Annie Brooks

Black female, born about 1864 in North Carolina. She died on 8 February 1934 at 614 W. Wright St., Pensacola, FL. She was about 70 years old and widowed at the time of her death. Her occupation was Housekeeper. She died of a cerebral hemorrhage, with coma as a contributory cause, for which she had been treated since October 24, 1933. She was buried on 11 February 1934 in the Escambia County Poor Farm by Goldstucker Bros.

The death certificate indicated she had lived in the city for about 40 years; however, I find no evidence of her living in the area until the 1920 census, which places her and her husband, Harry, in Gonzalez, Escambia County, FL. They were both listed as being 53 years old. Harry was a laborer, born in Georgia of two parents born in Georgia. Anna was a laundress working out of her home, born in North Carolina of two parents born in North Carolina. Harry was literate; Annie was not. They rented their home.

The 1930 census again placed them in Gonzalez, but lists Harry as owning his property, valued at $1,500. He was listed as a farm laborer. Anna was a laundress in a private home. Their birthplaces and that of their parents was the same as the 1920 census; however, in the 1930 census neither of them can read or write. Interestingly, their ages are given as 55 and 52.

Harry died in 1932, which may have precipitated Annie moving into town. I have not found a familial link between Annie and the members of the household at 614 W. Wright St., though I have found that Ethel Frazier’s maiden name was Smith, which is the surname of the owner of the house, Samuel Smith. A Fannie Smith also lived there, but her relationship to Samuel is unclear – they do not appear to have been husband and wife. Without knowing Annie’s maiden name, it is difficult to ascertain whether Ethel and/or Samuel was a relative.

I have located a Harry and Annie Brooks living in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina in the 1900 census. These two were 35 and 34 years old and had been married for two years, making their marriage date about 1898. Annie was listed as having had one living child who was not enumerated in the household. If this couple is the same Harry and Annie Brooks from Gonzalez, FL who were 22 and 18 at their first marriage, theirs must have been at least a second marriage for each of them. Harry was listed as being from North Carolina, born of two parents from North Carolina, rather than Georgia, though this may have been a mistake in the census. Harry was a laborer and Annie was a laundress, and neither could read or write.

I have not located Harry nor Annie in the 1910 census, nor any census before 1900.

FAMILY:

Husband: Harry Brooks

SOURCES:

Florida Certificate of Death for Annie Brooks, No. 2703, Florida Deaths, 1877-1939. Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.