Sidney George Brooks died on April 29, 2026. He was the sixth child born to Elizabeth (Pollard) Brooks and Gedney Hart Brooks on January 15, 1931. He was born in a farmhouse with no electricity or running water. Sidney had three sisters, Golda Brooks, Helen E. Bonnard, and Glen Louise Marshall; two brothers, James F. Brooks and Irvin G. Brooks. Both brothers served in the Army during World War II.
In 1941, Sidney’s family moved to a farm in Brownington, MO. Sidney attended grade school in a one-room school with a big stove in the middle of the room for heat. There was no running water or electricity in the school building. All grades, one through eight, were taught in the same room.
Sidney attended high school in Deepwater, MO. He graduated in 1948, the same year Mary Lou Bigler was a freshman. This is where Sid and Mary Lou first met.
After graduation, Sid stayed home for the summer to help his father on the farm. In the fall of 1948, Sid headed to Kansas City to look for work. He found a job at Montgomery Ward Mail Order Fulfillment, filling orders for shoes. Sid works for $0.87 per hour. He worked various jobs at Ward’s until September 1950, when he joined the United States Air Force, just two weeks before he received his draft notice.
Basic training was at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. From there, Sid was sent to Tyndell Air Force Base (Florida) for Police training. After a short leave to visit home, Sid was shipped to Saint Andrews Air Force Base in Newfoundland, Canada.
Back home in Deepwater, the high school principal had the Senior girls send Christmas cards to the Deepwater servicemen who were stationed away from home. Sid received a card from Mary Lou. His “thank you” note started an exchange of letters between Mary Lou and Sid. In 1952, during Sid’s leave, Mary Lou and Sid were able to officially start dating and spend time together.
After Sid’s leave, he returned to duty and learned he had a dermoid cyst that had to be removed. When he awoke after surgery, he found his two brothers, James and Irvin, James’s wife, June, and Mary Lou sitting at his bedside. The next day, Sid proposed to Mary Lou. How could she say “no” to a guy lying in a hospital bed? They were married for 67 years and always agreed that Mary Lou made a good decision.
During Sid’s 30-day leave, Sid and Mary Lou were married on June 21, 1953. After a short honeymoon, they headed to Eglin Air Force Base to start their married life.
Sid was honorably discharged on September 26, 1954. Sid and Mary Lou returned to Missouri, settling in Independence. They had two children, Stanley (1958) and Elizabeth (1963).
The family joined the Christian Church. As a church elder, Sid was instrumental in helping with the construction of the new church building.
Montgomery Ward was moving their inventory management to computers. In 1968, Sid was promoted to set up the first electronic department in Ward’s Chicago, IL, home office. Sid began placing vendor orders via computer, eliminating the need for nine mail-order houses.
In 1968, the family moved to Hoffman Estates, IL. They joined the Christian Church of Arlington Heights, which was remodeling. Eventually, the family moved their membership to Our Savior’s United Methodist Church (OSUMC). OSUMC was planning and preparing for a new church building to be constructed. Sid and Mary Lou joined another building committee.
Sid retired from Montgomery Ward in 1993, after 45 years of service. After 33 years in Hoffman Estates, Sid and Mary Lou moved to Candlewick Lake in Poplar Grove, IL. They joined the Poplar Grove United Methodist Church. The first Sunday they attended services, the pastor said, “Next week we will hold services on the property where we will be building our new church”.
Sid was active on several committees at Candle Wick Lake. He was an American Legionnaire and a Lions Club member. He was presented with the Melvin Jones Fellow for Dedicated Humanitarian Services award by the Lions Club International Foundation. He was a Lions’ Cook for the annual Poplar Grove Airport Fly-In breakfast fundraiser. He was a member of the North Boone Food Pantry and a part-time janitor for the church.
For 20 years, Sid was a seasonal part-time employee of Edwards Apple Orchard. The steaming cup of coffee and the hot-off-the-line cider donuts were Sid’s favorite perks.
In 2017, Sid and Mary Lou decided to downsize and move closer to their daughter, Beth. They found their new home in Kenosha, WI. They joined the Wesley United Methodist Church only after the pastor assured them there were no plans to build a new church.
In between working, church, and family, Sid and Mary Lou traveled the world. They spent their 25th anniversary in Hawaii and visited the islands again several times. They visited five European countries. They cruised around the Greek Islands, through the Panama Canal, along Alaska’s inner passage, down the US East Coast, and through the Caribbean.
Sid asked our family to share his prayer
“I had a very good life journey thanks to GOD and to my wife, Mary Lou, my children, Beth, Stan, his wife, Michelle, and my grandchildren, Quentin and Cecilia. May God bless you all as he blessed me.”
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Poplar Grove United Methodist Church (105 E Grove St., Poplar Grove, IL 61065). Visitation is at 10:00 a.m., followed by a service at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Poplar Grove United Methodist Church.
