Robert Norris Crooks was the son of William Crooks and Jane Norris. His father died in 1834 and his mother in 1850, and there are no US census records for either of them; nor are there burial records.

According to OH marriage records, Robert Norris Crooks and Melvira Reynolds married on 5 Aug 1851 in Cuyahoga County, OH. Melvira died shortly after their marriage. No other information has been found for her.

According to OH marriage records, Mary Ann Burdick and Robert Norris Crooks married on 3 Nov 1852 in Cuyahoga County, OH. They are together in the US census records for 1860-1880. Before 1860, they moved to Union Township in De Kalb County, IN, where they purchased land and established a farm. They had the following children: Martha L. (Crooks) Newcomer (1854-1929); Norris S. Crooks (1856-1964); Linna A. (Crooks) Fretz (1857-1907); Hattie (Crooks) Crowl (1859-1941); Lucy H. (Crooks) Carper (1861-1930); Nelson E. Crooks (1862-1863); Mary Rebecca (Crooks) Sibert (1863-1943); Jennie Eudora (Crooks) McDannel (1865-1939); Laura Belle (Crooks) Gingrich (1869-1945); Willie Crooks (1867-1867); Robert Wilson Crooks (1870-1935); Frederick Crooks (1872-1944); Victor H. Crooks (1874-1947); Delbert B. Crooks (1876-1956); Clyde E. Crooks (1879-1893); Warren T. Crooks (1879-1900); and James Burdick Crooks (1880-1948). Mary Ann died in 1883.

According to IN marriage records, he married Queen C. (Adrinson) Crooks on 17 Feb 1884 in De Kalb County, IN. Robert Crooks was the younger brother of her 2nd husband, William Crooks. They are together in the 1900 census, but Queen died later in 1900.

According to the IN marriage records, he married Susan Ellen (Hamman) Denison on 8 Jun 1902 in De Kalb County, IN. They are together in the 1910 census record.

For most of his life, he was a farmer and stock-raiser. Later in life, he ran a retail furniture business. He was a trustee of Union Township for 14 years, focusing specifically on flood control (ditch system) in De Kalb County.