1/7/2011
James Brooks, 85, passed peacefully from this life at the family farm where he was born.
Visitation will begin after 1:00 p.m. on Friday at Williams .
Funeral Home with the family present from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday also at Williams Funeral Home with Reverend John Long officiating. Burial with military honors will follow at Lincoln Cemetery in rural Marion County.
He was born on November 7, 1925, to Clarice and J. Ray Brooks.
He graduated from Knoxville High School in 1943. He lettered in football and track,
and participated in 4H and FFA. He achieved a star farmer award in the Knoxville
FFA. He volunteered and served in the Army as a paratrooper in WWII. James farmed
his entire life in rural Marion County.
He was introduced to the love of his life,
Merry Jo Pinhero, by his mother when they were both hospitalized at Methodist Hospital
in 1946. They were married almost 64 years, and raised five children, Dan (Vicki)
of Carlisle, Carol Keeney of Huxley, Robert (Mary Lou) of Knoxville, Dennis (Mary)
of Knoxville, and Mary (Randy) Ripperger of West Des Moines.
James and Merry Jo had 14 grandchildren, and 23 great grandchildren.
He is survived by his sister Helen Stevenson, Robert D Brooks (Dottie); Marvin (Joyce) Brooks; all of Knoxville, and
Barbara Petersen of Ankeny and sister in law Midge Brooks of Pleasantville. He will be mourned by cousins, nieces and nephews too numerous to mention.
James was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings Francis Jordan, and Benny Brooks; his brother
in laws, Ellis Jordan, Gene Stevenson and Larry Petersen and one grandchild, Maudie.