Charles Brooks

Charles Brooks

I am getting new email addresses and cable put into my house and with that all my emails, and files that I stored in the email I used to correspond for years I had to move all those emails to my new one, which if anyone is interested is dcpinion@gmail.com

Anyway I used to work with this man on the Joseph H Hobbs family as well as other lines and he died a while back, well he sent me this note I wanted to share as it relates to him and his family as he wants to tell it. So I thought I would share to those that remember Charles.

Charles Frederick BrooksSr  1925-2010

My Medical Diagnosis & other events


Some of you are aware that I have been ill for about a month or longer. My bladder decided to stop handling all of my liquid waste -- which affected the rest of my elderly body.

The best description that I can give you of my condition is to explain that I am exceedingly tired, (I started to enter particular details when I moved into the chair where I am
sitting in at my computer).

When, I realized that I have a business degree from Emory University, somehow I managed to exempt most of the biology courses. I usually tell my doctor what is wrong with me by pointing that I hurt here and here. An he replies by asking questions and I describe the answers by pointing where I hurt, etc. You may be surprised, but it works everytime------almost.



My opening statement covers most if not all of my conditions, which my doctor has described as permanent. Treatable, but not be correctable, but something that can be controlled physically and life can continue in a new medical regimentation that requires wearing a catheter, day and night, the rest of my life.

Perhaps you might like to know more about me. As a matter of fact I want you to know about me, whether or not you are interested in knowing some of the details about my family that will follow: 


I was born the fourth child of my parents, March 21, 1925,on Main St. in Cedartown, GA. My father, Alexander R. Brooks was a molder in the local foundry. When the foundry failed, the family moved to Rome, GA and "Pop" went to work as the moulder in the foundry of Rome Machine & Foundry Co. The company manufactured washing and drying machines for laundries. 

Vivian, & brothers, William and John (Bill) preceded me in our family. According to my mother the doctor didn't like the name John Jesse and he called the baby "Bill" which lasted the rest of his life. The only name I ever heard for William was "Buddy", sometime "Bud". I was Charles when I started to school in Cedartown, GA.
I can't remember the name of the foundry where my Daddy worked in Cedartown.

We moved to Rome, GA, when my Dad, a molder, went to work for the Rome Machine and Foundry Co.

I was in the second grade. According to "Mom", the Superintendent of East Rome, School thought I was too small to be in the second grade but my report card from Cedartown school got me a seat. I made the "Honor Roll" the first month, despite the fact the girl next seat to me couldn't spell water "she used 2 't's. After completing six years at East Rome School, I attended the seventh grade school next to the Rome City Clock. Not many cars climbed the steep road up or down to the school.

I graduated from Rome, GA Boys High School in June 1942. Thinking about it, I was unusually popular, despite the fact that I didn't live in the best part of town, I didn't have this or that. I played trumpet (Bill bought it for me) in the band, When the Band Director asked what I wanted to play for my senior concert. I asked Mr. Derrick, the director, if I could pass up the opportunity, because he knew that I was not an outstanding trumpet player. (I remember the relief that I saw in his face.) 

I had a good part in the Senior Play "Nothing But The Truth"

Shortly after graduation, I went to work for Ransom Floral Co. My responsibilities included all of those things that Mr. "Buck" Ransom (owner) didn't do. I became a delivery truck driver (had to get a license) bookkeeper, (my brother Bill taught me how to drive, helped me get a license so I could keep the job. I was the billing clerk, jack of all trades. I learned to make corsages, how to write our delinquent customers, delivered flowers to funerals and weddings. And one time after delivering a truck load of flowers to the funeral home in Summerville, GA, I even allowed two escaped convicts to continue fleeing from Summerville, GA police by giving them a ride to Rome. When I returned to Rome, the state policemen telephoned wanting to know what I did with their convicts. I told them I let them out on Broad St. I never did find out if they caught them (one black, one white)

In December 1942, I realized that the USA was in a war with Germany and Japan. A son of a nearby neighbor from our home on Walnut St, Rome, GA was killed and I thought that maybe I could avenge his death and make a difference in the war. On January 2, 1943, I joined the U.S. Navy.

I was 5'5" tall and weighed less than the required 110 lbs. To make sure that I was heavy enough, I ate four bananas shortly before I was weighed in Atlanta, GA. 

After boot camp at Bainbridge, Maryland I was assigned to permanent duty in the Supply Department. I will never forget the day I was issuing uniforms to new recruits and In heard one of the Black boys in line yell out, "There's that boy that can throw baseballs with both hands" Sure enough, the bunch of black boys that I pitched and caught against in Cooper Hall Girls School Yard had joined the navy. It was a great day for them and me. Black kids and white kids didn't care about color, if we were playing baseball. I'm sure some or all got back to Rome from the War, but I can't recall ever seeing any of them again. It was common that white kids played baseball with black kids in the playground of the private school for girls on East Ninth Street. We played kid teams from Anchor Duck Mills and Tubize news "silk" mill villages. the "Rome News" newspaper posted the game details whenever I turned in my hand written pencil copy column. . Too bad I didn't save all of those papers.

After I was discharged from the Navy, I went to work for Celanese Corp, working in the lab. A Chemist wondered why I didn't attend college on the GI Bill. which I decided to take advantage of.

I entered West Georgia Junior College, Carrolton, GA planning to receive a degree in Chemistry, and ended up with a Bachelor of Business. I was the President of the Class of '49. The next fall I enrolled at Emory University, Atlanta, GA and found out that if I wanted a degree in chemistry I had to take all of the biology and Chemistry courses that I had avoided at WGA. 


 To make a long story short, after one quarter, I transferred to the Business School, made the Dean's list some quarters and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Degree. 

 One of my professors wanted me to apply for a job in the bank where he was employed (teaching was a side line, 5 hours a week, 8 am), but I had other ideas. I interviewed several organizations and quickly found out that college graduates were employed after their graduation in June. So I went back to Rome, GA, visited my first employer (Celenese) after another time in the the navy, and was offered a job in the Accounting Department. About six months later, an older employee in the Purchasing & Stores department died and I was offered his job. Actually, I replaced two employees (one Buyer and one Traffic Manager). A short time later, all traffic was handled in Charlotte. 

I met my future wife (Evelyn Curry) at Celanese. Evelyn worked in the personnel office and at noon operated the company store.

So I visited with her every day. We married on Thanksgiving Day and honeymooned in Fort Payne, Ala. There is a deep ravine that the river runs in. A large number of small houses were available by the night or the week. We had to be back at work on the following Monday.

Well, I didn't been to write a family history. So I will stop now.

Charles Brooks  12/21/2009

Name	Charles Brooks
Birth Year	abt 1923
School	Rome High School
School Location	Rome, Georgia, USA
Year	1939

 

  

Name	Charles Brooks
Birth Year	abt 1924
School	Rome High School
School Location	Rome, Georgia, USA
Year	1940

Name	Charles Brooks
Birth Year	abt 1925
School	Rome High School
School Location	Rome, Georgia, USA
Year	1941

Name	Charles Frederick Brooks
Birth Year	abt 1926
School	Rome High School
School Location	Rome, Georgia, USA
Year	1942

Name	Charles Brooks
Birth Year	abt 1928
School	University of West Georgia
School Location	Carrollton, Georgia, USA
Year	1948
Yearbook Title	Chieftain

Name	Charles F Brooks
Birth Year	abt 1930
School	Emory University
School Location	Druid Hills, Georgia, USA
Year	1950
Yearbook Title	Campus