Queen Esther Brooks was born on December 23, 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama to the late Calvin Bates, Sr. and Rosie Lee Bates (Thomas). She was the fourth of eleven children, five girls and six boys.
Queen grew up in Hooper City, Alabama, a rural area outside of Birmingham. As a young girl, she spent a great deal of time in Cleveland with her maternal aunts, staying long enough to attend elementary school in Cleveland. After an extended stay in Cleveland, Queen returned to Hooper City and remained in Alabama until she met and married Julius Brooks and ultimately migrated from the south to Cleveland permanently in the 1950s.
Once settled in Cleveland, Queen worked in the English Oak Room at Terminal Tower where she prepared salads and made pastries. She also worked as an aide at the Jewish Orthodox Home for the Aged, which is now Menorah Park. Queen eventually co-owned a small restaurant in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood where she served as the cook, waitress, cashier and sometimes even the bouncer! In early 1973, our family was devastated by a tragic motor vehicle accident that killed Queen’s only son David and left her permanently disabled, in constant pain and no longer able to work outside the home.
Queen accepted Christ at a young age and was a long-time member of Tyree Temple Church of God in Christ in Cleveland. Later she would join The People’s Church of God in Christ, where she was a member until her health declined and she was no longer able to attend service. Queen was very active in both churches. She led testimony service, was a prayer warrior and represented Tyree Temple at the Church of God in Christ state and district meetings. While at The People’s Church of God in Christ she continued to lead testimony service and served on the Mother’s Board. Queen was an amazing cook, and she would often cook for church events.
Queen loved to cook, sing, loved music and certainly loved to dance. Sunday dinners were quite elaborate and holiday dinners were over the top! Immediate and extended family and friends were always welcome to stop by for dinner, so she often had a full house on Sundays and holidays – she loved it! Queen would always say she was not the best singer, but as long as God gave her a voice she would sing. She would rise singing first thing in the morning, sing while she was cooking and sing before going to bed. This is the reason she loved leading testimony service; it gave her an opportunity to sing all her favorite congregational hymns. Then there was dancing. Queen bragged that she was a great dancer when she was younger and well before her injuries. She simply loved to dance. Rumor has it she competed and even won a few dance contests in her youth. In later years as her health declined you could still find her dancing at family reunions, weddings, anywhere there was music Queen would be moving to it in some way, even from her wheelchair! She visibly enjoyed music up until her last days.
Queen departed this life on Wednesday, November 23rd, one month before her 88th birthday. She leaves to cherish her memory, her daughters Linda Maclin (John, deceased), Theresa Brooks, Cheryl Butler, and Dr. Latina Brooks (Sandy); her siblings, Calvin Bates, Herman Bates (Peggy), Cleo Bates, Leo Bates, and Alberta Harris; four grandchildren, Stefanie Megginson (Lorenzo), Bryant Butler, Daphne Butler and Christopher Butler; and one great-granddaughter, Savannah Rose Megginson. Also mourning her passing are a host of beloved nephews, nieces, cousins, family and friends.
Preceding her in departing were her parents, Calvin and Rosie Lee,; five siblings, Nathaniel Bates, Mary Golson, Jesse Bates, Rose Mary Ezell, and Roberta Sanders; grandson, David Reginald Maclin; her son-in-law, John “Reggie” Maclin; and her beloved son, David Brooks.
Queen has been described as a fighter by all those who knew her. She fought to protect her family. Her siblings have stories of how she would fight to protect them. Several times throughout her life she quite frankly had to fight for her life. These are battles that with her fighting spirit and undeniable faith she would ultimately win time and time again, until November 23rd when the Lord decided to give her rest and usher her into her eternal home. However, in true Queen fashion she did not go without a fight and not a moment before the Lord was ready to call her home. The following scripture summarizes her life and legacy of faith:
“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8