Calling all Terrell Shepherd Brooks Family members!

Hi again everyone! Just an update on Mom. She is moved in and has been there a month. She is meeting new people every day, and enjoying her new friends and lots of adventures. Since she is very mobile - she is getting lots of exercise moving around the one story facility safely! I am happy about that! She has a piano to play and sing along with and sometimes people come to play and she enjoys that too. Lots of family members of other residents come on a daily basis since they live very close by and always enjoy talking and visiting with Mom and her roomie, Thelma. Mom is like another Mother to Thelma who is an alzheimers patient. I have seen improvement in Thelma's demeanor this week - and know it is because of Mom's love shown toward her. I told Mom she is really helping someone and to be proud of herself. I think she is! So that is a quick update and don't forget you can send her a hello or a card. If you would like her personal phone number, let me know - I don't want to give it out here. Denise Hi everyone - just thought I would let you know that Mom/Jeanne Carol is making a big move tomorrow. She is moving into the Ridgewood Nursing Facility in Washington, NC, a new residence to hopefully make her life more safe, more fun (some friends for a change!) and more relaxing (no dogs barking constantly!) Even though my husband and I are a little sad - we are mostly happy for her safety as she has become quite a fall risk. Mom is legally blind due to macular degeneration advancement, using a cane to walk - due to a hip fracture 5 years ago while living here. She can still continue to receive mail here at our home as I will be visiting quite often. It is only a 25 minute drive from my house to Ridgewood. Mom has been there before and really loved it - when she rehabbed after her hip surgery. It is a special place with lots of love and laughing. My husband and I travel a lot also and staying here alone has become impossible for her. We are all looking forward to this move even though for Mom it is a little scary I'm sure. She is not complaining. If you would like to send a note/card to say hi - I'm sure she would love to hear from you!! Here is the address: Jeanne Diffee 185 Rivercrest Drive Greenville, NC 27858

New Pictures added today!

Here are a few new pictures - thanks to Dee Brooks Manning (Tom and Doris's daughter as well as our Aunt Katherine Brooks Halfpenny!! If any of you have pictures that you would let me share and document on this blog - please let me know!! We can get them either through scanning from your computer to email to me, or I can tag them on Facebook easily. Enjoy! This first one is a picture from the 1950's we think, of Tom, Doris (his wife), Ronnie (the little guy), Patsy White and an unknown who could be Katherine!

The next one is a photo of the three Brooks sisters, Jeanne B. Diffee, Peggy B. Moore and Katherine B. Halfpenny

This one is of the Brooks siblings, in 2012 I think - at Ron's house in Durham. Peggy, Ron Jeanne and Katherine standing.

Next is an old picture from Christmas at Jeanne's house in Burlington (probably the 80's) Ron, Granny Belva Brooks, Jeanne and Peggy

Here is a picture from Katherine's collection - Papa Garland Brooks - from the 50's it appears to be

Back in the 1970's - you can tell from the haircuts! This was a family reunion at Tom and Doris's home with Granny Belva and Grandpa Garland and the grandchildren who lived in the area of Burlington. Steve Brooks, Delores (Dee) Brooks, Joey Brooks, Denise and Scott Diffee. Billy's son,Billy Boy, who lived in Burlington was probably too young and I'm not sure they were even there. Also missing is Mark Bright, Peggy and Otis Bright's son who is the same age as Scott, and Joey is a little younger!

Tom and Doris Brooks - dating days

Here's a picture submitted on Facebook by their daughter, Dee. Ronnie Brooks is the little guy standing beside Doris at the top. We're waiting for Kathy Brooks Halfpenny to figure out who the others are. I think she was too little at the time to remember though, don't you??

children and grandchildren of Garland and Belva Brooks

The first picture is Grandmother Sarah Catherine Brooks holding Billy Burl Brooks, oldest child of Belva and Garland Brooks - must be around 1928. The second picture is Katherine, youngest child of Belva and Garland when she was around 7 years old I think. Can you spot Delores Brooks Manning, Mark Bright,Melissa Ebright, Katherine's daughter, Kenny and Fern Tilman's son, Joey Brooks, Ronnie Brooks' son? Please leave a comment so I know you have been here!! I want to know if this blog is meaningful to the family!

Hi To The Family!

This beautiful welcome picture is of Ruth Shepherd Gurkin and her mother, Maggie Terrell Shepherd. I am Denise Diffee Hall, of Burlington, Alamance County, NC.  My mother is Jeanne Brooks Diffee, a descendant of James M Terrell and Lula Morgan Terrell of Alamance County and John R Shepherd and Susan Kinney Shepherd of Alamance as well, maternal side.  She is descended on her paternal side from Joseph Samuel Brooks' and Sarah Catherine Sharp Brooks (this is the grandparents of Jeanne instead of Great Grandparents because I have not found the Great Grandparents yet), William G. Sharp, Jr.and Emily Isely Sharp. Hello to all the Brooks', Shepherds, Terrell's, Sharpes, Iseley's, from Denise. I'm working on Ancestry.com almost daily to find out more about our heritage. If you have pictures, personal stories to share on the blog, contacts, please drop me a line or post in comments section here. I could use some help! I'll post a few new pictures that I scanned from my Aunt Katherine's collection of the Brooks family. She continues to stay active with our search. New pictures will be found on the tab at the top, named Picture Gallery.

Merry Christmas to All

The Umbrella Tree and The South

Hello and hope you are cooling it inside during the hottest summer on record for North Carolina.  Do you ever wonder how in the world our ancestors stood this kind of heat without air conditioning, only a fan (after the invention of electricity that is!) and a shady tree for cooling off?

How many of you remember going outside in the heat of the day to sit under a shade tree with a "palette" or a quilt and some lemonade, cookies a pillow and the hopes of a cool breeze?

Leave a message if you do!  I remember those days well.  The umbrella tree as my Grandmother Brooks called it.  She didn't have one - but we had them in our neighborhoods everywhere.  Where have all the umbrella trees gone?

Jeanne and Bill Diffee (my parents) on their wedding day.  Jeanne is the daughter of Garland and Belva Brooks