Stuart Brooks

Stuart Vander Brooks, 95, of 225 Heather Drive, Spartanburg, ceased activity in this world on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, at Spartanburg Medical Center and slipped peacefully into God's promised eternal rest united with Jesus Christ. No one knows the unrevealed secret thoughts in the mind of another and those thoughts after death remain forever hidden to the eyes and ears of those in this world. But our hidden thoughts here flash like a neon sign eternally in the mind of God who made us the instant they are conceived. He forgets only when He wills to forget. Stuart's lifelong actions and outward profession revealed confidence and trust in God's promises in Jesus Christ and not his own efforts. STUART'S STORY Stuart entered activity in this world on the 7th day of January, 1920, on the second floor of his parent's residence at 555 Saxon Ave., Spartanburg, SC, delivered by his maternal great uncle Herbert McDowell, M.D., and was the second son of the late Benjamin Vander Brooks and Joyce McDowell Brooks. He was the paternal grandson of Cornelius Bradford Brooks and Madora "Dora" Blanton Brooks and maternal grandson of Micah Stuart "M.S." McDowell and Eula Emma Willis McDowell. Stuart's beginnings on this earth witnessed the endings of an era in Spartanburg and the nation. His early years saw the old City filled with mule drawn farm wagons (A and T Model Fords too); watched blacksmiths shoeing horses in downtown buildings; observed leather craftsmen making leather horse saddles; rode in mule drawn "ice" wagons delivering block ice to residential kitchen "ice boxes"; and "endured" the fragrance of mule drawn "honey" wagons collecting "honey" from downtown residential "outhouses" as they meandered through a maze of now gone "alleys" servicing now gone "outhouses." Stuart sold the Herald or Journal (cost five cents) on downtown streets at age six (6) and felt fortunate when he made a dime on each consignment of papers (5)-his later delivery route ended at the train station (now gone), remembered by him as it is represented in a photograph in the Downtown Library Hall Gallery. He received his newspapers from Taylor Blalock. Before Stuart's birth his father made horse harnesses and was later foreman of the Spartanburg Journal Press Room. Stuart's paternal uncle Melvin Brooks was a linotype operator there and his maternal uncle Howard McDowell also worked in the Press Room. Stuart rode electrical downtown trolley cars (now gone) operated by the Spartanburg Street Railway; listened to music for a dime - paid by his mother for the kids - from "Trotting Sally's" fiddle (named "Rosalie") and remembers the musician loved to imitate birds on his fiddle; and, saw Charles Lindbergh circle the city in his "flying machine" in 1927 (The Spirit of St. Louis.) Stuart was downtown on the day of Lindbergh's parade and remembered the square with parked trolley cars also represented in a photograph in the Downtown Library Hall Gallery. He listened to Bands play from atop the popular old brick Band Stand (now gone) also on Morgan Square. He delivered the modern communications marvel-telegrams-for the Postal Telegraph on the Square (now gone) on a bicycle and played on the old cannons and cannon balls (now gone) under the watchful eyes of General Daniel Morgan's statue now relocated near its original spot at the intersection with Magnolia Street. He remembered St. John Street beside the Montgomery Building as a nasty dirt road intersecting with a street now gone named Golding and small cow pastures and fields near Converse College. An impressive memory was seeing apples piled as high as him (age 6) in the display window of the Blue Bird Ice Cream Parlor (now gone) on the Square for one cent each. He attended many a "moving picture" for less than a dime at the old, now gone, Criterion, State, Carolina, Strand, Palmetto, Capri, and Rex Theaters. He witnessed "bootleggers" (known to everybody) in "souped" up cars easily evading chasing police cars-even teasing them-in front of the Spartan Mill Community Building (now gone) on Forest Street. He traveled Wofford Street when it was just a "brick" road. It was originally a "Snake Road" for access to the old WWI Military Camp named Wadsworth (now gone) in the very general area of Camelot, Woodland Heights, Sam's, The Academy, Westgate Mall and Vanderbilt Hills. Camp Wadsworth spread in all directions on 2,000 acres to house and train over 100,000 men among 900 various buildings. When the federal minimum wage was set at twenty-five cents per hour, Stuart thought that two dollars ($2.00) per day