BROWN, Ivan L. 1909-1985

BROWN, LAIRD, NEWELL, WAHLSTROM

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 2/2/2011 at 21:25:36

Funeral services for Ivan L. Brown of Charles City, Iowa, were held Tuesday August 27 at First Baptist Church in Charles City. Brown, age 76, died Friday August 23, 1985 at the Floyd County hospital. Ivan had been ill with cancer for more than a year but admitted himself to the hospital with a heart attack the day before his death.

Dr. Jerry Springston officiated at the services and burial was in Riverside Cemetery. Military graveside services were conducted by the American Legion, VFW and World War II veterans.

Ivan was born February 17, 1909 at Charles City, Iowa, the son of Ralph and Catharine (Laird) Brown. In 1913 he moved with his parents to a farm in Fairview Township in Allamakee County, Iowa where he was educated in the Fairview #5 school before attending high school in Waukon, Iowa, graduating in 1928. He also attended Waukon Junior College.

He had a bicycle shop in Waukon in the years 1929-1932 and a Des Moines Register newspaper route. In 1932 he went back to the family farm to work and also worked on construction of Lock and Dam #9 across the Mississippi River at Lynxville, Wisconsin. He was an Eagle Scout and active in scouting for 18 years, including the period when he was in Waukon. He later was an assistant scoutmaster in Charles City, Iowa.

In 1936 he moved to Charles City and worked maintenance at Oliver Corporation.

Ivan was a World War II veteran, having worked on the Manhattan project at Los Alamos, New Mexico. He also attended Oregon State College while in service in 1944. In 1945 he returned to Charles City, again working at the Oliver plant and also established Brown's Repair Service.

On May 20, 1962 he married the former Bertha M.(Newell) Wahlstrom, a widow, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa.

He was a member of the American Legion, International Order of Oddfellows, 40 et 8, and First Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his, Bertha who died in 1984, and a brother Clarence Brown.

Survivors are 2 step-sons, Robert Wahlstrom of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and James Wahlstrom of Boothbay, Maine; 6 grandchildren; a sister, Catharine Brown of Menlo Park, California and 2 brothers, Laurence Brown of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Alan Brown of New York City, New York.

[SOURCE: Waukon, Iowa, WAUKON DEMOCRAT, August 29, 1985]

Contributor: Connie Ellis (Allamakee County Iowa Gen Web volunteer)