BROWN, Ralph C.

BROWN, ALLEN, KRACHT, JAMINET

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 7/23/2008 at 07:26:51

Cherokee Chronicle Times, Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Ralph C. Brown, 85, of Cherokee, passed away July 7, 2008 in the Cherokee Regional Medical Center, following a lengthy illness.

Funeral services were held on July 10 at the St. John's Church in rural Peterson. David Orthmann officiated. Burial was in the St. John's Church Cemetery, with military rites at the graveside. Boothby Funeral home in Cherokee was in charge of funeral arrangements.

Ralph was born on June 2, 1923 at Peterson, to Harry & Bessie (Allen) Brown. He graduated from Peterson High School in 1942, and was a veteran of WW II, serving in the U.S. Navy as a Pharmacist's Mate 3rd Class in the South Pacific. He was married to Arlene Kracht on Nov. 16, 1944 in rural Peterson, and graduated from the College of Mortuary Science in St Louis, Mo., becoming a funeral director.

Ralph worked for the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee from 1951 until 1971 and other funeral homes in Iowa, retiring in 1986. He lived in Cherokee most of his adult life, and was a member of the St. John's Church in rural Peterson, Dean Underwood Post #10 of the American Legion at Peterson; L.A. and Wescott Post #2253 of the V.F.W. in Cherokee. He enjoyed attending high school sporting events, and was an avid major league sports fan.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter Beverly in infancy and a grandson, Shawn Brown, also in infancy.

He is survived by his wife Arlene and four children, Rodney Brown and his wife Marci of Cherokee; Peggy Jaminet and her husband Fred of Cherokee; Greg Brown and his wife Cheri of Peterson and Jeff Brown and his wife Patty of Cherokee; seven grandchildren: Terry, Hillary, Mindi, Ryan, Shane, Lacy and Chad; and four great-grandchildren: Calvin, Amelia, Ella and Josie.