Mark Brooks - My Dad

Mark Brooks in Lake Tahoe

My father, Mark Lyndol Brooks, was born on October 10, 1953 to Wheat and Jean Brooks. He was delivered at Methodist Hospital in Oak Cliff, Texas. He said his parent were very loving and godly parents. They always took him and his sister, Judy, to church every Sunday and were always involved in the church.  My dad and his sister were always given what they needed and some of what they wanted even when they didn’t necessarily have the money for it. Wheat, my granddad, is from Cooper, Texas and Jean, my grandmother, was from Commerce, Texas. After they married they moved to Dallas and lived there until they moved to Rockwall in 1987, just before I was born. Growing up I remember my grandparents living right next door to us and I loved it. I was so spoiled by them and I still am today.

Mark Brooks

My dad said that his favorite childhood memories were playing baseball and spending the summers with his grandparents. His favorite part about playing baseball was the “hope” of hitting a home run and his mom and dad cheering him on. I didn’t know that my dad used to spend the summers with his grandparents; I think its cool because I used to spend the summers with my grandparents and ride my four-wheeler. Now that my grandmother has passed I miss the precious time I had with her.

His father was in the automobile business, from what I remember he was kind of like a mechanic. Ever since I can remember, my granddad could always fix everything and he would always fix my four-wheeler when it would break. His mom worked for an insurance company and she used to work with my mom in Dallas.

JJ Gonzales, Mark Brooks, Hannah Brooks

My dad went to school in the Dallas Independent School District and he said that school back then had more discipline, they had longer summer vacations and had more one-on-one attention.

Even though I grew up in split homes and lived with my mom most of the time, I still have learned a lot from my dad. He always explains things to me in a very simple and easy to follow way that I understand. The main thing that I learned from my father is how to control my finances. He always gives me advice on how to save my money and how to “save for a rainy day”. He knows what he is talking about when it comes to money. 

My mom - DeLana Hood (Nease)

My mother, DeLana Hood, maiden name Nease, was born January 3, 1954 in Roswell, New Mexico.  She said, “No, I am not an alien like everybody thinks since they assume aliens are from Roswell”.

Her mother and father divorced when she was three years old and her mother came to Commerce, Texas with her on a Greyhound bus and lived with her grandparents.  Her father was in the navy so she did not see him much.  Her mother married her stepfather, Roy Thomas, on July 5, 1958, one year later.  They bought a house on Dixie Street in Commerce and she lived in that house until she married in 1972.  Her mother did not work until she was in middle school and the only elementary school was three blocks from their house so every day her mother fixed lunch and she walked home for lunch.   My mom was an only child but had lots of cousins so there were always kids around her house.  She said she had lots of friends in the neighborhood.  They didn’t have much money but she always had everything she needed.  My mom was a good student, making A’s and a few B’s.

My mom said, “It seemed like I would always have a fish fry on Friday nights at my house.  My mother would drive all the way to Oklahoma to get the fresh fish.  We had a metal tub and we filled it with ice and put soft drinks in it.  My stepfather would string lights around the porch and bring my stereo outside for music”.  Lots of her cousins and friends enjoyed the fish fry.  In high school, she made cheerleader her senior year and really enjoyed cheering.  She was also in several clubs, i.e., Future Homemakers Of America, the Spanish Club and Choir.  She placed 11^th in her class out of a class of 94.  My mom met my dad her junior year in high school.  They married on June 2, 1972, after graduating high school.    Their first son, Brad, was born February 20, 1979, the same day as my grandma’s 51^st birthday.  They lived in Dallas, and in 1987 they moved to Rockwall, Texas.  Their second son, me, Jordan, was born April 8, 1988.   My mom and dad were married 22 years before divorcing in 1994. 

My moms only granddaughter, Hannah, was born July 15, 2005.  She is such a smart little girl.  My mom’s mother still has many relatives who live in the Commerce area.  The community of Horton, near Commerce, was named after my grandmothers father’s family.  My mom said, “I have seen the university in Commerce grow from being a state college, then to a university and now is associated with the A & M system.”

