Alsobrooks Family

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Submitted by The Alsobrooks Organization [Link no longer works]

The Alsobrooks Organization is a prominent multi-cultural family in Hopkins County in the state of Texas. Some family members still reside in the East Caney Community outside of Sulphur Springs, Texas. We are the descendants of Mr. Nathan E. Alsobrooks & Family.

During the Civil War, families in the deep southeastern Confederate States- South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi moved their slaves to the west to evade Union Forces.

The 1880 United States Federal Censuses list Mr. Nathan E. Alsobrooks & Family residing in a neighboring county called Franklin. Nathan and Mattie successfully birthed seven healthy children during their marriage. The names of the children in sequence are as followed: Timothy, Ella, Willie, Nathan Jr, Dessa, James, and Mattie.

Mr. Alsobrooks’ mother Mrs. Chanie Alsobrooks was listed in the 1880 United States Federal Census as a resident of Franklin County. His sister was Mrs. Mary Alsobrooks Levi of a neighboring home next to Mr. Alsobrooks in Franklin County.

Before the turn of the 19th century, Mr. Nathan E. Alsobrooks, wife, children and mother were residence in Hopkins County Justice Precinct #2. The Alsobrooks Family was primarily agricultural farmers. There cash crops consisted of corn, cotton, potatoes, vegetables and some orchards.

Mr. Nathan E. Alsobrooks was a community activist for the East Caney Community. When Bell South initiated telephone service to Hopkins County Nathan was an operator and technician. As an operator, he routed calls from his home to other residences in the county. The technical work was done when telephone wires were disconnected due to storms or malfunctions with communication.

As an entrepreneur, Mr. Timothy Alsobrooks used the natural spring water resources in the region to process a syrup. Area vendors that sold directly to shoppers in grocery stores purchased the syrup. Neither a patent nor recipe was ever trademarked, but a similar syrup product was available at a cheaper price to vendors. Mr. Timothy Alsobrooks turned his craftsmanship to iron sharpening. This iron sharpening skill was needed in the immediate area to other agricultural farmers of Hopkins County.

In 1949, Mr. Fred Lincoln Alsobrooks owned and operated a full service funeral home in Sulphur Springs. He was a member of the East Texas Funeral Home Directors. Mr. Fred L. Alsobrooks mortuary services were primarily serviced to the Afro-American Communities in Hopkins and surrounding counties. Prior to his death in 1975, Mr. Fred Alsobrooks was an affiliated with a prominent Dallas Metropolitan Funeral Home named Black and Clark. Mr. Alsobrooks was regular attendee of city council meetings where he was appointed to a position in the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce.

Mrs. Vida Finney Alsobrooks, wife of Fred Lincoln Alsobrooks, carried on the spirit of service in the mortuary profession. As a Funeral Home Director with Tapp Funeral Home in Sulphur Springs, Texas she served until her death in 2005. Ms. Freddie Ernestine Alsobrooks is a second generation mortuary care provider with West Oak Funeral Home in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

Commissioner Arnold Alsobrooks embraced a political career after serving as a Hopkins County Deputy Sheriff. Mr. Alsobrooks served under the late Sheriff Paul Ray Jones for numerous of years. He was applauded for performing law enforcement by the book. In the year of 1981, Arnold Alsobrooks ran for the Hopkins County Commissioner Seat. He was elected as the First Afro-American County Commissioner of Precinct #2 for a two year term. On Thursday, December 9th, 1982 Commissioner Arnold Alsobrooks died serving his first term in office. In honor of her husband, Mrs. Ada Alsobrooks served his second term as the County Commissioner. She was the First Afro-American Woman Hopkins County Commissioner. Commissioner Ada Alsobrooks did not seek a second term for the Hopkins County Commissioner Seat.

The Alsobrooks.Org Family History information is hereby provided with the expressed written by disclaimer of TheAlsobrooks.Org for use by the Hopkins County TXGenWeb. All information is correct and protected with all rights and privileges for publication of use by the Hopkins County TXGenWeb. We submit The Alsobrooks.Org Family History as of Friday, March 28, 2008.

Dillard Patrick W. Alsobrooks
Executive Director
The Alsobrooks Organization
One Study Place
13730 Neston Drive
Houston, Texas 77041-5913