Keweenaw County MI Archives Photo Tombstone.....Rooks, James Dorion 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Harold & Linda Saffron lindaj50@charter.net  October 13, 2008, 11:31 pm

Cemetery:           Copper Harbor Cemetery
Name:               James Dorion Rooks

Date Of Photograph: September 29, 2008
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/keweenaw/photos/tombstones/copperharbor/rooks19507nph.jpg
Image file size: 87.4 Kb

James Dorion Rooks   b. 30 Jan. 1939   d. 10 Mar. 2005
US  NAVY
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Social Security Death Index 
Name: James D. Rooks 
SSN: XXX-XX-XXXX  
Last Residence: 49918  Copper Harbor, Keweenaw, Michigan 
Born: 30 Jan 1935 
Died: 10 Mar 2005 
State (Year) SSN issued: Michigan (1951 ) 
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James Rooks 

COPPER HARBOR -?James "Father Nature" Rooks, beloved father, grandfather, 
brother, husband and friend, passed away peacefully March 10, 2005. 


James was born January 30, 1935, to Ralph and Vernice (Dorion) Rooks in 
Detroit. Naturalist, educator and nature guide for over 50 years, he was first 
employed as a naturalist at the Cleveland, Ohio Metroparks. He moved to Copper 
Harbor in the late 1960's and was a park naturalist at Fort Wilkins, taught 
school in Copper City and gave nature walks in Copper Harbor. He was also on 
the campaign trail to save the Estivant Pines from being logged. He was then 
hired by Edwin Lyons of Dubuque, Iowa to start a nature center on the 
Mississippi River Bluffs. After 10 years of establishing and running the E.B. 
Lyons Nature Interpretive center, they turned the center over to the State of 
Iowa Parks System. 

While in Dubuque, he met and married Laurel Zimmerman and had their daughter, 
Hannah, before returning to the Copper Country in 1983. Here, he re-established 
Bear Track Eco Tours, gave talks at Fort Wilkins State Park, various civic 
groups, and was involved with efforts to keep the peninsula's natural beauty 
preserved.
He is survived by his wife, Laurel Rooks; and four children, Hannah (Nathan) 
Miller, Patricia Larsen, David Rooks and Teresa Schulz. James has six 
grandchildren, Kristen, Jaqui and Regan Larsen, David and Nicholas Rooks, 
Alexandria Schulz; and one sister, Lenore Clancy. Also surviving are nieces and 
nephews, Christopher and Matthew Rooks, Douglas Marsh, Mark and Paul Clancy and 
Alison Hamel.

He was preceded in death by his brother, John Rooks; mother, Vernice Dorion; 
and father Ralph Rooks.

A memorial service will be held in June with a date to be announced later.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Jim Rooks Memorial Fund at 
First National Bank of Calumet, 219 Sixth St., Calumet, Mich. 49913. Monetary 
donations will be distributed to numerous environmental organizations which Jim 
endorsed. A list of these organizations will be available through the bank.
 


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