Growing Up With Jordan

This is the result of Jack and Jo Shilpley

I was born on April 8, 1988 to Mark and DeLana Brooks in Dallas, Texas. I grew up in Rockwall, Texas and have lived there for the entire 22 years of my life. When I was in kindergarten my parents divorced and my mother raised my brother and I. However, my parents agreed to have split custody of my brother and I; meaning my mom had primary custody and my dad had secondary. Every Wednesday and every other weekend I would spend at my dad's house.

Brad Brooks

Growing up in a split home is pretty much all I know. My step-mom, Cathy, and her children also had the same living conditions. So, my dad and Cathy decided that it would be best if the two sets of kids were at the house on the same weekend. I was the youngest out of the four kids, and my brother was the oldest. My two step-siblings were in the middle. David King and Sarah Costa are Cathy's children with Sarah being the older of the two.

My step-sister: Sarah Gonzales

The summer between third and fourth grade my mom moved me and my brother to Rowlett, Texas but my dad stayed in Rockwall, so I can say that I have lived in Rockwall my entire life since I lived with both parents.

My step-brother: David King

Being raised in two homes had its perks. For a child, who would like having two Christmas's? In actuality I had about four Christmas's because we would go to my grandparent’s house on my dad's side and then my grandparents on my step-mom's side.

Now that I'm older and understand what was going on in my childhood I could see how it could affect some children, but for me, being only 5 when this started, it didn’t really phase me. I grew to love my step-siblings and that side of the family and didn’t see them as "the other family".

Horton Photos

Roy & Nellie Thomas - 25th Wedding Anniversary 

Grover & Lillie Horton

Horton Kids

Horton Kids

Some of the Horton kids at the school in Horton, Tx

Jerry Horton

My grandmother, Nellie Thomas at age 21

Some photos of me

Brad Brooks and Jordan Brooks (blonde)

Jordan Brooks

Jordan Brooks - sometime during my school years... 

Some photos of the Shipley's

Cathy Brooks is on the top row 8th child from the left

1st grade school picture

JJ Gonzales, Cathy Brooks and Hannah Brooks

Cathy Brooks' Grandparent

This is the result of Jack and Jo Shipley, this was taken in the 90s and it has grown even more!!!

Jack Shipley's obituary

Jack Shipley – Born in Austin ,Texas and on November 24, 2006 he entered into the kingdom of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Jo Shipley, 1 son, Jerry Shipley and wife Cathleen, 3 daughters Sue Perry and husband Ron, Cathy Brooks and husband Mark, Jackie Townsend and husband Doug, 4 granddaughters Emily Smith and husband Charles, Sarah Gonzales and husband Josh, Rachel and Liza Townsend, 6 grandsons, Brad Brooks and wife Becky, David King and wife Janian, Adam Perry, Andrew and Noah Shipley, Jordan Brooks, 2 great-grandchildren. J.J. Gonzales and Hannah Brooks. He is also survived by one brother Wallace and wife Faye, niece Shelia, nephew Larry, great aunt Myrtice Creekmore and husband Lefty. He is preceded in death by his parents Humphrey and Gladys Shipley. Visitation will be from 2:00 to 5:00p.m. Sunday, November 26, 2006 at Restland Funeral Home. Service will be at 10:30a.m. on Monday, November 27, 2006 at Lavon Drive Baptist Church, 1520 Lavon Dr., Garland, Texas 75040, 972-272-7557. 

I didn't get to say goodbye to my grandpa, I didn't even know he was that sick. One day I was on my way to work and I got a call from my Dad saying that Pop had died, I was like what???? How come no one told me that he was dying? Needless to say I couldn't work that day. Death is not fun, I hate it! Even though he was my step grandpa he was still my grandpa. I love him and miss him terribly.