In Loving Memory Barbara (Barbie) Jean Brooks 1969-2018 Barbara (Barbie) Jean Brooks, age 49, 505 SE 8th Street, College Place, Washington, passed away on September 29th, 2018, culminating some 9 months of battling cancer. Barbie was born in Clearwater Florida January 28th, 1969. In 1971, Barbie’s parents, Shirley (Porter) Wheeler and Ronnie L. Wheeler relocated to Enterprise Oregon to be nearer family.
They quickly shivered their way out of their semi-tropical garb into… Read More » warmer clothing. Growing up in Enterprise, Barbie’s mother was a daycare provider for many local Wallowa County children. Her father, Ron, employed his skills ultimately in local law enforcement, Wallowa County Search and Rescue, and was the Chief Engineer at Wallowa Memorial Hospital.
The family was actively involved in the Enterprise Seventh-day Adventist Church. From a young age, Barbie observed her mother’s love of children, and became one of her mom’s big helpers which did much to shape and bless her life in later years. In 1987, Barbie came to the Walla Walla Valley to attend Walla Walla University’s Social Work Program and to be near her sister, Kelly Wheeler, who was enrolled in the Cosmetology program at Walla Walla Community College.
Those educational pursuits were interrupted in 1989, when her mother became ill with ovarian cancer. At that time, Barbie discontinued her education to care for her mother who passed away later that year. The following year in 1991, she met a Wade Brooks, who had just moved back into the area from Sacramento, California after completing his business degree at California State University.
She shook him up a bit when she looked into his eyes, and after several months of dating with a smile said that she would be marrying him someday. She was right; they married six months later, on September 29th, 1991. Barbie had the gift of hospitality, a love of people, and a passion to cook.
Barbie and Wade’s home became a hive of activity, and it was not unusual to find a crowd of young adults there in the evening hours with Barbie busying around cooking and loving on everyone. In 2005, Barbie and Wade obtained a state daycare license and opened (Little Hands and Tiny Feet Daycare). Over the next 13 years, they and their staff of assistants, cared for and loved many children here in the Walla Walla Valley, making many dear friends in the process.
Barbie’s passion of loving and mentoring young adults ultimately led her, her husband and sister Kelly, to start a breakfast each Saturday morning open to all young adults in the community meeting weekly at the Eastgate Seventh-day Adventist Church. This time is spent in eating together, worshiping in music, and studying life transforming Gospel messages in Scripture. This labor of love grew into other activities and she has become a “mom” to many.
Her presence in our valley and beyond is going to be sorely missed. Perhaps her greatest legacy is that -this (God love)- that she shared with us, encourage those it touched to also partake of that same love, leaving a legacy that continues to grow. Her family shares her confidence and faith that Jesus is going to make good on his promise and return soon to bring an end to death, pain, tears and sin forever.
They look forward to that great Resurrection Morning when we will be reunited again. Barbie is survived by her husband, Wade Brooks, son, Joshua, wife, (Anne) and (granddaughter, Liberty Brooks, sister, Kelly Wheeler, step sister, Tonya Rasmussen, father, Ron L. Wheeler, stepmother, Jan Rasmussen. The Celebration of Life will be held on October 7th, at 2:00 pm at the Eastgate Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 380 Tausick Way, Walla Walla, WA.
Service is open to the public, all are welcome. Family and friends may share memories and sign the online guest book at www.
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