He was born on Aug. 1, 1921, near Lake McKinley to Leonidas M. and Deborah M. (Fesmire) Crooks. As a young boy, he attended country schools near Parsons and elementary schools in Parsons. He was a 1939 graduate of Parsons High School and a 1941 graduate of Parsons Junior College.
He married Berenice K. Tanner on Nov. 3, 1946, at Parsons. The couple owned and operated Crooks Hardware Store in Parsons from 1959 until retiring in 1986. She preceded him in death on Oct. 8, 2004.
He was an active member of First Christian Church of Parsons, where he had served as chairman of the building committee when the new church was built and had been designated as elder emeritus for the extraordinary contributions to the life of the church through his many years of faithful and loving service. He was also a former member of Kiwanis, where he had served as past president in earlier years. In earlier years, Mr. Crooks received an award from the Labette County Medical Center in appreciation for donating blood for babies who had been born with the RH factor incompatibility.
He enjoyed woodworking and playing golf at the Katy Parsons Golf Club. His family was of utmost importance to him, and he cherished spending time with them and his friends.
Survivors include two sons, Kevin Crooks and his wife, Vicki, of Ada, Okla., and Leland Crooks and his wife, Diane, of Parsons; a daughter, Deborah Cantrell and her husband, Les, of McPherson; seven grandchildren, Katie Hentges, Seth Crooks, Courtney Crooks, Kelson Crooks, Sam Crooks, Keith Cantrell and Julie Cantrell; a brother, Leonidas “Leon” Crooks of Parsons; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by four brothers and three sisters, including his twin sister, Gertrude Wilkinson, on May 10, 2009.
The memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Christian Church in Parsons. Private burial will be at Harmony Grove Cemetery prior to the service. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to First Christian Church and may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, 67357.
Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.
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