Ruth I. Brooks

Ruth I. Brooks passed away on December 2, 2021 at the age of 92. She lived in California, primarily in Stockton for more than 70 years. Ruth was born in Doniphan, Missouri where she lived with her mother, Belle Decker and father Jesse Decker and was the youngest of 10 children.

One month after her 17th birthday in 1946, she married Ralph Brooks, who had just returned from serving in the army during WWII. In 1947 they drove from Missouri to California, where they raised their two children. They were married 49 years before Ralph passed away.

Ruth worked at JC Penny, the downtown store, for 24 years and was often greeted by people with, " You work at JC Penny don't you?" wherever she went. Her kindness and attentiveness to customers was not unnoticed, and in 1977, she was voted most popular employee.

Ruth was a lifetime member of the DAV and VFW as well as "Gold Star" mother as the parent of John O. Brooks who died due to injuries he sustained while serving in Vietnam.

She was a beloved motherly to Donna Brooks-Vaughn and Johnny Brooks, as well as her daughter in law Flora; grandmother to Kimberly Vaughn-Stewart; great-grandmother to Nicholas Furnas, Trevor Stewart and Emma Lavagnino and most recently great great grandmother top Felicity Furnas.

She will be missed tremendously by all of those who loved her.