. I was born in the huge metropolis of Omer in Arenac County, Michigan. You've never heard of this huge metropolis? Could be because if you blink you will miss it as you drive through. Of course, Allendale isn't a whole lot bigger.

My brother and me in 1938.

I grew up in Standish, Arenac County, Michigan. My dad worked in the oil fields and my mom held several jobs including working in the Post Office, in a Heinz Pickle Plant, and at the local newspaper.

My parents, my brother, and me in 1946. Why are my parents looking one direction and my brother and I another? Weird.

My mom died June 7, 1953. We were coming home from visiting a friend and a drunk driver hit us head on. My dad was severely injured and took many months to heal physically and mentally. In 1955 he and I took a trip to visit his family in West Virginia and my mom's family in Illinois. While there, he met (or should I say re-met) my mother's girlhood friend, Olive Biehl. My dad had been very lonely after the death of my mom and Olive after a divorce. So they were married in Allendale September 30, 1955.

George Brooks and Olive Biehl Brooks.

I returned to Standish to finish my senior year of high school and Dad and Olive remained in Allendale, living in her home where she had grown up. A side note here--the house they lived in was actually built by my mom's uncle in the early 1900's.

My dad died in 1967 and my stepmother continued to live in Allendale until her death in 1987. On January 7, 1989, an F4 tornado wiped out much of the town of Allendale including my stepmother's house. It is indeed sad to go back to Allendale now and see very little of the town I remember from my childhood.

I was married March 31, 1962 in Trenton, Wayne County, Michigan to Charles Alvin Runta.

On our wedding day.

We have two children, Dave and Karen and 5 beautiful grandchildren.

David and Karen in 1997

So, there you have it. This was about me and my beginnings. My next post will be about my dad's family, the Brooks clan.