Latonyia Brooks

Latonyia Ann Vanetta was born on July 9, 1969 in Chicago, Illinois, the third of four children to Claudette Howard and Samuel Howard. Latonyia accepted Christ at age 31 and was baptized at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Des Moines, Iowa.

Latonyia was known by many nicknames like “Smiley” here in Des Moines and “Rio” in Illinois. She passed away Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at the age of 53. She leaves to cherish her memory her mother, Claudette and father, Samuel Howard; sisters, LaDonna and Gina Brooks; children, Natasha Brooks, Bridget Wilson, and Benjamin Nicks; grandchildren, Aarionna, Aaron Jr., Aarion, Kyia, Ben IV, and Myah; nieces and nephews, Nene Herman, Kyrie, Ricky and Dario Dunigan; and a host of other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her baby brother, Edward Brooks.

Tonyia loved her family and getting everyone together for cookouts and holidays, as she loved to laugh, talk mess to the guys, and eat. It was always about creating memories and having a good time. Tonyia was the life of the party that when she came in town, she’s calling everyone like, “Waddup cuz” and “Heyyyy girl, I’m in town” and just volunteer somebody’s house for a meet up.

Tonyia loved to travel by car as she hated airplanes. She’d always say, “You’re missing the scenery flying”, but she had no issues hopping in her truck that she named “Pinky” because a plain white SUV just wasn’t giving. So of course she added her favorite color pink. Traveling by car allowed her to sightsee everything and enjoy that very moment. She always said it brought her peace.

Tonyia stood out everywhere she went. She was such a fashionista as she was known for her long nails, dressing up from head to toe, and wasn’t scared to wear colorful wigs. Let me tell you, one thing she could do was shop! Heels were another one of her favorites. Ya wouldn’t believe she had a whole bedroom she called the Shoe Room that also flowed over into other rooms. Tonyia loved to dance and started at a young age, but she would capture a broad range of audience just by her eyes.

God never promised an easy life. He said that we will have suffering and heartaches, but He also promised that He will be with us, to comfort us and reunite us on the other side.

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