Ava Emily Pennington Hooks died Monday, Oct. 11, 2004, in Morgan
Hill at the age of 96.
Ava Emily Pennington Hooks died Monday, Oct. 11, 2004, in Morgan Hill at the age of 96.
She was born to Dr. John A. and H. Jane Pennington, on Aug. 29, 1908 in Almstead, Ark.
In December of 1924, she wed Hermon L. Hooks and from this union, two daughters and a son were born.
Mrs. Hooks lived in Arkansas until the spring of 1934, when she and her children moved to Salinas to join her husband, Hermon to begin a life of farming.
They were involved in farming until the war years. During these years her husband worked for the Doudell Construction Company, building air bases in Central California, Arizona, and Nevada.
In 1944, they moved to Gilroy, where they continued to farm. In 1946, the couple moved to Newman. In 1961, they moved to Firebaugh, until retirement in 1970 when they returned to Gilroy. She was instrumental in helping to start a Baptist Mission in Gilroy in late 1944, which today is the First Baptist Church on Wren Avenue.
She is survived by her children, Mary Hooks Dexter (Don) of Gilroy, Dorothy Hooks Crenshaw of Carbondale, Ill., and Thomas D. and Barbara Hooks of San Jose; sisters, Ann (Pennington) Odom of Gustine, and Reba (Pennington) Huffman; brother, Winston and Marietta Pennington of Tennessee; grandchildren, Steve Dexter of Idaho Falls, Dorothy J. Dexter of Elko, Nev., Deborah (Bert) Hatton of Hawaii, Donna (Joseph) Kline of Gilroy, Doreen (Rick) Arucan of Manteca, Diane Fitch of Chandler, Ariz., John W. Crenshaw III of Carbondale, Ill., Michael S. Crenshaw of Danville, Ind., Mary Alison (William) Drenik of Brentwood, Linda E. Crenshaw of Warroad, Minn., Randy and Lisa Hooks of Morgan Hill, Camie (Kirk) Stanfield of Folsom, Patti (Tom) Rosellini of Morgan Hill, Jenni (Mike) Franco of San Jose, Kristi (Tyler) Arrigoni of Clovis; 30 great-grand children, six great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Hermon L. Hooks; parents, Dr. John A and Jane (Davenport) Pennington, Rena (Pennington) Faulkner, Vida (Pennington) Mangum, and Roy Pennington.
Services will be held at 1pm, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004, at the First Baptist Church, 8455 Wren Ave. Services are under direction of Habing Family Funeral Home.
Donations to the First Baptist Church Youth Department in her memory are appreciated.
