Mary Naomi Willard Brooks

Life Story

Mary Naomi Willard was born June 10, 1864 at Washington Court House, Ohio to Judge Lockhart D. Willard and Olive Hester Clark. The family would move to Mercer County, Illinois and then, following the death of her mother, to Thayer County, Nebraska. She attended the Riverside Institute at Lyons, Iowa and would teach school in Nebraska for three years before marrying Bryant Butler Brooks on March 11, 1886. 

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The Willard family can trace their roots in the United States to Major Simon Willard's landing in Colonial New England in 1634. The pioneering spirit and dedication to service to the national and local communities was a hallmark of the family, passed down through the generations. 

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She arrived at the V-V home ranch in 1886, immediately setting about building and running a respectable home. The couple would have four daughters and a son born between 1886 and 1896. The home they would build would be comfortable and modern in every respect. 

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B.B. Brooks was highly active in state politics, first serving in the legislature before being elected to fill the unexpired term of Deforest Richards. In 1905, the family became the first to occupy the newly constructed Governor's Mansion in Cheyenne. Mary quickly set out to fill the roll as "Wyoming's Hostess" and immediately set about preparing for a large party in the mansion. Over the next six years she would host numerous social events in the Mansion and entertain a wide range of politicians, businessmen and visiting dignitaries. The children would entertain themselves with a favorite pasttime of putting on plays in the attic with the neighborhood children. The Governor and First Lady were always expected to attend. 

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Throughout her life, she would become involved with numerous civic organizations, though none would see her more dedicated than the Daughters of the American Revolution which she joined in 1900. While in Cheyenne, she would become highly involved in a variety of social organizations. 

Notable Events