Mrs. Isadora Sharpe Brookins, 97
Services for Mrs. Isadora Sharpe Brookins, 97, who died Sept. 3, will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Matthew AME Church Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday from 4-6 p.m. at King Brothers Funeral Home.
Mrs. Brookins was born to the late Wille and Mary Vales Sharpe Sept. 27, 1922, in the St. Matthews Community. She was married to her childhood sweetheart for 65 years, Patrick Brookins.
She was a lifelong member of St. Matthews AME Church where she was a choir member and stewar. She and three family members sang in a quartet in the 60’s. She was a member of Eastern Star. She attended St. Matthews AME Elementary School through the highest grade (8th) where she was an excellent student.
Mrs. Brookins worked with her husband on their farm which included “chipping” trees and “dipping” tar. She also helped farmers ”putting in” tobacco, picking cotton while raising her children and sometimes relatives’ children.
She participated voting rights and school desegregation. She was one of the women who persisted in integrating the kindergarten with her youngest child.
She received her GED diploma at age 65 and got her first job sewing life jackets in a factory.
Near her 97th birthday, she said she wanted her family to line up so she could see them. She greeted almost 100 family from Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Washington.
Preceding her in death were her husband, children Mary Wright and James Arthur “Buddy,”a grandson, David Everett Myles, her parents, siblings Viola Vales, Radie “Dillann” Vales, Ora Vales, Thomas Vales, Robert Vales, Clyde Sharpe and Ophelia Sharp.
Survivors include her children Marion Ouphouet, Seattle, Wash., Patricia (Paul) Maxwell, Indianapolis, Ind., Jacquelyn (Milus) Burkett, Hazlehurst/Surrency, Janice (James) Hall, Savannah, Gwynette (Bernard) Clements, Lawrenceville; children of her deceased daughter Mary, who she raised Wendy Fedrick, Hazlehurst, Wanda Wright, Memphis, Tenn., Lynette Armstrong, Reidsville, Patrick Stacy Wright (Tammy), Baxley; special son and daughter she helped raise: Tommy (Ruby) McDew and Amy Jean McDew., Hazlehurst; grandchildren Paula Marcia Lynn Maxwell, Indianapolis, Ind., Latonja (Chris) Zackery, Dacula, Tawana Clements and Sharee Clements, Lawrenceville, Jene’ Hall and Jaron Hall, Savannah, Amy Michele McDew, Baxley, Christina McDew, Hazlehurst; great-grandchildren Mary Alice Armstrong Johnson, Patrick Armstrong, Shanee J. Clemons, Patrick (Scooter) Wright Jr. (Naomi), Traci Patricia Wright, Stacy Patrick Wright, David Myles, Tamia Clements Lacrete; special great-grand she helped raise Stephanie Fedrick; great-great-grandchildren Makia Johnson, Dalyric Flowers, Justin Johnson, James Clemons, Princeton Johnson, Bria Perkins, Alexander Armstrong, Heaven Emery Wright, Patrick Saint Wright; sisters-in-law Pauline Williams, Hazlehurst and Lucille Sharpe, Hazlehurst; special niece Ruthie Mae Cobb, St Simons’s Island; special great nieces and nephews The Rev. Frank Cobb, Ruby Ann Cobb, Sherry Cobb Thompson; special cousin and friend Henrietta Wolf; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
King Brothers Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Hazlehurst was in charge.
