Compiled by her granddaughter, Laura A. Jones, in Honor of Her 100th Birthday on December 27, 2007
Early Life
When I was young, my family lived on a farm in Kentucky. It was a place called Nolynn which was just a wide space in the road. I always had to take care of my younger sister, Edna. My father was my schoolteacher. I loved to play the piano.
–Louise Brooks, about 1984
My first memory is when we lived in Magnolia. I was about 4 years old, and we lived in town. Next to our house was a barn and a lot. We had a horse there and a big garden. We used to have lots of vegetables from that garden. I remember that we used to get fruit in our stockings for Christmas—oranges I think. We also got peppermint candy. We decorated our Christmas tree by draping strings of popcorn on it. Mama used to make snow ice cream when it snowed.
When I was very small, it was not easy to get fruit like oranges. They were grown elsewhere. We had apples, and I believe we also had some grapes. Around Christmas the stores would have oranges, and I remember my father would sometimes come home with a big bag of oranges, and it was a treat.
–Edna Kathrine Peterson, sister, 27 Jan 2007
When I was growing up, we lived in a lot of little towns—not a city. Most of the stores were general stores. They had fruit and vegetables and cans, but they would also have material to make clothes and overalls for the men. All of these items were in one store—we didn’t have a clothing store. The general stores also had candy in them. I recall that when I was about 4 or 5 years old, a store near our house had ice cream for 5 cents. That was a real treat.
For birthdays, Mama made a cake. Sometimes we had parties. As I got older, we went out with some friends to celebrate our birthdays. I believe our parents had a present for us—not something big because they weren’t wealthy people. I remember we used to have presents at Christmas. I used to want dolls, and sometimes I would get little dolls. Myrtle got a big doll once. I wanted to hold it, but she wouldn’t let me. We used to sew things for our dolls.
Our father was a big Baptist, and our mother belonged to the Christian church. She didn’t change religions when she got married as some of her sisters did. We usually went to the Baptist church because small towns in Kentucky usually had Baptist churches. I was the only one who went to the Christian church with my mother. If there was no Christian church, we all went to the Baptist church, and it wasn’t a very big deal. The Baptists were stricter than the Christian church. It was a foregone conclusion that we would go to Sunday school, but we weren’t compelled to go.
Mama was so wonderful. She had a marvelous disposition. Somehow you were happier when you were around her. She used to make candy for us a lot, and it was the most wonderful candy you ever tasted. It was called Divinity, and it tasted like white fudge. She also used to make cookies every day. She was a great cook, and she stayed pretty busy with cooking for six kids. Everything she made tasted so good. Mama was always good. She didn’t have a mean bone in her. She played the piano—classical music, and she played it very well. The kids knew the tunes, and we would stomp through the house singing.
When I was about eight, Louise and I used to work crossword puzzles. We worked on them together. Louise would protect me from Myrtle, who was kind of a character.
We didn’t do much on Thanksgiving except that we did have an unusually large meal that day. I didn’t participate in the cooking. Mama was a great cook.
We didn’t travel much, but our first car was an old Model T. We would all climb in that car and drive to Mammy’s house. Cars were just coming out, and roads were sometimes muddy. Sometimes we had a little trouble. If it started to rain, we had to stop the car and snap some plastic things on to keep us from getting wet. You could see through them. Mammy was always very glad to see us. We would stay a couple of days and then go back home. My mother always liked that. She wanted to see her mother.
–Edna Kathrine Peterson, sister, 27 Jan 2007
I have a memory of Grandma Mom that is not really a memory, but a remembrance. Madeline was born about a year and a half after Grandma Mom passed away. After I had Madeline, the nurse brought her to my room, sound asleep, lying in the bassinet. The way Madeline’s mouth was set, and the way her head was tilted, she looked just like Grandma Mom. She especially reminded me of Grandma Mom when she would come for a visit and fall asleep on the couch with her head tucked into her chest. I was sure that if I mentioned to anyone that I thought Madeline looked like Grandma Mom, they would think I was crazy. I always felt that babies didn’t look like anyone but themselves as babies, so I didn’t say anything. Later that day when John came to the hospital to visit us, he said that he thought Madeline looked like Grandma Mom. Then, I knew it was true. I wish I had a picture of Grandma Mom when she was a teenager to see how they compare.
–Lynn Arnold Brown, granddaughter, 18 Mar 2007
Marriage and Family
We lived in a small house on Granddad Brooks’ farm. Later, three more rooms were added, also a front porch and a screened in back porch. Mom was so happy with her three girls and did all she could to give us an enjoyable life. I remember when we were small she told us a lot of stories and played games with us.
Mom was a very busy lady, doing all the housework, cooking, and laundry. She even made her own soap. She also had a garden every year and grew all of the vegetables for us to eat. Some she canned to have in the winter; others were dried. She also canned fruit and dried apples. She made a lot of strawberry and blackberry jam. Her cakes, pies, and cobblers were great. She made the best boiled custard that was delicious with her famous jam cake.
Mom took us to Sunday School and church every Sunday. We walked most Sundays—so did all who lived down our country road. Then we went home for a big Sunday dinner that she had cooked before we went to church.
I can remember Mom sitting at the sewing machine for hours making dresses for us to wear. A lot of them she designed and some were made with patterns. They all were so pretty. I was so proud to wear them. She also crocheted beautiful collars for gifts—usually given to high school graduates. After she retired, she made a collar for me which I still have.
When it came time for me to go to school, most days we had to walk. Mom usually walked with us, spending the day in town with relatives, then walking home with us in the afternoon. She always helped me with my homework. I remember once when she was giving me my words for a spelling test, she had me spell the word “scissors” several times. She said most kids left off the second s. Well the test was a spelling bee, and I won with the word scissors. Thanks, Mom!
When I had diphtheria, Mom took very good care of me for several nights. She never got any sleep. I recovered and remained healthy all my life from the excellent care she gave me.
Thank you, Lord, for giving me the mother you did. I remember her being kind, loving, and caring—also pinching me in church when I talked.
