The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-26
BROOKE FUNERAL
TO BE HELD At
EATON TUESDAY
Death of Banker Marks Pass
ing of Prominent Preble
County Democrat.


EATON, o., May 26.-Funeral SER
vices for Charles F. Brooke, 81, vice
president of the Eaton National bank.
president OF the Eaton Telephone
company, and for the last thirty years
treasurer Of the county fair board,
who died Saturday at Miami Valley
hospital, Dayton, following an opera
ton Wednesday, will be held here
Tuesday afternoon at o'clock at the
home, East Main street, and will be
IN charge of Waverly lodge, knights
Of Pythias. assisted by the Rev. T. J.
Simpson OF the Presbyterian church
Burial will be In Mound hill GENE
terry.
In the passing Of Mr.. Brooke. Eaton
loses one of its most aggressive and
progressive citizens. He was q leader
In all local civic activities. He was
regarded as the leading spirit In the
local Pythian lodge, of which he had
been q member many years. He IN
Variably was selected to head COM
mittees to take charge of arrange
ments for any special affairs to be
staged by the lodge. He had filled all
thu lodge Offices. He was chairman,
ek the time Of his death, of commit
tee that IL In charge. of arrangements
Tor the lodges annual memorial and
decoration services to be held next
Sunday.
Was Prominent Democrat
While for many years q prominent
6gure In the Democratic party In
Preb1e county, his political activities
during the last few years had not been
pronounced, due to demands made
upon his time by his banking and other
business interests. although he still
remained one OF, tho chief advisors In
he party councils. He was intimately
acquainted with Governor James M
Cox and was always delegated to re.
eeive the governor whenever he came
30 Eaton to speak at public meetings
or otherwise. He never sought office
at the hands of his party. He had
served upon the county executive and
central committees Of his party ae
chairman.
Camden Telephone company and the
New Paris Telephone company. He
had been identified with the banking
years or longer.
Holds First Service.
Having secured q lease upon the
of the Church Of the Brethren gather
ed here Sunday morning for Its first
worship in the church. Presiding Ell
der Aaron Brubaker preached and con
Quoted the usual services. It has beer
so arranged that the Universalists
who have been inactive for many
months, will also be able In tho fu
ture to use the church, II they re
sumo activities.
Lease of the church by the .congre
gaticil 81 the Church Of the Brethren
was sought and secured in order tt
centralize and make more ccnvenien
the place of worship for the members
as many have removed to Eaton from
the rural districts, IN which thei
houses Of worship are situated. TIL
members number approximately $50.
The Church of the Brethren spranl
from the German Baptist denamina
ton, which is more commonly know
sthe Dunhard denomination Tn
offspring of the parent church Is ger
orally known today as the conservative
branch of the Dunlxard church. Their
are two other branches of the church
the Old Order Dunkard, an dthe Pre-
gressive Dunkard. From the Old o.
der sprang the Conservative branc
and from this the Progressive branch
All three branches exist in Prebl
county. The Old Order is said to hav
a membership of 400 in the county
the Conservatives about $50 and tn
Progressives about $50.
Met In Barns at First.
Not many years after the establish
ment of Preble county, in 1903, thel
came into the county few familie
of the German Baptist faith and the
meetings were held in barns an
homes until some years later sma
meeting house was built in the v
cinity Of what is now Gratis. Fo
lowing founding Of the church {
Swartzenau, Germany. in 1908, wit
eight souls, about 20 families imm
grated to America and located
Pennsylvania in 1718. Many mo
came between that year and 1929. I'll
members arenow most numerous j
Pennsylvania. Maryland, Virgini