George Brooks Sr.

WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY     (Washington County, Utah)

GEORGE BROOKS SR.

(stone mason, sheriff)

BIOGRAPHY

George Brooks Sr. was born in Flintshire, Wales on March 6, 1845. He immigrated to the United States as a young man. His mother died in Winter Quarters while enroute to the Utah Territory. His father died a few days after arriving in Salt Lake City in October of 1856. George went to live with a family named Parry who had been neighbors in Wales. Mary went to live with a family who offered her a home and Frank in the home of Jacob Butterfield in West Jordan.

Emily Cornelia Branch was born in Salt Lake City on November 10, 1855. She went by the name of Cornelia.

George and Cornelia were married in Salt Lake City on September 21, 1874.

George was a stone mason. He was sent down to St. George to help build the LDS Tabernacle and the LDS Temple.

He built a home for his family up near the Red Hill in 1877-1878 using stone chips and remnants from other stone buildings he helped build. George & Cornelia raised their large family of twelve children in this home.

Brooks served as the St. George City Marshall. He was sheriff of Washington County from September 1888 to December 1900. His son, Will Brooks, also served as sheriff from January 1927 to December 1934.

Cornelia served as Relief Society President for many years.

Cornelia died in St. George on February 10, 1929. He was buried in Plot C_28_17_4 of the St. George City Cemetery.

George died in St. George on April 26, 1930. He was buried in Plot C_28_18_6 of the St. George City Cemetery.


FAMILY

George's Parents and Siblings:
    Samuel Brooks
    Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
        Mary Elizabeth Brooks
        George Brooks
        Francis "Frank" Brooks

(4/10/1789-10/5/1856)   (married xx/xx/xxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)
(10/14/1839-8/27/1919)   (married Lester James Herrick)
(3/6/1845-4/26/1930)   (married Emily Cornelia Branch)
(xx/xx/1849-12/27/1913)

Cornelia's Parents and Siblings:
    William Henry Branch
    Emily Cornelia Atwood Branch  
        Nelson Branch
        Irvin Henry Branch
        William Henry Branch, Jr.
        Eugene Elisha Branch
        Emily Cornelia Branch
        Rosilla Polly Branch
        Candice Louisa Branch


(8/9/1820-9/19/1889)   (married 11/19/1844)
(3/1/1819-8/24/1869)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(8/23/1851-7/11/1930)   (married Hephzibah Caroline Hirst)
(8/19/1854-10/29/1906)   (married Jane Blake)
(11/10/1855-2/10/1929)   (married George Brooks Sr.)
(11/5/1858-7/19/1933)   (married Brigham James Lund)
(10/4/1860-9/27/1864)

George & Cornelia's Family:
    George Brooks Sr.
    Emily Cornelia Branch Brooks
        Emily Brooks
        Mary "May" Brooks
        Josephine Brooks
        George Brooks Jr.
        William "Will" Brooks

        Rosilla "Zill" Brooks
        Cornelia Brooks
        Samuel Brooks
        Edith Brooks
        Edward Parry Brooks
        Albert Llewellyn Brooks
        Laura Brooks


(3/6/1845-4/26/1930)   (married 9/21/1874)
(11/10/1855-2/10/1929)
(7/7/1875-8/28/1939)   (married Robert Turner Ashbyy)
(2/7/1877-10/30/1966)   (married Abner Britnel Harris)
(5/4/1878-6/7/1963)   (married John Willard Pace)
(12/21/1879-11/28/1940)   (married Flora Morris)
(4/23/1881-3/28/1970)   (married Nellie Marie Stevens
    and Juanita Leone Leavitt)
(2/6/1883-1/3/1967)   (married Alexander B Andrus)
(4/8/1884-2/1/1974)   (married Joseph Allan)
(6/10/1886-10/23/1962)   (married Winnifred Parry)
(6/26/1888-2/21/1972)   (married Heber Walter Cottam)
(4/5/1890-12/31/1979)   (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx)
(8/5/1893-4/16/1972)   (married Pauline LeMaitre)
(1/19/1895-2/16/1925)   (married Mile Romney Lund)


PHOTOS

George Brooks Sr.
George Brooks Sr.
      George & Cornelia Brooks
      WCHS-03392   George & Cornelia Brooks

Other WCHS photos:
WCHS-03393   Photo of the Geore & Cornelia Brooks family in 1901


REFERENCES

The Life of George Brooks -- Artist in Stone
Book by Juanita Brooks, 1965

FamilySearch entry for George Brooks

Find-A-Grave entry for George Brooks

Find-A-Grave entry for Emily Cornelia Branch Brooks

Find-A-Grave entry for William Henry Branch Sr.

Find-A-Grave entry for Emily Cornelia Atwood Branch