–Mary Brooks Brown, daughter, Jun 2007
Looking back on Mom’s life, I realize that being a single parent with three young daughters had to be a very difficult task, but she handled it with a lot of love and laughter. I have many favorite and fun memories of her. One of the earliest is from when we lived in Buffalo, Kentucky. A well was being dug behind our house. There was a large, open hole with a few feet of water in the bottom. Mom was talking with one of our aunts in the front yard. Mary and I decided to play a joke on her. We drew a bucket of water from the well and let it fall back into the water with a loud splash. My memory is that Mary hid, and I yelled to Mom to come quick, that Mary had fallen into the well. Mom and my aunt ran to the back yard, and I saw that she was very upset. At the same time Mary came running from behind the house as we laughed at our little joke. Mom was not laughing, and we were in trouble. When we realized what we had done, we felt bad that we had upset her.
–Doris Brooks Arnold, daughter, 21 May 2007
Aunt Ruth and Aunt Louise were good buddies. They lived across the field from one another, and they visited a lot. They would tease me. Since I had such curly, kinky hair, Aunt Ruth would say, “Look at him…he looks like a girl. Let’s put a dress on him!” Louise was also a good friend of my mother’s.
–William Thomas Brooks, Jr., nephew, 2 Nov 2006
Mom didn’t get the opportunity to finish high school because she was a mother, but when Doris and I were in school, she went back, finished school, and got her diploma.
–Mary Brooks Brown, daughter, 1 Feb 2007
When I was a toddler and my mother (Sara) used to hold me, she often recited a little verse while she gently touched the different parts of my face. I enjoyed that little verse because it always ended with a giggle. My mother first heard that verse when she was a little girl because her mother (Louise) used to recite it to her. In turn, I recited it on many occasions to all three of my own children when they were little. We aren’t sure how long this verse has been in our family because it’s possible that it was started long before Louise. But we do know that it has been passed down and enjoyed by at least four generations. This is the verse and the actions that go with it:
Forehead-Bumper (run your fingers across the child’s forehead)
Eye-Winker (touch one eye)
Tom-Tinker (touch the other eye)
Nose-Smeller (touch the tip of the nose)
Mouth-Eater (touch the lips)
Chin-Chopper (touch the chin)
Gully-Gully-Hopper (tickle the child under their chin)
—Laura Lowe Jones, granddaughter, 13 May 2007
My mother used to tell me the following story when I was a child. It was my favorite story, and I will never forget how every time it made me so mad to hear how out of control and mean those two foxes were. I have told this story to my own children and grandchildren, but have never seen it in any children’s books or come across anyone else who had ever heard it. I am wondering if my mother could have made it up herself. In any event, it is now written down for posterity.
—Sara Elizabeth Brooks, daughter, 3 Mar 2007
The Little Hen and the Two Foxes
Once upon a time, there was a little red bantam hen who lived in a very pretty little house. She took very good care of her little house and was especially proud of a pretty little set of dishes that she kept on display.
There happened to be two wicked foxes who lived on the top of a hill not very far from the little hen. More than anything the foxes wanted to catch the little hen and eat her. They had tried many times in the past and could never do it.
One morning, one of the foxes said to the other, “Brother Fox, I have a plan to catch the little red hen so that we can cook and eat her. I will go down to her house and grab her. Then I will put her in a sack and carry her back here. You should put a big pot of water on the stove and have the water boiling and ready when I get back. Then we’ll dump her out of the sack into the boiling water and cook her and eat her.”
Brother Fox agreed to the plan and the first fox took his sack and headed down the hill toward the little red hen’s pretty little house. When he got there, he knocked on the door. The little hen knew the foxes wanted to catch her and was too afraid to open the door. She bent down and looked under the door and saw the feet of the fox. When the fox started to pound on the door, the little red hen got so scared that she flew to the top of the rafters. The fox finally broke down the door and came into the little red hen’s pretty little house. When he saw she was sitting up on the rafters where he could not reach her, he got very mad and started to break her things and throw things at her to make her come down. He threw all of her pretty little dishes at her and broke every one of them. (This is the place where I got the maddest.)
The old fox yelled at the little red hen to come down. She was terrified and very sad to have all of her treasures broken, but she stayed in the rafters. Then the fox thought of another way to make the little hen come down. He stood in the middle of the floor and started to chase his tail. He spun around and around. The little hen watched him as he went faster and faster. It made her dizzy and finally she fell out of the rafters and on the floor. The mean old fox grabbed her right away and stuck her into his big cloth sack. Then he put the sack over his shoulder and started back up the hill thinking about what a good dinner he and Brother Fox would have that night.
The fox got about half way up the hill and began to get tired from carrying the sack with the hen in it. He said to himself, “I think I had better sit down under this tree for a while and rest. This little red hen is heavier than I thought she would be.”
He sat down under the tree and soon fell asleep. The hen was almost too scared to move but she felt in the pocket of her apron and pulled out a little pair of scissors that she had been using to sew. She cut a tiny hole in the sack and peeped out to see what was happening. She saw that the fox was asleep and then cut a bigger hole and climbed out of the sack. Then she found some large rocks and put them in the sack. From her pocket she pulled out the needle and thread that she had been sewing with and sewed up the hole in the sack. Then she went home.
Eventually the wicked fox woke up. He picked up his sack and continued up the hill. When he got near his house, he called out, “Brother Fox, do you have the water boiling? I’ve caught the little red hen, and she sure is heavy.”
“Yes, I have the water ready, Brother. Bring her in,” said the second fox.
The two foxes took the sack to the stove, removed the lid of the big pot of boiling water and emptied the sack into the water. When the big rocks tumbled out, boiling water was splashed all over the two foxes, scalding them. After that they were not a problem to anybody.
(This last paragraph is my own addition to the story, because I think it serves justice.)
With the two foxes out of the way, the little red hen went shopping. She purchased all new things to replace her things that were broken. She even found a new set of dishes that were prettier than the first. A few days later she won the lottery and lived happily ever after.
The End
We moved to live with Mom’s parents in 1941. We went to school where my grandfather was principal. Then in 1942, we moved to Louisville, Kentucky—a very large city. Mom worked in the restaurant her brothers owned. She got me a job at Woolworths 5 & 10 cent store. I worked after school and on Saturday. Mom also worked several other places—Phlen’s Bakery, Farm Bureau Insurance office, Greyhound Bus Company office, Allen Construction, and at Mattingly Bridge Company as the payroll clerk for several years.
