April Lynn Brooks, 68, passed away peacefully at home on July 28, 2026, surrounded by her husband and three daughters after a private battle with metastatic breast cancer.

April Lynn Roskelley was born on April 8, 1958, in Challis, Idaho, to Byron and Dona Roskelley, the youngest of three children.

She married Steve Brooks on June 19, 1982. They made their home on the Brooks family ranch north of Bowman, North Dakota, where they raised their three daughters: Calli, Cassi, and Skeeter.

She embraced life with determination. An avid athlete, she competed in rodeo, track, basketball and drill team in high school and later in life ran numerous half marathons, played volleyball and hiked. She traveled extensively, both independently and with family and friends. Among her many adventures were travels to Italy, Sicily, Egypt, Thailand with Calli and Cassi, Bali, Mexico, Greece, and throughout the United States. She also treasured hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc in the Alps of Italy and Switzerland and the mountains of Torres del Paine in Patagonia with her niece Rachel. She was ecstatic to attend Olympics when they were in Vancouver, Canada.

She was on the Slope County and Bowman County Fair Boards, Cottage School Board, and she received Secretary of the Year from the North Dakota Rodeo Association after she was the secretary and timed for numerous rodeos and ropings.

At home, she loved working on the ranch alongside Steve and Skeeter, working cattle on horseback, calving each spring, tending to her beautiful lawn, flower gardens, and thriving houseplants, and spending time with her beloved dogs, who her daughters were convinced ranked just a little higher than they did. She completed all the record keeping for the Registered Angus heard. She proudly wore the title of ‘Grandma Ape’ for her grandkids.

She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Steve Brooks; her daughters, Calli (Joe) Komban, Cassi (Levi) Magilke, and Skeeter (Kenzie) Brooks; her grandchildren, Rina and Sonny Komban, and Rio and Scotch Magilke; her brother, Micky (Maureen) Roskelley; her sister, Chris (Doug) James; and her nieces, Rachel Roskelley, Danielle (Micky) Pingree, Shana (Mark) Ingram, and Jace (Kristina) James and numerous beloved extended family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Dona Bradshaw; her dad, Byron Roskelley; and her father-in-law, Wayne Brooks.

She will be remembered for her adventurous spirit, determination, dry sense of humor, love of the ranch, and the friendships and family she cherished. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

In accordance with her wishes, no funeral or public memorial will be held. Her family will honor her life by spreading her ashes at Bayhorse Lake in Idaho, a place that was always close to her heart.