AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT
Contact information on HOME page
Direct descendant is highlighted in red
| Chase Jackson Brooke |
|
Born: 5 Jul 1940 Laredo, Texas
Married 15 Jun 1963 Santa Monica, California
FATHER
MOTHER
WIFE
Chuck was raised in Monterrey, Mexico and went to Mexican schools there until
the age of 14. His parents spoke Spanish at home because they did not want their
children to grow up not being fluent in the language of the country they were
living in. Since his parents did not feel the local high schools were of
sufficient quality for their very bright son, they sent him to Loomis
Preparatory School in CT when he was 14. At Loomis he was captain of the track
team and half-back on the football team while keeping high academic standards.
After Loomis he spent a year in England having won an English Speaking Union
Scholarship. After a great year of touring the ski slopes and pubs of Europe he
returned to Cal Tech and later Pomona University where he met Susan.
Susan grew up in Anderson, IN until the age of 13 when the family moved to Santa
Monica, CA. Always a good student, Susan loved her dolls and cats and graduated
from Santa Monica High School 4th in her class of 650 students. She went to
Scripp's College after high school.
In October of her freshman year she went
to an exchange tea dance with Cal Tech where Chuck saw her dancing and thought
her pretty cute. He asked her out on a triple date the next weekend. Three and
one half years later they married on the first Saturday after graduation.
Chuck went on to Harvard Business School for his MBA and Susan worked at
John Hancock in the Claims Department for 2 years to support him. The day he
graduated, Susan retired to raise two children and play bridge.
Chuck and
Susan moved to Mexico City in 1969 with American Can on a two year contract and
stayed for ten years. In 1978 they moved back to Lake Bluff for their children
to get an American education, but after being down sized from Container Corp in
1987, they moved back to Mexico City, this time for a three year contract and
stayed seven. By 1994 Chuck had worked for 4 corporations no longer in
existence: American Can, Container Corp, Scott Paper Co, Chicago Tissue and
finally Zenith who was close to bankruptcy. So they retired to Naples, FL where
Chuck made a career of lowering his golf score and Susie continued her career as
Bookseller and bridge player.
Susan had always been fascinated with all the stories of the ancestors who came to Indiana in the 1820's, digging the roots out of those corn fields so they could plant a good crop. Abraham White, her great, great, great grandfather, had moved to Indiana at the age of 54 having already survived two wives. With his third wife he had five young children under the age of ten and they soon had their sixth child. He had survived Indian attacks and so many losses. Yet, he was strong and a pioneer in the territory of Indiana. Thus began Susan's fascination with genealogy. When Sue and Chuck retired to Naples, Florida, one of their main hobbies became genealogy and this website.