One of the funniest things that ever happened was when Mom’s parents bought the house in St. Matthews and we moved in. The kitchen sink was leaking, and someone said it needed a new washer. Mom’s sister was visiting and said she had seen someone fix a leaky sink before, so Mom got the washers. When they took the faucet off, we had a gusher in the kitchen. No one had told her to turn off the water in the basement. Someone went to get the man next door to help us. He moved like a snail and had to go back home for a wrench. By the time he got it fixed, water was all over the kitchen floor, and it had to be swept out the back door.
–Mary Brooks Brown, daughter, Jun 2007
I got married in 1946, and we had the wedding in my grandparents’ home. Mom planned it all. The wedding was in the living room, and the reception was in the dining room. All the relatives in Louisville were invited. Mom had a real pretty wedding cake and punch. It made me feel so special. She even had the living room decorated with fresh flowers and palm leaves.
My husband and I bought Mom her first car. Then she did not have to ride the bus to work anymore and could come to my house anytime she wanted without having to wait for me to come and get her. She picked up some of the ladies in her Sunday School class who did not drive and took them to Sunday School and church. Then she would drive them home or they all went out to eat.
–Mary Brooks Brown, daughter, Jun 2007
I remember Louise well because we spent more time with her than anybody in the family. I never knew her husband. The first I remember of her was when she was living in Louisville. She visited our house a lot. She taught me how to cut paper dolls out of a catalog, and she taught me how to can tomatoes and beans when I was young. She explained to me a lot about the family before I was born. She gave me her views about her parents and how she was brought up. She was a very outgoing person, and kind of opinionated. She played the piano very well. She always did a fair amount of volunteer work—she was concerned about other people. She volunteered to play the piano in nursing homes, and she would take Eddy (her grandson) who played the drums. They did concerts for other people.
–Katherine Dean Peterson, niece, 3 Feb 2007
My fondest memories of my mother have to do with what a good mother she was to me. She was always kind, patient, and soft-spoken; her guidance was gentle. She didn’t make up a lot of rules to follow but taught by example. If a situation arose she would just find a solution and not make a fuss about it. She had a lot of inner strength which, as a child, made me feel secure and confident. She helped me when I really needed it, but she made sure I knew at an early age how to stand on my own two feet and take care of myself. She could always be counted on to fulfill her responsibilities and commitments and seemed to thrive on hard work. She was an excellent manager with her finances to the point of performing miracles to have accomplished what she did with her small income. Her way of dealing with life’s problems was exemplary. I can’t ever remember hearing her complain about a single thing. She knew how to enjoy life, especially in her retirement years when every sight she saw was “the most beautiful she had ever seen” and every dinner was “the best she’d ever had.” She was the most completely unselfish person I’ve ever known. The truth is, I can’t think of a single thing she missed in being a good mother and a good person. I was blessed to have had her.
—Sara Elizabeth Brooks, daughter, Mother’s Day, 13 May 2007
Later Life
Mom became a grandmother in 1951 and again in 1954. Ed was the first grandchild and Rob the second. She was known as Mom Brooks to them. Mom thought she was too young to be a grandmother. She later had six more grandchildren whom my sisters blessed her with. Mom would shop and shop to find gifts for them that she thought would make them so happy.
–Mary Brooks Brown, daughter, Jun 2007
One of my oldest memories of Mom Brooks or Mom, as we first called her, was the way she signed greeting cards to me and my brother. Since we were too young to read, she would always draw a stick man along with her name so we would know the card was from her.
When my brother and I were small, we liked to answer the phone. If it was Mom Brooks, we would yell, “Chicken Blood” to her on the phone. She would pretend she could not stand to hear it and say, “Oh, please stop.” Of course this made us laugh and say it even more.
Whenever we visited her home, it seemed there was always a fried chicken dinner. One piece of chicken was always the wishbone or pully bone, as we called it. When we had eaten that piece, we would pull the wishbone and whoever got the biggest piece of bone would get a wish. Sometimes at her home we would play canasta with her and her lady friends. They didn’t like it when we beat them since we were kids.
When she visited our home, my brother and I would always get a back rub “adjustment,” as she called it. These were a treat. Also when visiting, she was up early, dressed with her heeled shoes on and would “click-click” all over the house and wake us. We got her some soft house shoes and told her to wear those in the morning.
At about 9 or 10 years old, I was playing in the backyard when I fell over a metal tent stake and cut my knee badly. My mother said I needed stitches, and I was scared to death. My dad and Mom Brooks looked at it and said to just bandage it. The vote was 2 to 1. Whew!!!!!!
Two memorable gifts that my brother and I received from Mom Brooks were ant farms and BB rifles. The ant farms were fun until one was knocked over and all the ants got out inside the house. The BB rifles, which we got on Christmas, were not a big hit with our mother. I guess she thought we might shoot one another. I don’t think we ever did, and we loved them. I believe they are still somewhere around the house.
–James Edward Brown, grandson, Jun 2007
I always loved the “adjustments” Mom Brooks gave us—nothing like a good shoulder and back massage. However, one thing I will never forget happened when she was visiting one evening for dinner. I’m not sure of the year, but Ed and I were both teenagers. Mom Brooks was helping to set the dinner table in the kitchen. I am not sure why, but probably as an act of helpfulness, she placed the ketchup bottle on the table with the cap loosened—but still in place. Once we were all seated at the table, my brother picked up the bottle and gave it a good clockwise twisting shake—and just about emptied the bottle. Ketchup went everywhere. Unfortunately, the sliding door to the pantry was open, so each item got a shot of ketchup. My mom even found some on the inside of the light fixture over the table about a week later. I can still see the look on Ed’s face with all the ketchup on him—and the expression on my mother’s face as the ketchup covered the walls and pantry. Those expressions were priceless!
–Robert Ollin Brown, grandson, 2 Jul 2007
I met Louise about March or April, 1954, at the apartment she shared with Doris and Sara at 310 Macon Avenue, St. Matthews, Kentucky, the third or fourth time Doris and I had a date. It was the usual “size up the suitor” introduction which most young men of that era experienced when they began dating an attractive, eligible young woman. Louise was friendly, but noncommittal. At least she didn’t ask me to leave! On later dates she was friendly and interested, especially in knowing that I worked for the FBI, and was the nephew of J. P. (“Bus”) Arnold, with whom she was acquainted. He drove a Greyhound bus on the Louisville to Nashville run, and Louise was the bookkeeper at the Greyhound office.
