May Brooks

(From Greenfield Funeral Chapel)

(Ila) May Brooks of Arcola, Missouri passed from this life into eternity on Friday, February 11th, at the age of 92 3/4. She passed away at the Lake Stockton Healthcare Facility after a brief illness. She was ready to meet Jesus, and be reunited with her husband Norman, in her forever heavenly home.

May was born on May 11th, 1929, on her Grandparent Clements farm east of Lamar, Missouri to Robert and Gertie Mowat. She grew up in Herrington, Kansas, on 12th Street, across the street from her Grandpa Mowat. May’s daddy worked on the railroad and was often gone for several days or weeks at a time. Her mom would ride the train to where he was working to take him clean clothes, while May’s Grandpa Mowat would stay with her and her little sister at night.

Growing up, May baby sat for the family that owned a camera shop in Herrington. She earned 50 cents each time she worked for them (several hours). She eventually saved enough money to buy an Elgin watch. During her high school years, May worked as a checkout clerk at the local grocery store.

May graduated from Herrington High School in 1947. After graduation, she moved to Lamar, Missouri where she attended the Lamar Christian Church and was baptized into Christ. Living on 10th Street in Lamar, she worked at the Big Smith Factory as a jeans inspector. May was a very good roller skater, and met her future husband when she crashed an Arcola Christian Church skating party at the Lamar skating rink. May married Norman Brooks on May 25th, 1951, officiated by Morris Strater, the minister of the Lamar Christian Church. The only ones present at the ceremony were May’s sister and brother-in-law, Litha and Raymond Parrish. After they were married, Norman farmed with his parents outside Arcola, and commuted to Lamar to work at the Lawn Boy plant there, while May lived in Lamar and continued working at Big Smith. After spending the first two years of married life living 30 miles apart, May and Norman moved into an old house on the north end of Arcola.

May and Norman had two children, Ila Sue and Terry. May continued to work at Big Smith in Lamar until Terry was old enough to cry every time she dropped him off at his grandparents house. Unable to bear the sound of her little boy crying, May decided to quit working at Big Smith and stay home with her children. May was a devoted mother to both of her young children, but insisted that her daughter Ila learn to play the piano. Faye Gleason Decker was hired, and Ila spent many Saturday afternoons taking piano lessons to become an accomplished piano player. In 1964, the Brooks family moved into a new house on the same property in north Arcola. May’s husband Norman managed a cattle and crop farm, but after just sixteen years of marriage, she lost him to cancer when he passed away on August 16th, 1967. May spent the rest of her years living in the house built by her beloved husband, Norman.

May began her cattle farming life after the passing of Norman. Her cattle pastured on acreage owned by Norman’s parents, Floyd and Alice Brooks. After Floyd’s passing, May kept and managed her cattle herd for many years with the help of her daughter Ila, and son-in-law Kem Price. As the years went by, she gradually relinquished the heavy work of cattle farming to Kem and Ila. However, May still went to the farm and checked on her cattle daily until shortly before her death.

May was a devoted mother and grandmother throughout her life. When her children were involved in school or church functions, she was always in attendance at their events. May and Terry went to many parades to watch Ila perform with the Greenfield Drum and Bugle Corps, and May and Ila often traveled long distances to watch Terry play high school football or basketball. When her children married, May welcomed Ila’s husband Kem and Terry’s wife Vicki into the family as her very own. May also deeply loved her grandchildren, and enjoyed celebrating their birthdays and spending time with them during the holidays and their trips to Arcola. After her grandchildren grew up, she was always still interested in how they were doing in life.

May was an active member of the Arcola Christian church for almost 70 years. During that time she served as a Sunday School Teacher, VBS helper, and long time Church Secretary/Treasurer. She was an excellent cook, and highly regarded for the lavish meals she prepared for her family and visiting preachers. Even though she lived a difficult life as a widow, May would always say, “The Lord’s been good to me.” In addition to her church work, May collected water bill money for Arcola, was the North Township Tax Collector for many years, and managed the Arcola Retirement Homes.

May was preceded in death by her father Robert Mowat, her mother Gertie Duncan, her step-father Pat Duncan, and her younger brother Lester Mowat. She is survived by one sister, Litha Parrish of Salina, Kansas. She is also survived by her daughter and son-in-law Ila and Kem Price of Arcola, and her son and daughter-in-law Terry and Vicki Brooks of Columbia, Missouri. In addition, she is survived by her grandchildren, Lisa (Adam) Smith of Ponder, Texas, John Brooks of St. Louis, Missouri, and Adam Brooks of Summerville, South Carolina. Finally, she is survived by one young great-grandson Evan Smith in Ponder, Texas.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 19, 2022, at the Arcola Christian Church. Burial will follow in Greenfield Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. until service time at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Arcola Christian Church. Services are under the care of Greenfield Funeral Chapel.