Connellsville A Family History
The Brooks
Joseph Brooks b 1795-1863 > William H Brooks b 1826 d 1901 > Harry K. Brooks b 1867 d 1941 > Reid K. Brooks d 1939 > Kenneth Melvin Brooks b 1911 d 1978 > Richard Kenneth Brooks b 1940 > The Brooks Boys b 1968-1975
Michael Richard Brooks b 1968/ Brian Charles Brooks b 1972/ Andrew Kenneth Brooks b 1975
The 1st Brooks on our side came to the US in 1795 there were 5 boys on board the ship from England their parents died on the way to the US and the boys were adopted by other families but they kept the Brooks name.
My great great great great grandfather:
Joseph Brooks 1795-1863
m Dorothy Basinger (Brooks)
Children:
William H Brooks
b 24 SEP 1826 (1827?), Springfield, Fayette, Pennsylvania, United States
m 1856 Lucinda King (Brooks)
d 26 FEB 1901, Springfield, Fayette, Pennsylvania, United Statesborn May 16 1831 Died March 21 1917 Cause of death uremia Everson, Fayette, Pennsylvania 1910 Census: 6 children/ 5 living
1860 census Personal estate: $2000 occupation drover (a person who drives cattle or sheep to market. a dealer in cattle.)
Children:
3 (female) of 6 children died young Frank Bell b 1855, Charles Brooks b 1859, Harry K. Brooks b 1867
Harry K. Brooks
b October 1867 m 1890 (1899?)
m Elizabeth “Lizzie” Brooks
father born in Ireland
b May 1868 Pittsburgh 1910 census: 4 children/3 living 1910 Springfield, Fayette
death: 18 Nov 1941 Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
Children:
John D Brooks, b 1903
Twilla Brooks b May 1892 Died 1945 teacher Johnson School, Normalville
Reid K. Brooks d 1939
b September 7 1890 West Washington Ave
Died 195?, Volusia, Florida 1936 – 1939
Summer cottage “Alma-Ken”, Normalville
Government mail clerk Baltimore & Ohio train (between Pittsburgh and Washintion D.C.)
m Minnie Grace Hartzell
mother Rose J. Smith
320 Ogden St
b Oct. 23 1866
d April 29, 1952, Cardiac Asthesma atherosclerosis, heart due to “age” Age 85
m 1884 Allen George Hartzell
b May 26 1858
d September 23, 1933, 75 years 3 month 27 days
Lumberman Hypostatic Preceerenionia hemiplegia
East Fayette Street
children:
Alma F. Brooks
Kenneth Melvin Brooks
Born February 26, 1911 Died July, 1978 281 E. Fairview Ave West Penn Power Company Store Room 7th Street, Connellsville Fayette. West Penn Power 25 Years hired as warehouseman in West Penn general storeroom in Connellsville (1935) promoted to subforeman in 1939 elder in Connellsville First Christian Church Past President of the local Lions International Enjoys sports in general paricular fondness for bowling, member of the West Penn Men’s Bowling league
Reid K Brooks Florida letter to the editor, Daily Courier, 3-17-1950
Reid Brooks Gets First-Hand Data on “Florida’s Best”
There have been many letters from “transplanted Floridans” to the folks back here at home in Connellsville about the wonders of that “Sunshine State,” and little wonder if many are confused, as Reid K. Brooks of 608 Davidson Avenue says he became.
In a letter to the editor, Brooks sets forth that the letters—all from “capable writers”—“always left me confused.” He decided the way to get the answer as to the best place to live down South was to go there—and that he did. Now he is home again.
Brooks’ letter to the editor gives his views about Miami (boosted by George Connell); Sarasota (the home of Ed Marsh); St. Petersburg (where John Bowman is keeping the beaches repaired for the ultimate arrival of all the others); and Clearwater (the hideout of Sam DeHuff).
Brooks comes up with a very definite idea about his “pick” of the South’s best city—but read on and learn for yourself. The letter follows:
Have been reading so much in the past two years of the controversy between some former Connellsville people who have settled in Florida, and with their letters—which appear often in the Human Interest Column—as to the best place to live, fish, and which city or town would be the paradise of Florida.
George Connell boosting Miami, Ed Marsh, Sarasota, John Bowman, St. Petersburg, and Stewart DeHuff, Clearwater.
They are capable writers and make every letter interesting news, but reading these letters as they are printed in the Human Interest Column has always left me confused as to which would be the better place to fish, play, and live in the Land of Sunshine.
I have been to Miami (very good place if you have lots of money), Sarasota is interesting (quiet little village). This year I decided to visit St. Petersburg and Clearwater to convince myself, in my opinion, which would be the better place of the four mentioned.
Stewart DeHuff has a beautiful place to live on Clearwater Beach, and he has what appeared to me to be a man-made pond at his front door. He told me he had a “wash-tub” he would get into and float out to the center and catch some fish (I did not see any fish), but some of DeHuff’s beach scenery is very interesting to look at, especially for younger men.
John Bowman has a very nice place in downtown St. Pete. I could not get much comment from him on fishing, except he did say: deep sea fishing.
Well, we have that here in Pennsylvania—Pymatuning Dam, Lake Erie, or anywhere on the East Coast not so far away.
We had an opportunity to see a ball game between the Kids and the Kubs. The youngest man on the team was 73, and the oldest, 93.
When I put my tired old worn-out frame on a bleacher bench and watched these old young men play ball, run the bases, field the ball—one pitcher, age 87, pitched a seven-inning game (they called me “Sonny” and wanted me for a bat boy)—then I was convinced St. Petersburg is the ideal place to go for a long life and good ripe old age.
From now on I am boosting St. Pete and John Bowman and any letters he writes about the Land of Sunshine (without the fishing).
DO YOU REMEMBER—
When West Crawford Avenue, between the western end of the Youghiogheny River bridge and Eighth Street, was widely known as “Washboard Avenue” because of the depressions in its brick surface?