As Doris and I became more closely associated, I frequently went to the apartment on Sunday evenings to watch the Ed Sullivan Show, What’s My Line, and Wyatt Earp shows. Louise would usually sit in the living room with us for an hour or so, and then retire to her bedroom. I recall that on one occasion she mentioned that the kitchen water faucet was dripping, and I told her I would fix it. I think she was impressed when, a few days later, I came by the apartment, tools in hand, and made the repair. On another occasion I endeared myself to her when I rewired a bedroom lamp for her.
Doris and I continued dating, I began to pick her up on Friday evenings at 6:00 pm when the Farmers’ and Depositors’ bank, where we met, and where she continued as a teller, closed for the day. We went to the Cape Codder fish restaurant at Cannon’s Lane and Frankfurt Avenue, where we ordered Boston scrod, french fries, onion rings, and hush puppies for dinner. On summer evenings we took the food to Cherokee Park to eat. We occasionally got food for four, and took the two Louises with us—my mother, Louise, and Louise Brooks.
After Doris and I dated for more than a year, Louise took a new job as bookkeeper at Eline Chevrolet, on Shelbyville Road near Hubbard’s Lane in St. Matthews. One day I stopped for lunch at Pryor’s Restaurant, next door to Eline’s, as I was on the way home from morning classes at the University of Louisville. I was surprised to see Louise having lunch there with a woman friend, and stopped to talk with her. I had lunch there with her occasionally until I finished law school.
After graduation I entered the US Army, and was assigned to Germany. I came home in December, 1956, and Doris and I were married on January 5, 1957, a week before I had to report to Brooklyn for deployment to Germany. We drove to New York for a weekend, and Doris drove back to Louisville while I flew to Germany. I acquired an apartment for us, and she came to Germany on March 17, 1957. Before departure, she sold her car, and gave my car to Louise to drive while we were in Germany. When we returned home in August 1958, she gave me a detailed list of all the service she had performed on the car while she used it.
Beth was born October 4, 1958. We were living with her in St. Matthews, and after Beth’s arrival we rented our own apartment in Louisville. It was very traumatic for Louise when we moved to our own place, and she cried as we left.
After my appointment as a Special Agent with the FBI in 1959 we were transferred to Minneapolis. Louise was an avid traveler, and she came to visit us in 1960. By this time Lynn had arrived, and she was introduced to a new granddaughter.
We were transferred to Los Angeles in 1961, and Louise visited us there several times. Once she came with her sister, Edna, and once by herself. We returned to Louisville for a visit in 1965, the only time we drove there during our stay in LA. By that time we had added Michael and Martha to our family, and she was very pleased with all the grandchildren.
–Charles Kenneth Arnold, son-in-law, 2 Jul 2007
One word comes to mind when I think of Grandma Mom: sweet. My earliest memories are from when we visited Louisville when I was probably seven years old. She lived in a one-bedroom apartment on Fairfax Avenue that was a two-story brick building with three other apartments. I remember her bathroom had pink tiles and towels and pink Dove soap and she always smelled good. She also had a nice sun porch that over looked a lawn out back. She had lots of nice plates and glass serving dishes and a piano in her living room. She also had a basement where she washed her clothes and there was a manual clothes wringer too. On this visit, Grandma Mom took me to Mama Peterson’s house. She was so old. I remember that she had these fudge crème cookies in the refrigerator crisper for us but they were wet from condensation and Grandma Mom took them and threw them away back at her apartment. I remember being disappointed about that.
–Mary Elizabeth Arnold, granddaughter, 28 May 2007
I can remember one time when Mom Brooks was pulled over by the police on the Waterson Expressway for driving too slow in the fast lane. She told them the other lanes were not level and she could not drive there and that she knew what she was talking about because she worked for a company that built highways.
I can also remember Mom Brooks putting embroidery around the bottoms of the legs of some of my bell-bottomed jeans in the 1960’s.
–James Edward Brown, grandson, Jun 2007
Mom really enjoyed traveling to the places where Kenneth and I lived. She wasn’t able to come to Germany while we were there, but she visited us at Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Anchorage, and San Francisco.
Mom and Edna came to our home in West Covina. They wanted to go to Disneyland, and I drove them there one morning, and picked them up late in the afternoon. They were amazed at the rides and other attractions. They also visited Knott’s Berry Farm and were like a couple of teenagers.
On one of her visits to Los Angeles, Sara’s family lived in Huntington Beach. It was Easter time and we all met her at the airport where we greeted her with flowers. She, in turn, out of a heavy carry-on bag removed a one-pound bag of jellybeans for each of the six grandchildren.
We lived in Springfield, Virginia two times, and Mom came for visits during both of our stays. It was our pleasure to take her to the White House, Capitol, the FBI Building and Mount Vernon. They were places she never thought she would see, and she enjoyed every minute. It gave her a lot of bragging rights with her Sunday School class, which was a very important part of her life. She even had Kenneth come to the class on our return from Germany and give them a slide show of the places we visited in Europe during our US Army tour of duty.
–Doris Brooks Arnold, daughter, 21 May 2007
One year Mom Brooks came out to visit us in California, and all of us, including the Arnolds, had gathered at our house one afternoon. Mom Brooks was having one of her coughing spells that day. She had had this cough for a long time and had been to the doctor for it, but it continued to bother her on occasion. Beth suddenly announced, “We need to make you a cough syrup! Aunt Sara, can we make a cough syrup for Grandma Mom?” I watched in amazement as Beth, who was about twelve, proceeded to gather all of the necessary ingredients for the cough syrup from within our kitchen. She mixed a little bit of this and a little bit of that until the cough syrup was just right. She then administered the appropriate dose to Mom Brooks, who really did stop coughing. I continued to watch in amazement as Mom Brooks insisted that Beth’s cough syrup was better than anything else given to her by a doctor. Problem solved!
