Audrey Brooks

Audrey Lumpkin Brooks, beloved daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother, slipped from this earthly life into the arms of Jesus on April 9, 2025.  Audrey was born in Texarkana, Texas on February 24, 1932.  She met her husband, Henry Hoyt Brooks, while they were both working at Red River Arsenal in Texarkana.  They married in 1953 and moved to Midland, Texas in 1957 where she lived the remainder of her days.  She raised a family of five children, many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

She was a member of Crestview Baptist Church for many years while her children were growing up and then moved to Kelview Baptist.  The past few years she has attended First Baptist Church with family. She loved Jesus first and her family always.  Growing up as an only child, she longed for a big family.  She placed so much value in her family.  She took her children to church and taught them to behave or else.  She worked hard, watched over her children well, and ran a tight ship.  If she didn’t know which of her five children had done something wrong, she would line them up and threaten to spank them all, each and every one, until the guilty party came forward.  She cooked every meal, cleaned every mess, prepared every holiday meal, took care of children, dogs and the house.  She never complained.  Growing up in the depression taught her a sense of gratitude for what she had.  Her attitude was always one of let’s get it done.

She was a stay-at-home housewife and mother until she went to work for Carter’s Furniture in 1971 as the bookkeeper.  She remained a faithful, dedicated employee there for 30 years.  She loved working there, loved the people and made life long friends while she was there.

She is preceded in death by her mother, Hallie Mae O’Rear, her father, Morris Lumpkin, her husband, Henry Hoyt Brooks, her son, Randal Hoyt Brooks, her granddaughters, Amy Lynn Johnson and Kelly Ann Brooks, and her great-granddaugthers, Kadyn Ann Pitts and Bailey Renea Gonzales, and her great-grandson, Christian Glenn Pitts.  Her survivors are many.  Each one was very special to her.  She loved deeply and forgave completely.  She never held grudges or bitterness towards anyone.  She was there for anyone that needed her and showed up for the ones she loved, regardless of circumstances.  She patiently and faithfully saw the good in everyone.  The family remaining behind to miss her are her son, Steven Dale Brooks and wife Margie, children Hilary Benavides, children Bryauna Faith and Dailen Zachery, Ashley Nicole Wooten, husband Blaze, children Boston James, Sarah Ember, Samuel Jesse, and Henry Wayne, Brandon Dale Brooks and wife Amber, children Tobias Alexander and Lucas Ray, and Claudia Marie Rodarte, children Ezeriah Rey and Eli Cash, son Gary Wayne Brooks and wife Jackie, children Issac Gillespia, Amber Van Cleave and husband Nick, children Makenzie Nichole, Hunter Cael, and Briley, Michael Wayne Brooks and wife Heather, Sean Edward Brooks, children, Gage Wesson, Issac Gillespia, Amber Van Cleave and husband Nick, children Makenzie Nichole, Hunter Cael, and Briley Rae, Michelle Warren and husband Sky, children Daygen Thomas, Landri Mechele, Braylon Kole, Paxton Charles, Aubryn Skye, Josh Morgan and wife Alexia, children of son Randal Hoyt Brooks, Randal Jason Brooks and wife Jennifer, children Troy Austin and wife Kora [children Dimitri Avery] Ryan Tyler, Jaycee Renee, Hayden Reese, Misty Michelle Brooks children Jade Michelle Watson, husband Drayt, [children Liam Ace, Theodore Hold and Isla Haze] Kaylee Nicole Epling and wife Mira, Bailey Jane, Lacey Jane Brooks, children James William and Brianna Lynn, Danelle Marie Alaniz, children Cade Ramon and Lola Isabelle, Alexis Dawn Green, husband Chris, children Rhemiah Simone and Zanovia Dae, and Jassie Lyn Brooks, daughter Vicki Sue Draper, husband Perry, Swade Draper and wife Victoria, children of Amy Lyn Johnson, Taylor Alexander [children Wyatt Zander and Abigail Sue] Brittany Lyn [children Mason James and Lily Rey] Wesley Jacob, Samy Hayden, Sadie Bell, Preston James, Shawna Ann Lee, children Brooke Delaney [child Chevelle River] Axl Sean, daughter Deborah Kay Scott and husband Roy, children Jennifer Elaine Doonan and husband Will, children Allison Leanne Chew and husband Jarrett, Hallie Lynn, Wilson Jenson, Henry Bronson, Kimberly Diane Castillo and husband Damian, children Matthew Edward, Kaitlyn Grace and Joshua Daniel, Christopher Ryan Cato and wife Marcella, children Alyssa Love, Kylie Ann, Norah Elizabeth, Noah Ryan, and Alexander Elijah, a half-sister, Sheila Barker and a niece, Tierra Barker Ward.

