Bio researched and written by Kevin J. Proctor ~~

Flora May Brooke was born on 22 Jan 1873 in Beatrice, Nebraska, the youngest child of Thomas Hudson Brooke and Susan Sturm (dau. of Rev. Jesse Sturm and Matilda Davis Sturm). Thomas and Susan had three other children: Charles Cline Brooke, Olive "Ollie" Edith Brooke, and Ellis L. Brooke. Sadly, Charles Cline and Ellis died as young children, while Ollie died unmarried at age 19. Only Flora May reached adulthood and married. Sadly, less than two weeks after Flora's marriage to Rodney P. Barnes, her mother Susan died quite unexpectedly, when Flora was only 19 years old.

Flora's father Thomas was a telegraph operator and railroad agent for what ultimately became the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. When the railroad expanded its lines into Oklahoma Territory, the Brooke's moved to El Reno, OT where a regional headquarters was being established. It is here that Thomas met Amanda Josephine Dale. They were married in El Reno in April 1894, and from that marriage came two girls: Fern Millicent "Millie" (Brooke) Gerdeman and Lyle Maxine Brooke. Lyle died as a toddler. Millie lived well into her eighties, and despite their 22-year age difference, she and half-sister Flora May were very close siblings.

Flora May established herself in positions of increasing responsibility in the legal department of the Rock Island railroad. Here she met a young civil engineer named Rodney Percy "Barney" Barnes, whose job involved locating towns along the railroad company's expanding lines. On 28 September 1892, Rodney P. Barnes and Flora May Brooke were united in marriage in El Reno, Oklahoma Territory, at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hudson Brooke.

In the five short years of marriage before Rodney's untimely death, the Barneses resided in El Reno, South McAlester and Enid, OT, as well as El Paso, TX -- all of which were towns served by the railroad. Rodney died of consumption at the age of 36 in El Paso, TX, where they had lived for about fifteen months. His remains were transported by rail to Tecumseh, Nebraska for burial in the Brooke family plot. Flora never remarried. She returned to El Reno, where she remained with the Rock Island railway for 45 years and retired as the chief clerk of the legal department. She devoted many thousands of hours supporting the troops during World War I as a Red Cross Canteen volunteer, and held many civic positions of leadership as well. At the time of her death in 1946, she had survived her husband Rodney by nearly fifty years. Her remains were transported to Tecumseh, Nebraska for burial alongside him.

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Obituary of Flora May (Brooke) Barnes

Published in The Oklahoman, Oct. 2, 1946, page 13.

El Reno Services Are Conducted For Early Settler

EL RENO, Oct. 1 -- Services for Mrs. Flora Barnes, 73, were in the Benson Funeral Chapel here Monday with Rev. Walter M. Feay officiating. Burial was in Tecumseh, Neb.

Mrs. Barnes died in an Oklahoma City hospital Thursday after a long illness. She suffered a broken hip in an accident last January 10 and entered the Oklahoma City hospital August 29.

Mrs. Barnes came to El Reno with the beginning of construction of the Rock Island line south of Caldwell, Kan. She was employed by the Rock Island 45 years and was chief clerk of the legal division at the time of her retirement.

She is survived by her step-mother, Mrs. Amanda Josephine Brooke, Las Vegas, NM; and a sister, Mrs. Alvin Henry Gerdeman, Las Vegas, NM.