—Laura Lowe Jones, granddaughter, 20 Apr 2007
During the summer of 1971, my mother, my sister Linda, and I drove from California out to Kentucky and visited with Mom Brooks for about two months. I was nine years old at the time. We stayed busy the whole summer and had a great time. We visited with Aunt Mary, Uncle Gratz, Ed, and Rob on several occasions, and Mary cooked some delicious meals for us. We also went to Mammoth Cave and to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace. One day Uncle Gratz and Ed took Linda and me to the Kentucky State Fair. Uncle Gratz won us lots of prizes. I also remember visiting Mama Peterson in the nursing home, and I’m really glad that I had that opportunity to meet her because she died the following year.
One of the fondest memories I have from that summer is sitting with Mom Brooks on her back porch on several different occasions. She had suggested that I write a vacation journal about our trip across the country and our experiences there in Kentucky. As the two of us sat together on that porch, we talked about the trip and all of the things we had done together. She would make suggestions about what I should write in my vacation journal. Several days later we would sit together on the porch again, and I would continue writing in the journal as she continued to give me suggestions on what to write. When we finished the vacation journal, it was eight pages long, and I was very proud of it.
I still have that vacation journal. The cover of the journal is made out of blue fabric with white and yellow daisies on it, so it sort of stands out. Every time I see that journal, I am immediately reminded of the pleasant time I spent with Mom Brooks on her back porch. It serves as a tangible reminder of what a wonderful grandmother she was!
—Laura Lowe Jones, granddaughter, 2 May 2007
I remember Grandma Mom and Edna coming to visit us in West Covina. She was so sweet. I remember her saying “Lordy” whenever we did something silly or funny. She always had Dentyne gum on hand to quiet her cough.
Another time when we visited Louisville, I must have been 13 then because we stopped there en route to moving to Washington D.C., there was a big thunder storm and her basement filled up with water and it was a mess. Luckily my Dad was there to help get the basement pumped out. On that trip I remember she had lots of canned vegetables and strawberry jam. She gave Martha a spoonful of beet juice that was just awful! She loved to grow things and even leased a garden. She was an excellent cook and made the best fried chicken. She also liked to crochet. I have a doll blanket she made me with lots of different colors trimmed in black. She gave me a lot of nice birthday and Christmas gifts over the years: a leather purse with a cool metal cross on it, a Bible, a little jewelry box. We also exchanged letters over the years. She would tell me about her neighbors and our relatives in Louisville. She frequently had funny stories to tell about her sister Myrtle. She also wrote about a neighbor, Ms. Imes.
–Mary Elizabeth Arnold, granddaughter, 28 May 2007
This incident happened when my mother was visiting us in southern California. We lived near the beach, and it was a common sight to see a teen age boy riding his bicycle pulling his surf board behind on a little set of wheels, with his towels, wet suit, jacket, etc. piled on the surf board. In Kentucky where my mother lived most of her life, nothing of the sort would ever have been seen. One day during the visit, we had gone out in the car and saw a boy returning from the beach. When we got home Mom asked me, “Where was that boy going with an ironing board and laundry on the back of his bicycle?”
—Sara Elizabeth Brooks, daughter, 3 Mar 2007
When I was in the fifth grade, my teacher, Mrs. Davis, once held a math contest between the students in her class and their parents. The student and his or her parent went up to the chalkboard at the same time, and Mrs. Davis would give them a math problem—usually long division. Many of the students could solve the problem quicker than their parents. Since my mom had to work and Mom Brooks was staying with us at the time, I asked Mrs. Davis if my grandmother could come. I remember being worried that Mom Brooks would let me win just because she was a sweet grandmother. I told her several times that I wanted her to try her hardest to beat me, but I was in for a surprise on the day of the contest. Even though I was one of the best math students in my class, I couldn’t beat my grandmother at one problem. She could solve those long division problems in about five seconds! I’m sure the other parents must have been impressed. Mom Brooks had worked as a bookkeeper for many years, and her father had taught mathematics for half a century. Numbers are in our blood!
—Laura Lowe Jones, granddaughter, 15 Aug 1997
During the second year of our marriage just after we had moved into our first house, Mom Brooks, Mary and Gloria came out to see us in Virginia. We had a great time touring downtown D.C., the White House and other places that even I hadn’t been to yet. One day we were relaxing on the front porch of our little house and Mom Brooks went inside to rest for awhile. When she came out some time later she told us she had “fixed things” in the kitchen. Later I realized that she had totally rearranged all the kitchen drawers! It took me a long time to sort everything out after they all went back to Kentucky!
I think my fondest memories of her are when we were sitting around the kitchen table at Mary’s house drinking iced tea and just having a good chat!
–Linda Marschinke Brown, granddaughter-in-law, 2 Jul 2007
We were transferred to Washington in 1972, and stopped in Louisville on our way there that August. We stayed at my mother’s house, and Louise was a frequent visitor during the week. She also visited us while we lived in Springfield, Virginia, near Washington. She thoroughly enjoyed being taken to the historic sites of the District and surrounding area. She was interested in everything there.
After our transfer to Las Vegas in 1975, Louise came there one time. I believe she was both interested and repelled by what she saw, with the casinos, gambling, and the interesting desert landscape which was completely new to her. We returned to Washington in 1978, and she again visited us.
I think her most ambitious trip was the one to Anchorage after our move to Alaska. She thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, the scenery, and the interesting people. By this time Doris and I could see that her movement had slowed noticeably, and that she was not as active as she had been.
–Charles Kenneth Arnold, son-in-law, 2 Jul 2007
Letter from Louise to her granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth Arnold
9-22-77 Sunday morning
Dear Beth,
I have been so busy, just doing everything. Soon as I get my work with Trinity High School caught up with, I will be in better shape. Today I went over to THS to get some of the work—I saw the book store that Dickie is taking care of. He sure has lots to do. The weather is much too warm here, almost 88 degrees—but we are forecast rain for tomorrow.
9-28-77
Six days later I am back on this letter—maybe, I will get it finished and in the mail. Monday, Mary Rogers & I went over to Star Light, Indiana to the Stumler Orchards. We saw in the paper where they had tomatoes (if you pick them yourself) for $3.00 per bushel so we picked—I got one bushel and Mary Rogers, three. We made tomato juice—I had eleven quarts and Mary made thirty-five. If you all were close by I would give it to your Mom. I already had some that I made from my garden.
