Who We Are

William Alexander (Alex) Brooker was born in South Carolina in (about 1854). He and his mother, Rosa Brooker (born about 1830), came from Charleston, South Carolina to the Sunshine Community of Blackville, South Carolina after being separated from the rest of the family. In 1882, Alex married Abbie Reed (born about 1866) who was the daughter of Eli Reed (born about1845) and Lydia Reed (born about 1850), who also lived in the Sunshine Community.  

Alex and Abbie had twelve children: five sons and seven daughters. The sons were: Johnny Brooker (born abt. 1884), Foster Brooker (born in 1886), Norton Brooker (born in 1888), Alexander Brooker (born about 1893), and Mansfield Brooker (born about 1906). The daughters were: Leila Brooker Mines (born about 1890), Berth Brooker Reed (born about 1892), Lillie Brooker (born about 1895), Georgia Brooker Staley (born about 1898), Sadie Brooker Lee (born about 1901), Mozelle Brooker Thompson (born about 1903), and Zelma Brooker Reed (born about 1905).

At a point in time, Alex and Abbie moved to the Mount Zion community of Blackville, South Carolina, where he worked as a farmer for Simon Brown’s sons, and eventually became the overseer of the Brown’s 700 acre Crum Farm. Alex and his family joined Mount Zion Baptist Church and he served as a deacon of the church. After working for a number of years as an overseer,   Ale x started his own farm by purchasing a 50-acre tract of land in the Pilgrim Rest Community of Blackville, SC from Robert and Martha Minus in the year  1900 for $1,100.00. The land was located adjacent to the farm of Eli Reed, the father of Abbie.

Then in 1906, he purchased a 100-acre tract of land in the same community from R. V. and Mary Gui for $4,100.00, thus making his total land holdings 150 acres. He also leased an additional 180 acres of land for farming from nearby landowners, making the total size of his farm 330 acres. After the land purchases, Alex and his family eventually moved to the Pilgrim Rest community.  The family then joined Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon until his death.

Alex was a very successful farmer and employed both white and black laborers. He encouraged and supported the education of his family. Some of his children attended South Carolina State Normal And Industrial Institute (now South Carolina State University), Orangeburg, SC. He also built a spacious home on the farm which had some of the finest furnishings and conveniences of the time, including a gas system for lighting the home. The ground of the home was beautifully landscaped with flowerbeds and shrubbery. Alex died on September 22, 1920, at the age of 64. After the death of Alex, Abbie continued the farming operation; and in the late 1920’s, she purchased an automobile and they became the first black family in the community to own a car. Abbie died on June 12, 1936 at the age of 70 and the family’s farming tradition was continued by two of her sons, Foster and Norton Brooker. The other sons and daughters (except Sadie and Zelma) moved to other areas of the United States.

Compiled by: Lenon G. Brooker

Note: All dates and $-amounts cited above are based on US Census data, South Carolina Death Records, and Property Deeds