Each of these names represent people she cared about.  She never let a family member forget that she loved them and she prayed for all of them.  She encouraged where needed, instructed when she thought it would help, scolded when necessary and loved with her whole heart.  She was always available to listen and give comfort and advice.

She will be deeply missed.  Her love and strength have influenced multiple generations.  At the time of her death, she had 69 direct descendants consisting of five children, 15 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, and ten great-great-grandchildren.  Pretty amazing accomplishment for an only child.  Her life exemplified love of others.

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13.  Her heart knew the meaning of this verse.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Nalley-Pickle & Welch.  There will be a viewing on Friday from 6 pm to 8 pm with a gravesite service at Resthaven Cemetery on Saturday, April 12, at 3 pm.  Pallbearers are Taylor Alexander Johnson, Wesley Jacob Johnson and Samy Hayden Johnson.  We invite everyone to wear her favorite color, which is blue.

                                                   Legacy Of A Grandmother

                                                              By a Granddaughter

Audrey is my beautiful, wonderful grandmother. She was more than a normal grandmother. She help to raise and shape me. There are hardly any memories in my life that she has not been a part of.  She has loved me greatly and I want her to be remembered throughout my generations. I want her legacy to live on.

In thinking about legacies and what it means to leave one behind I am honored to have had my grandmother in my life. She was an only child and grew up in the depression. Her parents were divorced which was rare back then. It was only her and her mother. She loved her mother dearly and her mother loved her. Her dad lived in the same town as her but she did not spend much time with him. However, he did have a taxi company which she was able to utilize any time.  She enjoyed those opportunities.

She would spend the summers in Ft Worth with her Aunt Allie. Her mother struggled financially and could not afford to keep her in the summers. She loved Aunt Allie. Aunt Allie always had lots of food and enjoyed cooking.  Grandmother enjoyed all the meals that she had there and the good times during the summer months she spent there.

However, she longed for something more. She wanted a family. She wanted a house full of people, laughter, joy, and support. She met my grandfather, and they had five children. She wasn’t the touchiest person and didn’t offer hugs often.  While she rarely hugged you, her love and devotion was deeply felt by everyone.

Her love was demonstrated in her acts of service. She always cooked every meal. She gathered her family together for holidays and random gatherings just because she loved to get together. I can remember holidays at grandmothers house seemed so effortless. She got up early and did not stop all day. She toiled in the kitchen all day. She would set the table and work to gather the family around one big table. It was a great joy to her to provide these times for her family. I had the privilege of growing up in her home. After my parents divorced, my grandparents allowed us to live with them. This was such a great sacrifice to them although she did not make you feel that way. She wasn’t always the most pleasant. She would set you straight when you did wrong. She would not let you mouth off to her. She had rules and you were going to follow them, or you would get yelled at. But it was short lived.

She made a home and everyone wanted to gather there. It was a safe place from the outside world. It was a place you could always come to have a talk, get a meal, or spend the night. You did not need an invitation. You could drop in on her anytime. And she would always be doing the same things. She had breakfast which consisted of canned biscuits. If it was a Saturday or just an extra special day then you would get eggs and bacon or waffles with pecans. These were definitely special treats. She always had dinner on the table like clockwork. I can remember being out of the house as a young unmarried adult and it gave me great comfort that the world at my grandparent’s house was always the same even though my life was chaotic. She was stable. She was the hub of stability for all the family. She carried the burdens of everyone and worried tirelessly for her family. But she got up for work every day, cooked food for her family, and stayed up late on the couch in button down robes and house shoes. Grandmother was always the same and her love was never ending.

Grandmother loved to spend time with all of her family. She was always up to go out or be present for an event or a party. She never had many friends and wasn’t an overly social person, but if it was her family then she was all in.

She taught me how to be a woman. She taught me how to cook. I could always call her anytime to get a recipe or instructions on how to make something. She would always help me. She taught me to respect men by giving my grandfather honor in the home. She taught me to love others above myself. She taught me how to clean (mostly because I wanted to have friends over and I had to clean first.), She taught me how to do laundry. She taught me basic life principles about womanhood. She taught me to extend my hand to help others in need. She taught me to give selflessly to others. She taught me that marriage is not always easy but you stick it out. She taught me that it is not always about what makes you happy but about the commitments that you make. She taught me that you can overcome the past and push on to the future. She taught me that a husband and wife staying together and that providing for a family are valuable parts and important to the success of a family. Even though she was a child of divorce, she would not allow her own children to experience that loss in their lives. This took great determination, strength, and fortitude on her part as a wife and mother to her family. This choice exemplified how selflessly she lived her life.

She taught me that you should go to church. She showed me the example of going to church and being part of a church family even when she had to do it alone. She held her principles of faith even when it was not easy. My grandmother is a person of great value in my life. She helped mold me and challenge me. All of her children’s marriages ended in divorce and some a couple of times. Yet my grandmother loved all the ex’s and the step grandchildren as though they were her own. She treated everyone the same. It has always revealed to me her mighty character of love and kindness to see the testimony of ex in laws and their love for her. She is truly one of the greatest family women I have ever known. She pours her life into her family and genuinely hopes to produce life in them that was better than her own. She is a women of faith in our family line. She has changed the generations to come by her choices and faithfulness. My heart will always remain grateful to her for all that she has poured into my life and my future generations. She will be remembered and praised throughout the generations.

                                                         Tribute to a Godly Woman

I recently received the sad news of my wife’s grandmother, Audrey Lumpkin Brooks, passing away. While this is a difficult time, we are comforted knowing she was a woman of great faith.

You wouldn’t have seen overt displays like Bible verses on her house, though she did put up Christmas lights during the holiday season. Inside, you’d find a mix of belongings, including the words “God will look after the working gal” on the wall, a Bible on her coffee table, and Christian memorabilia, such as a print of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”.

Growing up in the South during a more overtly “Christian” era in Texarkana, in the “Bible Belt,” it wasn’t unusual for her to have a home filled with Christian items.

However, her faith was defined by more than possessions. The Bible doesn’t say that the prophets or Jesus rewarded people simply for owning a Bible or religious items.

The Bible’s Hall of Faith recognizes those who faithfully came to the Lord, those who trusted in His promises, rested on His mercy, and drew near to Him.

Consider Ruth, the Moabite, who declared, “Your people will be my people and your God will be my God,” forsaking her false gods for the true God of Israel.

And Rahab.

Samson, in his final moments, called on the Lord for mercy and was heard.

Jesus blessed the children brought to Him, even when His disciples tried to prevent it.

And the thief on the cross, at the very end of his life, asked Jesus to “remember him” and was granted eternal life for his faith.

Remembering Audrey’s kindness and welcoming nature, I recall a story Debbie, her oldest daughter, once shared with me.

As a young mother, Audrey wanted her children to attend church, a desire rooted in her faith that they would learn about God. Despite facing resistance from her husband, she insisted, “If you’re not going to come with us, I’m taking them myself.”

This was a significant act, especially in the late 1950s and early 60s, when societal expectations strongly dictated that wives follow their husband’s lead. Defying those norms, Audrey prioritized raising her children in the ways of the Lord, which, in that time before the internet, televised ministries, and readily available Christian resources, meant taking them to church.

Like those in the Hall of Faith, she sacrificed her personal dignity by being willing to go and did this out of faith.

In this way, Audrey reminds me of Zacchaeus. Though not a tax collector, she was a sinner seeking an encounter with the Lord. Just as Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus, Audrey sought the Lord and was blessed with a long, full life, witnessing her children’s children.

Audrey didn’t see the nail marks in Jesus’ hands or the piercing in His side, yet she believed, and for that, she is eternally blessed.

This simple act of faith shaped her family for generations. It shaped her perspective on life. She knew what truly mattered, and her heart was always focused on her family.

She was a faithful wife, consistently preparing Sunday dinners on time. Her husband was served first, followed by the children. She maintained a well‑kept home and pursued her children when they strayed.

Audrey loved her grandchildren and helped to raise them.  Rather than taking her inheritance and spending it on herself, her care was always toward her children, grandchildren and great‑grandchildren.

She also loved animals and kept plenty of them, mostly cats and dogs.   As the Good Book says, the righteous person looks after the needs of their animals.

It’s easy to pass by her house and not think much about it.  But when you stop and look, she has all the makings of a woman of great faith.  Seeing the end of life many decades away, she knew what was important.

One of my last memories of her was when we were doing a family Bible reading and she came along with us.  She was well advanced in dementia but during the reading she proclaimed that she wished she could read the Bible more.  What a wonderful thing to utter.  What a glimpse into her heart condition.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.  May Ms. Brooks be filled.  May she enjoy swimming in the river of life.

Her life wasn’t perfect.  However, it was a perfect example of the kind of faith that saves and that’s all we need.

May the Lord receive Ms. Brooks into His eternal loving arms.  May she dance around with joy in heaven.  May her descendants be blessed for the faith of their mother, grandmother and great‑grandmother.  May she be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

No, we do not have to grieve like the heathen, for one day, if we have also believed, we will dance with her, drink with her from the river of life and eat with her from the tree of life.

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