10-1-77
I worked at Mary Rogers yesterday; in fact I worked one and a half days. So now I am back with Dickie’s books. I really do enjoy the book store work—and Dickie is so nice. I got up so early this morning and it is very quiet here. Tuesday, Oct 4 will be your B-day. You will be 19. I hope you have a nice B-day. Well, since I got up this morning we have had two big storms—thunder, lightning, wind and a down pour of rain. I will be glad when it is over. I am baking a Lemon Supreme Cake, it is almost done. I am going to put lemon glaze on it. Should be good. I am going to bake a Fischer hamlet—then I will have some things to eat for next week—when I get busy—won’t have to cook. I am going out this afternoon to buy me a new dress—I would much rather buy a pant suit—but I need the dress to wear to S.S. & Church. Well, I must get this letter in the mail.
Love, Grandma Mom
Louise was a good gardener. During the war she had a Victory garden. She raised good stuff, and canned some of it, too. I was fond of Louise. She was a good-natured person. Louise liked St. Matthews, and she loved the Baptist Church there and their Sunday School. I had a car that Louise wanted. It was a green Oldsmobile. So I brought it up from Florida and she bought it and loved it. Up until she had the strokes, we used to go to lunch together. Sometimes we went to Mary’s to eat. After Louise moved to the nursing home, I would go over there a lot and pick her up. We would drive around and sometimes get ice cream.
–Edna Kathrine Peterson, sister
When I was 13 years old, I spent the better part of summer in Louisville and stayed at Mom Brooks’ apartment on several occasions. I remember the pretty pink bathroom the most (amazed that every single item in that bathroom was pink) and a very well kept home. One day, Mom Brooks took me to her garden that was a short distance from her home and she picked beautiful fresh vegetables and put them in a basket. She showed me the most prized vegetables of the crop and told me it was her intention to give the best ones to her friends and neighbors, keeping the not so pretty ones for herself. That was a great life lesson for her to pass on to me, and from that point forward, I try to use it myself.
–Linda Lowe Ryberg, granddaughter, 13 May 2007
Grandma Mom, as we called her, visited us in Las Vegas around 1978. I was 14 years old. She brought some of her home made canned vegetables. She loved her beets and insisted I drink some of the beet pickle juice. I tried to refuse, but she came at me with a spoonful of the beet juice. I did not want her to feel bad so I tried it. YUCK!! It was like drinking a tablespoon of vinegar; I coughed and hacked for an hour! I could not look at a beet for the next 30 years. I am glad to report I now love beets and think of her sweet face every time I bite into one. However, I have never drunk the juice again!
–Martha Arnold Bayer, granddaughter, 16 Apr 2007
When Mom retired, I spent a lot of time with her taking her to see relatives, out to eat, and shopping. One day she wanted to drive out to River Road to see the Ohio River. It had been flooded and she wanted to see it. It was a cool day, so I turned on the heater in the car, and she got warm and went to sleep. She didn’t wake up until we got back to her apartment and I turned the car engine off. She said to me when she woke up, “Well, aren’t we going?” I told her that we had been. She wasn’t too happy as she had missed it, so I quickly said, “Let’s go get something to eat.” She liked to eat out. Then I took her to get some buttermilk. That was one of her favorite drinks. I always got her two quarts, and by night she had drank one of them.
In her later years, Mom took piano lessons. She had been taught to play the piano. Her mother was a music teacher. One Christmas I gave her a candelabra and told her to set it on her piano and to pretend she was Liberace when she played the piano. Well she didn’t like that (even though she really liked his music) and told me to take it back and get her some clothes. I did.
–Mary Brooks Brown, daughter, Jun 2007
Grandma Mom was classy. She loved to wear navy blue and red and usually wore a pant suit with a nice scarf. And she always had a hand bag and wore high heels. She had a wonderful laugh. She would say that we “tickled her to death” with our antics when she visited and that would make her cough. She came to Virginia with Edna in 1983 for Lynn’s wedding and we had a lot of laughs.
–Mary Elizabeth Arnold, granddaughter, 28 May 2007
My husband John and I made a visit to Kentucky some time during the mid 80’s. I don’t remember the reason we were in Kentucky, but my mom was also there, staying with Aunt Mary. John and I stayed with Grandma Mom. One afternoon we were to meet up with everyone, I believe at Aunt Mary’s house. As we got ready to leave Grandma Mom’s apartment, she gave John the keys and asked him to drive. Grandma Mom had a souped up sports car of some sort that had probably never seen 60 mph. John drove with Grandma Mom in the front seat and me in the back. As we were traveling along, the light ahead turned yellow. I could read John’s mind. “I’m just going to go through this yellow light. No, I’d better not since Lynn’s grandma is in the car.” So, John tapped the breaks. As he did this, the car came to an almost immediate stop, throwing all of us forward toward the windshield. With this jolt, Grandma Mom exclaimed, “Oh my gosh!” So, John let off the break. This resulted in all of our heads being whiplashed to the back of the car, and another “Oh my gosh!” Not wanting to go through the light, John applied the brakes once more, causing a final “Oh my gosh!” throw of us forward before finally coming to a safe and complete stop before the intersection. After stopping, John looked in the rear view mirror with a look as if to say, “You know I should have just gone through the yellow light.” As soon as we got to Aunt Mary’s, Grandma Mom slapped the car keys in my mom’s hand and said, “That man will not drive my car again!”
–Lynn Arnold Brown, granddaughter, 18 Mar 2007
The thing I remember the most about Mom Brooks is how she fattened up Sara’s dog, Dusty by slipping him cookies all the time. She also liked to talk about her Reverend Tuck, so every time I saw her, I always said, “How’s Reverend Tuck?” Mom Brooks made the best fried chicken, and Sara’s is the second best!
—Jeffrey Guy Jones, grandson-in-law, 1 Jul 2007
Mom came to Anchorage while we lived in Alaska. I was working at the time, and she stayed at our home on most days. One day there was an earthquake that was strong enough that I called to see if she was OK. She was very upset, and said the center wooden beam in our cathedral ceiling made noises, and she thought it was going to fall. She wanted to hang up the phone and get back into the closet.
She came often while we were in San Francisco, and especially liked to go to the beach to watch the ocean. We would take off our shoes and walk in the sand. One day we found a lot of sand dollars and she collected enough for each of her Sunday School classmates. We soaked them in bleach water, which made them white and pretty, and she enjoyed taking them for the class.
The last time Mom visited us was when we were in San Francisco. Because she enjoyed the ocean so much, we left early for the airport and stopped at an overlook so she could see the water again. While standing on the bluff, we suddenly realized that we were covered with a swarm of ladybugs. It was a thrilling sight to see, but they bit us, so we brushed them off and went on our way to the airport.
–Doris Brooks Arnold, daughter, 21 May 2007
When I retired from the FBI and we moved to San Francisco in 1982, Louise had new territory to experience, and she was enchanted. She always enjoyed driving the mile from our home to the ocean, and sitting there just watching the water. She came to see us several times while we were there.
As we returned to Louisville for visits, we could see that she was noticeably slower and should not be driving. It was left to Mary to arrange taking the car away. Louise visited us one last time in San Francisco on her own, and had a small memory episode that made us concerned about her returning to Louisville because she had to make a plane change enroute.
We returned to Louisville to celebrate Louise’s 80th birthday party in 1987. She enjoyed it, but thought we made too much of the event. I still recall the look on her face when she saw the sign in front of the Ramada Inn which read “Happy 80th Louise Brooks.”
–Charles Kenneth Arnold, son-in-law, 2 Jul 2007
Letters from Louise to her granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth Arnold
9-86
To: Beth
Well, I hear that you bought a Baby Grand Piano. Isn’t that wonderful. Beth how lucky you are. I just love piano music. If I had the time, I would practice all the time. You should start taking music lessons. I know you would like it. I am almost finished in my garden. I was out there yesterday and got a few things: tomatoes, okra. I have some late green beans. They are blooming, also some purple top turnips. I have a row and one half of sweet potatoes. I dug up some of them—just in one place and they were so nice—just beautiful. I have really had good luck with everything I planted except the tomatoes. They did not do too well. We had a lot of dry weather about that time and I will say that did it.
Tuesday 9-86
Well, I am up early—I am waiting for the paper boy to come—I take the Courier Journal and Sunday paper. I really do enjoy the newspaper. However, I read some things that are very distressing and ugly. We all have such a beautiful world to live in—I don’t know why we can’t do right. Well, I have some more letters to write, so I must write those and keep up on my correspondence.
Love to you,
Mom Brooks
10-1-86
To: Beth
I was so glad to get your nice letter and glad you all enjoyed the relish. I think it is very good. I got the recipe out of Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. I made only a small amount. Last year I made lots of it. Everyone likes it so much. You should see how much Mary made. The big round table she has was full of jars of relish. The name of it is—Bread & Butter Pickle. She told me the recipe for it was in a cook book you had. I will ask her which one before I close this letter. I am almost finished in the garden. I have a row of sweet potatoes to dig. I will probably get my brother (Todd) to do that for me. I have never had sweet potatoes. I am sure they will be good. If I was close to you, I would give you some. Beth, I hear you are enjoying the piano.
10-6-86
Well, I am back on this letter; I also have the washer going. I don’t have much but I want to get it washed and put away. It is still dark outside. I am supposed to go to the garden again today—but I have to go to the Dentist.
10-29-86
Well, Beth I am back on this letter again. I seem to be much better. I sure hope so. I was really acting crazy there for awhile—just things that were not like me at all. I have to go back to Dr. Holmes again, also back to Methodist Hospital for more tests, but I don’t care as I sure want to get things straightened out.
10-30-86
Beth, I was so glad to get your letter, also the pictures—all of you are just so fine looking. I feel like I haven’t seen Lynn and John & Michael for ever. I think I saw Martha some place—I don’t remember where. I wish you all could see Ed. He looks like six million dollars—he is doing so well with his business—just great. He is so good looking. I must get this in the mail. Take care and don’t work too hard. Thanks again for your letter. Write again when you have time. Thanks for the pictures—you all—every one of you look like millionaires. The whole family is so good looking. I am really going to show those pictures off.
Love to you,
Grandma Mom
March 1987
To: Beth
Thanks so much for the lovely card. You are just the best ever. I know you are having a great time. I am trying to house clean, but this apt. is so small and I have so much in it—kinda hard to clean. The weather is getting warmer here—am I glad. However, we haven’t had too much cold weather. This year. I am going to get me another garden this year. I really enjoy it. Also, the people. Edna is in Florida, but she is kinda sick, has something wrong with her ear, but I think she is better. I am having some work done on my car, not much. It kinda makes a noise that I don’t like to hear. Everyone says it is a good car. It is a 1972 Cutlass Olds with 31,000 miles on it; I keep it as clean as a pin. I bought it from Edna. She bought her a new car. I forgot what kind it is; she doesn’t like it too much.
I am watching a Basket Ball game, Georgia & Mississippi, so far close game, one point—it is tournament time. I really do like to watch the B.B. games. Some of the colored boys are really good. They are better than the white. If I don’t stop watching this game, I will never get this letter written. Beth you have a good time. I really do like to hear from you all. I bet you are a big Basket Ball fan.
Love to you,
Grandma Mom
My Memories of Grandma Mom: Family, Funny, Faith, Fried Chicken, and Vinegar.
Although we didn’t see Grandma Mom on a regular basis growing up because of the distance between us in Los Angeles, northern Virginia, or Las Vegas, and her in Louisville, these five words characterize many of my memories of her.
Family. Even though the visits weren’t frequent, Grandma Mom was always one of our family. I remember her being very comfortable whenever we were all together. She was supportive and quick to compliment—“You are so handsome,” to me or “You are so pretty” to my sisters, and “You are so smart” when we talked about our homework. She made me feel good to be her grandson.
Funny. I remember Grandma Mom having a twinkle in her eye, a ready laugh, and a funny story, matched with what were, to me, equally funny Kentucky expressions. Some I still use with my own family. One of my favorites, which she used to characterize not-so-pleasant behavior or words from others is “Why, that’s just as ugly as sin.” After a visit to their home a few years ago, relatives Billy and Dixie Brooks sent me a tape by Carl Hurley—a Kentucky humorist. Many of his tales remind me of the sense of humor I remember in Grandma Mom.
