Leslie Brooks’ occupation surprised me. A shoemaker … in 1918? Though shoe repair, or cobbling, was still a viable trade, shoemaking was almost completely mechanized by the end of the 19th century.
——
On 23 December 1881, David Brooks, 20, married Henrietta Peacock, 17, at A.G. Brooks’ resident in Black Creek township, Wilson County. They were Leslie Brooks’ parents. I can find little evidence of his life, however.
Leslie Freeman Brooks registered for the World War II draft in 1918 in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 16 June 1875; lived in Black Creek; was a self-employed shoemaker; and his nearest relative was sister Minnie Williams.
Leslie Brooks died 12 October 1918 in Black Creek township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born in 1881 in Wilson County to David Brooks and Henrietta Peacock; was single; worked as a shoemaker; and was buried in Brooks Cemetery.