Rev. Melvin Brooks, Sr.

Rev. Melvin Brooks, Sr., 91, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, August 14, 2019.

Funeral services were held on Monday, August 19, 2019, at the First United Methodist Church with Pastor Carl Taylor officiating. Burial followed in Westlawn Memorial Park under the direction of Minton Chatwell Funeral Directors of Borger.

Rev. Brooks was born October 28, 1927, in Gilmer, Texas to Luther and Lubertha Ford Brooks. He proudly served in the United States Navy. He married the love of his life, Bennie Mae Pope on July 1, 1952. Rev. Brooks served the Lord faithfully from being a Deacon, Sunday School Teacher and a Pastor. He loved his church home, St. Stephen’s Baptist Church in Clarendon, where he led the congregation for 29 years. Rev. Brooks retired from Phillips 66 as a craftsman. If you knew Rev. Brooks, then you knew he had a passion for gardening. He often shared the abundance of it with the community.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; son, James “Short Dog” Michael Brooks; grandson, Cedric Maurice Dickson; brothers, Charlie Brooks, Artis Brooks, Myers Brooks, Russell Brooks, Luther Brooks; and sisters, Connie Mack, Daisy Lee Odom, Inez Christian, Estine King and Buelah Hagler.

He is survived by his sons, Ben Melvin Brooks, Jr. and wife Janie of Wellington, Melton Ray Brooks of Muskogee, Oklahoma; daughters, Bertalene Dickson of Borger; Parilene Coffer of Dallas, Linda S. Heyward of California; fourteen grandchildren; numerous great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and great great-great grandchildren; brother, Frank Brooks and wife Velma of Longview; sister, Doris Annette Moore of Longview; and a host of extended family.