Faith. The first Bible that I can recall receiving was a gift from Grandma Mom—a bright red revised standard version given to me in September of 1970, when I was only 8. I remember using it in the races to find Bible verses that were part of the Baptist Church Sunday School in West Covina, California that we sometimes attended with my mom. The teacher would call out a verse and the kids would race to find it in their Bibles. I still have and cherish that Bible.
Fried Chicken. I have always thought that my mother’s fried chicken is the best on earth. It puts Colonel Sanders to shame. Little did I know that my mother’s talents were part of a tradition handed down from her mother. I don’t remember the year, but during one of our visits to Kentucky, Grandma Mom made us fried chicken. It tasted exactly like my mothers. Exactly. Just as delicious and crispy. I rarely eat fried chicken anymore because no one else prepares it nearly as well. However, whenever I pass it up, I think of my mom and Grandma Mom and their wonderful fried chicken.
Vinegar. Unfortunately, not all of Grandma Mom’s food tastes were quite so good. I too remember the pickled beet juice episode relayed by my sister Martha (the victim of the beet juice). Unlike Martha, I still don’t particularly care for beets. But I do recall that story often and fondly because I realize that Grandma Mom’s taste still runs in the family whenever I watch my son Timothy enjoying one of his favorite treats—a sip or two of pickle juice.
–Michael Alan Arnold, grandson, 1 Jul 2007
We came to Louisville to celebrate Mom’s 80th birthday with a reception for our family and her friends, particularly her Sunday School class. Mom spent her last days at Meadow View Nursing Home where she enjoyed serving coffee each morning to those who were not able to serve themselves. She caused quite a stir when, sitting in the lobby with some fellow residents, one of the ladies seemed to lose consciousness. The nurses were called, but when there was no prompt response, Mom went to her room and called 911. We thought it was the perfect thing for her to do. She handled things!
–Doris Brooks Arnold, daughter, 21 May 2007
When Mom started having mini strokes at age 80, her doctor said she should go live in a nursing home so she would be used to the surroundings when she got bad. Her former Sunday School teacher was at Meadowview, so that was where Mom wanted to go. She soon thought she worked there. Mom was a very caring person, and when she saw residents who needed help, she took it upon herself to see that they got it. One man needed some shoes. She kept telling them at the office until he got the shoes. One lady at her table was reading the paper with a magnifying glass. Mom called the Lions Eye Club and told them, but she didn’t know the address where she was. They traced the call and got her some glasses. One night a resident was yelling, “Help!” Someone said, “Why doesn’t somebody call 911.” Mom did, and again, she didn’t know the address, but they traced the call, and help came.
–Mary Brooks Brown, daughter, Jun 2007
On a business trip to Louisville in the late eighties I had a chance to visit Grandma Mom when she lived at Meadowview. She still was very classy and had a lot of friends who were not able to get around who she helped.
–Mary Elizabeth Arnold, granddaughter, 28 May 2007
Mom is lucky to have a good and pretty place to live. Her room is close to the nurse’s station and looks great with the pink curtains and bedspread that your Mom, Doris, and I got for her. I talk with her on the phone a lot—any problem she has, she immediately calls me, usually I can get her satisfied on the phone or tell her not to worry that I will take care of it. I sure am glad that your Mom is coming Labor Day weekend. When I told Mom Brooks she was so happy. I keep reminding her that Sara is coming soon. I think Mom still thinks of Sara as her little girl. When Doris told Mom how old she was (Doris) Mom said, “You can’t be.” Then Mom said, “Kenny won’t have you, will he?” We all had a good laugh over that. The funniest thing she has said was to Uncle Raymond’s second wife. She was here visiting Mom. Mom kept looking at her and said, “I can’t figure out who you look like—you don’t look like Raymond or Mildred (his first wife). Mom thought she was their daughter—glad I was there to sort of smooth things over. Dinah (his second wife) was speechless.
–Mary Brooks Brown, in a letter to her niece Laura Jones, 18 Jul 1990
Mom is getting along fine. She calls every day or two with a minor problem which I tell her how to take care of. One afternoon she called and said she didn’t like the lunch they had and she was hungry. They have food machines in the nurses break room. I told Mom to go get Bill Nichols (he could help her) and tell him she wanted to get something out of the machines and to get a coke, too. She did and she was satisfied. Mom had money in her purse to use. They have a new dietician who started Saturday, so maybe their menu will improve—but I don’t see how, as every time I have been there the food was OK. I asked Mom what they had that day and she couldn’t remember—just an hour or less after lunch. Anyway, Mom was pleased.
–Mary Brooks Brown, in a letter to her sister Sara Brooks, 1 Jul 1990
Whenever I visited Mom Brooks when she lived in Meadowview, she would always remember me.
–James Edward Brown, grandson, Jun 2007
Mom passed away March 9, 1992, and I still miss her. She was wonderful.
–Doris Brooks Arnold, daughter, 21 May 2007
This has been a busy week. I had to take a last minute trip to Kentucky because my grandmother, Louise Brooks, passed away on Monday, March 9th. Mom and I flew together to go to the funeral and to help Aunt Mary and Aunt Doris take care of everything. The funeral was just exactly the way that Mom Brooks would have wanted it. There were about 50 pink roses on her casket. There was another arrangement of flowers from the grandchildren (pink carnations and a pink bow). One of the ribbons said, “Mom Brooks,” and one said “Grandma Mom.” Aunt Mary gave me the one that said Mom Brooks since that is what I called her. Inside the casket were seven pink roses—one for each great-grandchild. There were a lot of people that sent flowers, and many more that came to the funeral. We were sad to see her leave us, but we were very glad that she died peacefully without any pain.
—Laura Lowe Jones, granddaughter, journal entry dated 15 Mar 1992
In addition to being a sweet person, Grandma Mom was very strong. She never let people push her around and instilled those qualities in her daughters who passed those qualities on to their sons and daughters. She also worked very hard and taught us that value as well. I am very lucky to have had the chance to know her and believe she continues to keep an eye on all of us. Happy 100th Birthday, Grandma Mom!
–Mary Elizabeth Arnold, granddaughter, 28 May 2007
Family History Treasures 