BROOKS, LAWRENCE AND MABEL (WOOD)

by Mabel Wood Brooks

Entry F52 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Mabel and Orrin Wood 1929-1930 at Cherry County Rural School.

Mullen H.S. Teadhers early 30's. L.R. - V.B. Arnold
Helen Culberton, ?, Don McClay

Dean (Wick) Wood married Ethel Merle
King January 14, 1916, and Wick, April 16
took out 280 acres of homestead land. To this
union a daughter, Mabel Jane was born
November 7, 1916 and son Orrin Cecil March
6, 1918. April 1920, Merlin Dean was born at
Kilgore, Nebraska. Mother, Ethel, died soon
after and Merlin died a few months later.
Both Mother and son were laid to rest in the
Kilgore Cemetery. Lizzie Wolfender's were
helpful through any of our family illness.
After Mother's death, Grandmother Eliz-
abeth Wood took charge of our family. After
Dad had his land proved up he sold it to
Wolfendens.

Orrin and I have many memories of
incidents while at home on the ranch as
youths. A runaway team of hoses stirred
some excitement for us. Other chores as
fixing fences, gardening, milking cows,
churning butter and cheeze making. The
family shopping center was Mullen, Nebras-
ka where the cans of cream was sold for our
necessary supplies.

The fall 1920, after Mother's death, our
grandparents decided to move back to Bunk-
er Hill, Illinois. We went by train, Orrin and
I with them while our Dad and Uncle Cecil
stayed at home.

I recall in 1922 when Uncle Ben and Aunt
Ruth came back to Illinois with their sons in
a covered wagon with a 2 horse team of
grandpa's and their own 4 horse team, a
saddle horse and a cow. It took them about
2 months to make the trip from Nebraska. I
can remember seeing them coming down the
lane as I lay on a blanket sick from eating
green apples. Grandpa and Aunt Ruth
thought Orrin was lost but he finally was
found under the cook stove asleep, he was
about 4 1/2. Orrin and I earned pennies by
hoeing weeds in the corn field and we enjoyed
wandering through the woods picking berries
and wading in the creek. Another pleasant
memory was that of our grandmother making
apple butter in a large kettle over a fire
outside, using copper pennies in the bottom
to help keep the apple burtter from sticking.

On my 10th birthday, November 7, 1926
the Wood family moved back to Nebraska
and arrived home on this date. When our
grandmother passed away January 24, 1929,
Cyrus Wolfenden's daughter, Hazel and
husband took Orrin and I into their home till
June of that year. They were so good to us.

I attended the 9th grade in the country
school. Uncle Cecil helped me raise chickens
to sell and to buy my High School wardrobe.
I rode often with Phete, Glena and Gladys
Warden to Mullen. I did not go home often
on the week-ends or holidays, but spent some
of this time at the homes of Regina Neal,
Claudia Machlan, Evelyn Smith and Allegra
Simonson. I attended the Methodist Church
in Mullen and sometimes Christmas Mid-
night mass with Regina. I worked 2 years at
Louie and Velma Folk's home for my board
and room. Allegra Simonson and I were room-
mates for our Junior and Senior years.
Summer 1934, after my graduation, Orrin
and I took care of things at home, milking 19
cows, taking care of chickens and hogs. In the
fall of 1934, I went to the John Vinton Ranch
and started working and remained there
about 4 years and enjoyed every bit of it. Due
to ill health I returned home in the spring of
1938.

June 20, l941, I married Lawrence Brooks.
Our son, Orrin Dean was born
1943. Son George Frederick, October 10, 1945
and died June 1946. Daughter, Gloria Gae
was born 1948. Son, Roger Duane,
was born 1955.

Brother Orrin married Pearline West in
April 1953. Son, Richard Cecil was born
1954. In 1955, Orrin and Pearline were
divorced and Richard then made his home
with Orrin. April 14, 1967, Orrin and Linda
Ayling were married. A daughter, Jennifer
June was born 1969. A son, Jason
was born 1970 and son Jared,
1974. Brother Orrin and family
all live at Weippe, ldaho.

Lawrence and I lived a couple years at
Portland, Oregon, Ainsworth, and Brady
Nebraska. At Arnold we had a shoe repair
shop. 1960 to 1966, I worked at the Brady
Cafe and Lawrence pumped gravel. We
moved to Ogallala, Nebraska in July of 1966.
Lawrence pumped gravel there until retire-
ment in 1979 due to ill health. I worked at
TRW Factory for 16 years, then retired in
1982 and we then moved to North Platte,
Nebraska.

During these recent years we have visited
friends in Mullen and attended special
events. lt is enjoyable to recall our hikes to
the middle Loup River north of Mullen and
remember the lunches we packed and the
walks on Sunday afternoons, sometimes out
to the Garrett's, the playing of games and just
visiting.