"Oswald James Brooks"

The original homestead of O. J. Brooks which he was granted patent for on September 21st, 1911 was on NE.28.30.18.  His close neighbors were Darwin S. Fish, George Fennemore, Roman Boyko and William Crane.  Like so many early Copeland pioneers, Oswald had taken the CPR train (Pleasant Hills branch) to the end of the line at Lipton, and traveled to his homestead 80 miles north by oxcart.  He was accompanied by his best friend Jack Lumb who acquired NW.20.30.18 a mile to the southwest.  This was in the summer of 1906, and a long way from Oswald's native England.

After he turned 30 in 1914 he married the Copeland school teacher, Martha A. Cline who was his exact age.  They later produced a family of 9 children.

O.J. sold his homestead on NE.28 to the Boyko family and purchased the East half of 17.31.18 from the Canadian Northern Railway Company and the National Trust Co. Ltd.  He also bought my Father's (David Hatton) original homestead just across the road on NW.16.31.18.  This rough road later became the number 6 highway between Dafoe and Raymore.  Dad immediately purchased my Uncle Bill's place on NE.10 before Bill left for greener pastures.

During the depression, Oswald organized a beef ring where local farmers shared meat butchered by Reg Smith who had lived on NE.16 since 1931.  In my diary on June 22, I mention us delivering our steer to OJ's as it was our turn to provide meat to share with our neighbors.  Earlier that spring, on March 3rd, we had a terrific thunder storm and the lightening hit Brook's place but nothing was damaged.

I record a very sad event on July 14 when my favorite horse Pete fell down after working on the road for half a day.  Dad took him down to Brooks' where he died that evening.  Pete had served the Hatton family for 22 years, and he was one of the first horses dad and mother had acquired back in 1911.  Pete was butchered by Reg and the next day we returned to retrieve the horse meat.  Nothing was wasted in the depression years.

The Brooks family later acquired NE.8.31.18 and donated the NE corner for the Copeland United Church.  O.J.Brooks was a pall-bearer at my fathers funeral in 1934, and his son Stanley attended my wedding reception at the Copeland community hall in 1940.

Oswald James Brooks 1884-1960    Martha Brooks 1884-1960