Martha Lou “Marty” Brooks (nee Lewis), 84, was born in Cape Girardeau,
Mo., to William and Linda Lewis. She attended Trinity Lutheran School
and Central High School before earning an Associate of Arts degree in
1958 from St. John’s College, Winfield, KS.
In 1961, she married M. Thomas Brooks, who was a student at
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO. While there, she taught at Ebenezer
Lutheran School and again at Trinity Lutheran School in Santa Ana, CA,
during Brooks’s vicarage or internship.
In Rev. Brooks’s 36-year ministry in churches in Missouri and
Kansas, Marty worked as a nurses’ aide and in a pediatric clinic. Her
primary concern, however, was always her family, her church and those
she met. Her engaging personality helped her reach out to others, making
a friend by being a friend.
When Rev. Brooks retired in 2000, the couple moved to Forsyth, MO,
where they lived in a beautiful lakeside home. In 2018 they moved to
Wichita, KS, to be closer to their children.
The couple was blessed with and is survived by three children: Mary
Liz (Bruce) Brittain of Andover, KS; Paul (Tonya) of Archer City, TX;
and Matthew (Krista) of Hays, KS; eight grandchildren: Evan Brittain,
Hanna (Jake) Huber; Jacey, Jahna and Tessa Brooks; Tommy, Nathaniel and
Jayne Brooks; her sister Mary (Tom) Schaefer; one niece, Jami (Nathan)
Cuka; and one nephew, Joel (Amy) Schaefer.
Marty died Aug. 7, 2021. A loving spouse, mother and grandmother,
Marty was a Sunday school teacher, choir member, and strong supporter of
her family and church. Her life was a fulfillment of Proverbs 3:5-6:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your
paths straight.”
Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 13, at Gloria Dei
Lutheran Church, 1101 N. River Blvd., Wichita. Memorials can be made to
Gloria Dei and Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, 313 S. Market, Wichita, KS
67202.
Services in care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary.