Donald E. Brown, Sr. Obituary (1926 - 2015)

Donald E. Brown Sr., 88, died January 7 in his home in Durand, Illinois. Born September 8, 1926 in Milledgeville, Illinois. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy and Anna (Dieterle) Brown. Don attended Country School, Milledgeville High School and Arm Engineers School. He met Elizabeth (Betty) Dawson in 1944, was married in Fort Lewis, Washington on June 8, 1946. Veteran of the US Army, stationed in the Philippines during WWII. After WWII, he farmed with his father (Roy) near Pearl City, Illinois. He farmed in Freeport at the Turner farm, the Charlie Warner farm and then the Herman farm. He moved his family to a farm in Davis, then Morris farm in Pecatonica. Forty-five of his many years farming was spent on the Lowell Flynn farm on Best Road in Pecatonica. This is the farm the Brown family called home. He spent many years toiling the fields; raising hay, corn, oats, and soybeans: milking cows, tending beef cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, geese, ducks, guinea hens, horses and ponies. Member of St. Patrick's/Irish Grove Catholic Church, also attended St Mary Catholic Churches in Durand and Pecatonica. He was a moderator and usher at St Patrick's church. He was active in the Knights of Columbus, National Farmer's Organization, and Farm Bureau. Survivors include daughter, Barbara Futch of Jacksonville, Florida; son, Terry Brown (Karen Doty) of Rockford, Illinois; daughter, Anna Marie Brown (Edward Mitchell) of Indianapolis, Indiana; daughter, Patricia Brown (Dan Rusk) of Pecatonica, Illinois; son, Don Brown Jr (Sandee Wolfe) of Davis, Illinois; daughter, Elizabeth Wells (Peter Wells) of Winnebago, Illinois; son, Frank Brown of Durand, Illinois; daughter, Margaret Brown of Madison, Wisconsin and daughter, Katherine Rothermel (Bradley Rothermel) of Durand, Illinois: foster son, Jerry Alberts (Shirley Sutherland) of Machesney Park, Illinois; 21 grandchildren; 25 great grand- children and one great great grandchild. Don and Betty also cared for 17 foster children over the years. He was preceded in death by his parents and stepmother Sylvia (Shipmon), wife Elizabeth (Betty) Brown, siblings; Florence Grennan, Ernst (Peck) Brown, Robert Brown, Ione Kniss, and Helen Savoure and son-in-law Richard Futch and foster son John Alberts and granddaughter Robin Lohmeier. Memorial mass will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 17, 2015 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Irish Grove, 5333 North Irish Grove Road, Davis, Illinois with Msgr. Robert Sweeney officiating. A visitation will be held at McCorkle Funeral Home-Pecatonica Chapel, 203 W Fifth Street, Pecatonica, Illinois from 5:00 -7:00 p.m., Friday, January 16 with a scripture service to be held at 7:00 p.m. Cremation rites will be accorded.