Vern Brooke, 97, of Grinnell died September 14, 2016, at St. Francis Manor. Funeral services are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday, September 19th, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell with Rev. Shane Estes of Grinnell officiating. Pallbearers will be Mark Dimit, Nicholas Doud, Ron Edgington, Brian Haskell, Tim Kibbee and Chris Sheets. Burial will be in Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. Visitation with the family present will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be directed to Grinnell Regional Hospice or the Hammond Center for Assisted Living Campaign – St. Francis Manor Foundation. Vern was born July 24, 1919, near Unionville, Iowa, the son of Leonard Everett "L.E." and Anna Coop Brooke. He was raised in the Unionville area and attended a country school near his home. On January 10, 1942, he was united in marriage with Iris Marilyn Starks, in Lancaster, Missouri. The couple lived in Centerville and later Kellogg prior to moving to the Grinnell area in 1950. They owned and operated a grain and livestock farm southeast of Grinnell and moved to Grinnell in the fall of 1988. He had been a resident of St. Francis Manor since September of 2014. Vern was a member of the Grinnell First Baptist Church where he served as a trustee and deacon, and a lifetime member of the Farm Bureau. He loved his life on the farm and everything associated with running a successful farm operation. He was a cowboy at heart and never lost his love for horses. He enjoyed camping at the Iowa State Fair and local state parks. He held a love and passion for collecting coins, Native American artifacts and toy tractors. Survivors include his two children, Chuck (Sandi) Brooke of Grinnell and Connie Doud of Des Moines; four grandchildren, Kelly (Mark) Cymanski, Kristy Brooke, Nicholas (Gina) Doud and Julie Doud; four great-grandchildren, Sarah, Grace and Alexis Cymanski and Micah Doud; and one sister, Mildred McHargue of Moulton, Iowa. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Marilyn in 2014; one brother, Earl Brooke and two sisters, Mary Brooke and Bernice Harris, and son-in-law, John Doud.