Nancy (Fortune) Riffe Fletcher Allen Brooks:

Nancy Fortune was born in January 1843 probably at Holt County, Missouri, to James Fortune and Margery Ann "Maggie" (Brashear) Fortune. In 1850, when Nancy was 7 years old, the family lived on a farm at Holt County. In May of the following year, 1851, Nancy's mother, Margery, died and was buried at the Brasher Cemetery at Orrick, Ray County, Missouri. In July, just two months later, Nancy's father, James, died from wounds recieved in a tavern fire in the town of Oregon, Holt County, Missouri. He was buried at Maple Grove Cemetery, in the town of Oregon, Holt County, Missouri. Nancy was one of six siblings:
-Lusena Jane "Lucy" Fortune b. 1834, m. Elijah Sacrey.
-Mary Fortune b. 1836
-Joseph Fortune b. 1839
-Nancy "Nannie" Fortune b. 1843, m. John Riffe
-Julian [Juliana?] Fortune b. 1848
-Benjamin Fortune b. 1850, m. Alice McGaugh

Nancy Fortune married, before 1860, John Riffe, Jr. In 1860 they were counted on the US Census Report at Camden Township, Ray County, Missouri. John was a farmer, and the couple lived next door to his father, John Riffe, Sr. A. P. Riffe and family lived nearby also, possibly a brother. Nancy and John had five children:
-Horrace Riffe b. 1861, m. Mary Ann Turner
-Jacob Riffe b. 1863, d. 1884
-Franklin Riffe b. 1865
-Harvey Riffe b. 1869
-Benjamin Riffe b. 1874, m. Maude Elrod

Nancy's first husband, John Riffe, died in late 1880 (after the US census was taken June 15, 1880), and was buried at South Point Cemetery, Orrick, Ray County, Missouri. Nancy married 2nd February 28, 1882 at Ray County, Missouri, William Fletcher, who was a farmer. William was married 1st to Julian Lloyd, and they had one child, Mary. Julian died in 1870. William Fletcher married 2nd, Delilah Hutchins, and they had one child, George. Nancy was William's 3rd wife. William Fletcher died in 1883. Nancy married 3rd May 16, 1885 at Orrick Township, Ray County, Missouri, Abraham "Abe" Allen. Abe was previously married to Martha Tucker. Children of Abraham and Martha Allen: Ethan, Elizabeth, Jesse, John and Catherine.

Nancy's 3rd husband, Abraham Allen, died July 12, 1891 in Colorado. He was buried at Ute Cemetery, Aspen, Pitkin County, Colorado. In 1900 Nancy Allen, a widow, lived in her rented home in Orrick Township, Ray County, Missouri, with her youngest son, Benjamin Riffe age 24, who was a barber.

Nancy married November 14, 1909 at Orrick Township, Ray County, Missouri, as his 2nd wife, Thomas J. Brooks. Thomas married 1st Elizabeth "Bettie" McCorkie. Thomas Brooks children with his 1st wife, Bettie, were: Young, May, Susie Ann, Ethel, Dick Green, Lillie and Winnie.

In 1910 Thomas and Nancy Brooks lived on South Front Street in Orrick Township, Ray County, Missouri. At the age of 68 Thomas still worked as a laborer on a farm for a wage. Nancy died some time after April 15, 1910 when the US Census Report was taken and December 19, 1918 when Thomas Brooks of Excelsior Springs, Missouri stayed for the winter [aparently without Nancy] with his daughter, Mrs. Bert Baird [Winnie Pearl (Brooks) Baird] at Cassville, Missouri. I suspect that the Mrs. Nannie Brooks who was a member of the Oak Leaf Art Club at Kansas City, Missouri, on May 1, 1915 was our Nancy "Nannie" Brooks, narrowing down her death to somewhere betwenn that date and the 2018 article previously mentioned. I have estimated her birth year as 1917. She was probably buried at the Riffe Cemetery less than three miles from her home in Orrick Township.

Thomas J. Brooks died October 21, 1922 and was buried at Pisgah Cemetery, Wood Heights, Ray County, Missouri. He currently has two memorials on findagrave.com, #83009734 and #201771649.

Sources:
-Page 5, col. 3, of The Kansas City Sun, Kansas City, Missouri, 1 May 1915, at newspapers.com.
-Page 9, col. 2, of The Cassville Republican out of Cassville, Missouri, dated 19 Dec 1918, at newspapers.com.
-ancestry.com
-US Census Reports
-findagrave.com