Granny's Pantry # 20-- Uncle Brooks and Aunt Lorene

Albert Brooks Cole was Granny Cole’s only son. He was born on the 4^th of July one night when the mountain was on fire.   















 He served as a T Sgt in the US Army during World War II. Brooks and Granny always had a special bond.       

Brooks married Lorene McCord from Greenwood, SC. He often called her “honey.”  
  

Lorene and Brooks could have been a movie star couple. She looked a lot like actress Ava Gardner.   

Ava Gardner--NC born actress

 He was dark and handsome in a boyish way with a ready mischievous smile. 

 I heard someone say that Brooks could smoke a cigarette better than any man he knew…technique.                         

Aunt Lorene was one of “The Aunts” (along with Aunt Ruthie) who helped make High Rock so much fun. As the queen of the fairy walks, she knew how to make children feel special and imagine a special world within the ordinary around them.     

Taking a walk with the Aunts in the woods on Sunday’s or holidays—we called it a safari— or riding the fields in Uncle Brooks’ old Jeep (it might have been a Willys) was always high adventure.

He liked to “tinker”—was a smart jack-of-all trades who could do almost anything—survey, build, help run and auction, whatever. She was a queen of retail –a manager of ladies clothing stores, including her own. Together, they appreciated old things and collected antiques and property.

 They had two babies. A little daughter died at birth.
A son and his wife gave them a beautiful granddaughter.     
  

Uncle Brooks left us too soon. 

Aunt Lorene was beautiful even to her final breath.      

For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow…    1 Chronicles 29:15