Honor John S Crooks

CROOKS

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 5/4/2010 at 09:11:11

Honor John S Crooks is serving for the second term as mayor of Boone. His life record stands in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is never without honor save in his own country, for in the city of his birth J s Crooks has attained a position as a foremost citizen and has wielded a wide influence in public affairs. He was born a May 29, 1865, and is a son of George W and Rebecca (Nutt) Crooks, of whom mention is made on another page of this volume. Reared under the parental roof, he passed through consecutive grads in the public schools and became a high school pupil. His initial step in the business world was in connection with railroad work, to which he devoted a year. He afterward spent ten years in the abstract business and for fifteen years was secretary of a loan company, at the end of which time he closed out his interests in that connection. Later he engaged in the real estate and insurance business, and at the present writing he is concentrating his efforts largely upon his official duties, for his fellow townsmen, appreciative of his worth and ability, elected him to the office of mayor in March 1911, and he served so creditably during his first term of two years that he was reelected in March 1913 and is now the incumbent in the position. He has made an excellent record characterized by many needed reforms and improvements, and his course has been thoroughly public spirited at all times.
Mr Crooks was united in marriage to Miss Luella M Parks, a native of Boone county, and unto them have been born a son and a daughter: George W now a resident farmer of Boone county, and Mildred, who is attending the State College. Mr Crooks votes with the democratic party and has indorsed its principles since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He is popular in several fraternal organizations having membership with the Masons, the Elks and the royal Arcanum. His religious belief is that of the Methodist church, and these connections indicate the rules which govern his conduct and guide hi in all of his relations with his fellowmen. The name Crooks became one of the early settlers of the county in 1846. In all the intervening years to the present representatives of the name have sought the improvement and up building of this section, and the work begun by his grandfather and carried on by his father is now being continued by John S Crooks, whose record as mayor is indeed creditable.

1914 Boone County History Book