Earnest Harrell Brooks was born on March 7, 1948, in Farrsville, Newton County, Texas, to the late Hersie and Mary Brooks, Sr. He was raised in the close-knit community of Farrsville, Texas, where he attended grade school at Mattox School in the Farrsville Community and also Jamestown School in the Jamestown Community, later graduating from Wiergate High School in Wiergate, Texas.

As a proud Wiergate Panther, Earnest was a member of the historic 1966 Wiergate Panthers State Championship Football Team. During a time of segregation, this all-Black team made history, bringing pride not only to their school but to the entire Wiergate community. It was an accomplishment that remained a meaningful part of his life.

After graduating from high school, Earnest moved to Houston, Texas, where he lived for about a year before settling in Dallas. Dallas became his home for more than 50 years where he built his career, raised his family, and established lifelong friendships. Yet no matter where life took him, Farrsville was always home.

From birth, Earnest was a faithful member of Pleasant Hill CME Church in Wiergate, Texas. Although he lived in Dallas, he faithfully joined his church family every Sunday by watching worship services on Facebook. Whenever he returned home, it never took long to find him quietly nestled on a pew at Pleasant Hill, worshipping alongside the church family he had loved since childhood.

Earnest believed in honest work. For more than five decades, he earned the respect of coworkers and friends through his dependability, integrity, and unwavering work ethic. He spent more than 30 years as a cement truck driver with Gifford - Hill. He later worked for Pioneer Concrete of America and retired as a heavy equipment operator with Honeycomb Sand & Gravel. He never looked for praise—he simply believed in doing the job right and providing for his family.

Family was one of Earnest's greatest blessings. In 1970, he married Mary Good, and together, they raised their son, Byron Brooks. In 1985, he married Beverly Ferrell-Smith, and to that union, one son, Earnest F. Brooks, was born.

If you knew Earnest, you knew he wasn't a man of many words. He was quiet and reserved, but his life spoke louder than anything he could have said. He showed his love through hard work, quiet sacrifices, and simply being there when his family needed him. He was straightforward, dependable, caring, and compassionate.

Once you got him talking though, you quickly discovered another side of him. He loved to laugh, tell funny stories, and slip in a remark that would catch everyone off guard. Those moments were treasures to the people who knew him best.

Earnest enjoyed the simple things in life. He loved listening to the blues and watching classic Westerns, or "Shoot'em ups" as he called them, like Gun Smoke and Bonanza. He also loved spending time with his family. He never needed much to be happy—just family, faith, and a little good music.

To those who loved him most, he was affectionately known as "Roonie," "Roonie Boy," "E. H.," "H-Boy," "Brooks," and "Big Unc." Each name carried memories of love, laughter, and a special relationship that will forever be treasured.

Earnest leaves to cherish his memory: his wife, Beverly Brooks;

sons, Byron Brooks (Marcia) and Earnest F. Brooks (Alysia), and his grandson, Trevon Brooks, all of Dallas, Texas; a brother, Hersie Brooks, Jr., (Patricia) of Jacksonville, Florida; two sisters, Gloria Westbrooks (Horace) of Wiergate, Texas, and Helen Runnels of Murrieta, California; favorite niece, Cora Myers (Ezell Jr.); along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family members, and dear friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Hersie Brooks, Sr., and Mary Brooks; and four siblings, Bonnie Brooks, Faye Kiel, Joyce Limbrick, and Alma Melton.

His Legacy

Earnest Harrell Brooks never sought recognition for the life he lived. He simply lived a life worth remembering.

His legacy is not found only in a football championship, more than 50 years of honest work, or the many miles he traveled behind the wheel of a truck. His greatest legacy is found in the family he loved, the values he lived by, the faith he quietly held onto, and the countless lives he touched through his kindness, humility, and strength.

He taught us that a man does not have to be loud to be strong, that love is best demonstrated through actions, and that a life lived with integrity leaves an everlasting impact.

Though his earthly work is complete, the foundation he built through faith, family, and faithfulness will continue to stand for generations to come.

"Well done, good and faithful servant." – Matthew 25:23