Carol Frances Brooks was born June 11, 1934, in Reidland, Kentucky, to James “Polk” Brooks, Sr., and Saidee Bell James Brooks. She died on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in Owasso, Oklahoma, at the age of 92.
Carol completed her secondary education in Paducah and was a graduate of Paducah Tilghman High School. She continued her education at Paducah Junior High School before finishing at the Gulfport All Girls School. Carol spent most of her professional life operating and carrying on the family business, Brooks Bus Line, Inc., with her late brother, James (Jack) P. Brooks, Jr.
Carol was a strong woman of faith and was always involved with her church and church family. She was a lifelong member of Broadway United Methodist Church in Paducah until she moved to Owasso, Oklahoma, to be closer to her daughter and family. Carol became a member of Collinsville Free Will Baptist Church, where she regularly attended Sunday School and loved attending weekly services and Bible studies. She also loved helping with the annual bazaar at Broadway.
Carol enjoyed a variety of pastimes, including Kentucky Wildcats basketball. However, her greatest joy was her family, whom she dearly loved. Because her youngest grandson, Jackson, had Down Syndrome, Carol participated in many activities involving the Down Syndrome community.
Those she leaves behind, who hold a lifetime of cherished memories, include: her Daughter, Gena Lyn Brooks Adams, and her husband, Robert; her Grandchildren: Zachary Tanner Adams, Jordyn Brooke Adams, Jacob Robert Polk Adams, and Jackson Reid Adams.
She was preceded in death by her parents, James “Polk” Brooks, Sr., and Saidee Bell James Brooks; brother, James (Jack) P. Brooks, Jr.; sisters, Mimi Reid Hardman and Susie Reid Draper; and two nephews.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at Mowery Funeral Service in Owasso. The funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the Collinsville Free Will Baptist Church, with Dr. Craig Shaw and Pastor Leonard Pirtle officiating. Serving as honorary casket bearers will be Carol’s grandchildren.
Carol will be transported overland to her hometown of Paducah, Kentucky, where funeral services will be held at 11:00 p.m. on Monday, August 31, 2026, at the Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah, with Rev. Gregory Waldrop officiating. Entombment will follow at Brook Hill Memorial Park & Mausoleums in Paducah. Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at the Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah.
The family requests memorial contributions be made in Carol’s memory to the Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa (DSAT), 4500 West Houston Street, Suite 150, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, 74012, or www.dsat.org. Share a memory or leave a message for the family at www.milnerandorr.com.
