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Margaret Isabell Wallace Brooks, Mama, “Jingles,” Grandmamma, Nanny, Grandma, Grandma Bell, or Ms. Bell, 92, of Pinetown, NC passed peacefully of Dementia at her homestead on Monday, May 13, 2024.

This very special lady was born on Saturday, September 19, 1931, in her grandparent’s little farmhouse in Pinetown, NC to Annie Rowland Wallace & Oscar Rayfield Wallace. She grew up there a few years until they moved into what was her uncle’s house across the field-but she always referred to that original farmhouse as home. In May of 1948, she married Daniel Ray Brooks of Pantego, NC & they moved to Norfolk, VA. After her husband passed in 1955, she came back to her homestead & built her home from the ground up.

Whether by blood or not, she put those she considered family above all else. She showed unconditional love as a caregiver to multiple people, including her parents. To provide for her family as a single mother, she worked in a variety of places such as Pam’s Soda Shop, Page House, Brentwood Lodge (28 years!), various country clubs, Blackbeard’s, The Country Kitchen, & The Meat Farm (Acre Station). She used her “super” cooking skills outside of work as well, always wanting to cook a meal for a house or yard full of folks.

Her strong & gentle hands were either being used in animated conversation with someone at the grocery store, to embrace someone in a hug, or to pull weeds in the yard. Her yardwork was her therapy-outworking all her children & never allowing anyone a break.

Isabell was a member of Shiloh Free Will Baptist Church in Pinetown.

She has seven children: Shirley Brooks Richardson & her husband Hood “Hoodwink” of Washington, NC; Zella Brooks Frederick & partner Mike Ellis of Virginia Beach, VA; Doris Brooks Jackson of Pinetown, NC; Danny Ray Brooks of Chesapeake, VA; Randy Lee Brooks & his wife Kay of Plymouth, NC; Kenneth Wayne Brooks of Plymouth, NC; Margie Lynn Brooks Cooke-Tankard & her husband John of Yeatesville, NC; & a granddaughter that she raised-Michelle Brooks Britt & her husband Allen of Plymouth, NC.

She has ten grandchildren: Thomas Brock Frederick & his wife Noel, Daniel Ray Brooks- “Turk” & his wife Jessie, step-granddaughter Stacey Finney Westerfield, Michael Colin Brooks & his wife Guille, Amy Renee Brooks Peachey & her husband Phillip, Monica Renee Brooks Fulford, Bobbie Jo Brooks Ricks & her husband Stuart, Darrell Lee Cooke,Charles Anthony Cooke & his wife Charity, & Brandi Lynn Cooke-Robbins & her husband Sam.

She has twenty-one great-grandchildren: Shiv & Alabama Frederick, Kyia Brooks Iliyn, Laila Brooks, Landry Brooks, Cassandra Brooks, Michael Brooks, Oscar Brooks, Joshua Britt, Tyler Britt, Thomas Peachey, Emily Peachey, Clifton Fulford Jr., Cassidy Fulford King, Tiffany Fulford, Hunter Sutton, Lauren Kellie Ricks, Marshall Ricks, Jordan Cooke, McKayla Cooke, Laklyn Cooke, Cora Isabell, & Charles Cole Cooke.

She has three great-great grandchildren: Sophia King, Michael King, & Zimri Cooke.

She is survived by a set of twin sisters: Silvia Jean Wallace Jones of Pinetown, N.C. & Jane Frammersberger; a sister-in-law: Lewellyn Wallace; two daughters-in-law: Shirley Abram Brooks & Alma Kay Woolard Brooks; three step-grandchildren: Violet Ramsey Richardson, Randy Jackson, & Tina Jackson Scott; six nieces; her very special friend Vicki Kay Johnson, & many others she loved dearly.

She is predeceased by her parents Oscar Rayfield Wallace, Annie Rowland Wallace; a set of twin brothers: Alton Wallace & Hallett Wallace, three sons-in-law: Bob Frederick, Arnold Cooke, & Thurman Jackson; & a granddaughter: Danielle Jackson, a grandson: Michael Wayne Cooke.

She will be laid to rest at a service on the family farm in the Rowland-Wallace Cemetery at 2:00 PM, Friday, May 17, 2024. The service will be presided by minister William Ray Askew. The family will receive friends on Thursday, May 16, 2024, from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Paul Funeral Home & Crematory in Washington.

Pallbearers: Joshua Allen Britt, Patrick Tyler Britt, Darrell Lee Cooke, Charles Anthony Cooke, William Samuel Robbins “Sam,” & Gary Wayne Wallace. Honorary pallbearers will be the Great Grandsons.

Thank you to Dr. Mark Beamer & his entire staff for the many years of dedicated care to our mama. Amedisys Hospice & all those that helped make her last few days in her earthly home comfortable. Thank you, Aunt Lewellyn, for your tender love & care for mama these last days & letting us know that Faith was important. Aunt Jean, we thank you for always being there when we desperately needed someone. Thanks to Jeanette for always being willing to run across the ditch to help and a very special thanks to Melissa Swain for all your love and support.

Thank you to everyone for all your prayers.

Flowers are appreciated or memorial contributions can be made to Pinetown Volunteer Fire Department and EMS, 7262 North Boyd Rd., Pinetown, NC  27865.

Condolences may be addressed to the family online by visiting www.paulfuneralhome.com.

Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington is honored to serve the Brooks family.