was "good money." He was upset at the new Social Security tax of one cent per dollar. It was stealing! Stuart retired in 1982 as a machinist from Southern Railways at Hayne Shop (now gone) on the Asheville Highway after nearly thirty-five (35) years of service. During his tenure, one of his fond memories included looking after a replica of "The Best Friend of Charleston" (originally built in 1830, blew up June 17, 1831.) Replicas are now on display at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia and a sister replica retired in 2014 in a museum in Charleston. On his retirement he was given a framed representation of the train and it appears to be the one in Charleston. Initially it was to be a public relations opportunity for Southern Railway and travel the Southeast under steam power. However, the steam system could not generate sufficient steam for extended use so a V-8 motor was concealed in the huge wood box on a flat car behind the steam engine for power. The steam engine was show. Also, the wheel base had a smaller gauge from modern tracks and Stuart had to attach a rim to each wheel for general use. Other craftsmen at Hayne Shops worked on various parts of the train but the steam engine, wheels and braking system were his. Until his decease he was an active member and faithful participant in activities and services at Green Street Baptist Church (he visited his church the day after it burned in 1928-nearly ninety (90) years ago) and accumulated nearly seventy (70) years in two stints of membership. He once lived on Wolfe Street-now renamed Farley Ave.-intersecting with Green Street at the railroad tracks and he remembers the community around the Church when it boasted a Bank, Feed Store, Hardware Store, Drug Store, Grocery Store, Barber Shop, and Hot Dog Stand (all but the church now gone.) He faithfully served his country during World War II and was discharged from the United States Army on October 30, 1946, as a First Sergeant and was proud of his service as the senior non-commissioned officer of 226 enlisted men. His last military duties included serving as a part of the American Occupation Forces of Occupied Japan. Stuart was married to one lady, Geneva Wood, of Canton, NC, for forty eight (48) years. He was rigidly frugal and honest; unwittingly but sometimes painfully frank; sometimes possessed a stern countenance that seemed to stop running water and then an arched eyebrow that could freeze that water a mile away but melt into unexpected but blessed compassion-most times it did take a little while! He was usually an easy touch for helping others with time, money, or skills; and, owed no one and refused to build debt. He was steadfastly loyal to family and friends. He is survived by one brother, Herbert Elvin Brooks, Sr. of Pasadena, Maryland; and one sister, Hilda Dorothea "Dottie" Brooks Marlow of Overland Park, Kansas; two sons, Jim S. Brooks (Lisa) of Roebuck, SC, and Michael Bradford Brooks of Spartanburg; two granddaughters, Christina Paige Brooks of Roebuck, SC, and Lisa Michelle Brooks Summey (Raymie) of Spartanburg; and two grandsons, Ethan Cole Summey and Gabriel Brady Summey, both of Spartanburg. He was predeceased by his parents, Ben, Atlanta, GA (November 28, 1953), Joyce, Spartanburg, SC (October 6, 1982); and three brothers, Benjamin Bradford Brooks, Spartanburg (May 26, 1993), William Lloyd Brooks, Spartanburg (killed by a stray bullet age seven (7), May 12, 1930, and Cornelius "Neil" Bryon Brooks, Melbourne, FL (September 27, 2010); and two sisters, Anna Marguerite Brooks Clayton, St. Petersburg, FL (September 15, 2005) and Virginia Joyce Brooks Downin, Hyattsville, MD (December 20, 2003). As is old Spartanburg, his friends and relatives, Stuart is "now gone" and is re-united with those relatives and old friends he once knew here. He never forgot them and spoke of them often; and, we won't forget him. A graveside service, with military honors, will be conducted at 11:00 AM Saturday, April 18, 2015, in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, 1300 Fernwood-Glendale Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29307, by the Rev. Larry Fleming and the Rev. Elliott Hamrick. Visitation will follow at the graveside. In lieu of flowers, consider a contribution in memory of Stuart Vander Brooks to Green Street Baptist Church, 446 Brawley Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303. An online guest register is available at www.floydmortuary.com Floyd's North Church Street Chapel To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Stuart Vander Brooks please visit our Sympathy Store.