Brown, Benjamin Allen – 1870-1970

ALLEN, ALSUP, BROWN, CRISMAN, HARP, HELPHREY, LONGDEN, MONROE, WOOD

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 5/30/2017 at 17:53:15

Services for B. A. Brown Held Aug. 10
Services for Benjamin Allen Brown, 99, veteran businessman and former mayor and postmaster of this city, were held Monday, August 10, 1970 at 2:30 p.m. in the First Presbyterian Church, Colfax.
Mr. Brown died Friday August 7th at the Gardner Custodial Home in this city where he had resided about two weeks. Prior to this he maintained his own home.
He had been a resident of this city since 1892 and with his father operated the S. M. Brown and Son Lumber Co. for a number of years before selling to the Denniston & Partridge Lumber Co. in 1911. He later was proprietor of the Colfax Grain Elevator which was sold to Polk City Grain Company in recent years.
The son of Samuel M. and Almira Allen Brown, he was born Sept. 19, 1870, at North Henderson, Ill. He attended Lombard College (now Knox College) in Galesburg, Ill. He was the oldest living charter member of Sigma-Nu fraternity at Knox College.
He was married to Maude Helphrey Oct. 4, 1897, at Colfax. She preceded him in death in 1923.
He moved to Colfax in 1892 and was associated with his father in the S. M. Brown, and Son Lumber Co., and more recently in the Colfax Grain Elevator.
On Sept. 25, 1929, he was married to Angelina Longden Harp at Nashua. She died Dec. 29, 1963.
Also preceding him in death were his parents, a daughter, Theda, a stepson, Jack N. Harp and a sister, Mrs. H. W. Wood.
Mr. Brown was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Colfax and served as church trustee for 25 years. He was member of Riverside Masonic Lodge in Colfax for 69 years and a member of the Order of Eastern Star. He was a longtime member of the Colfax Commercial Club and until his death, a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
He was a council member when the city was incorporated around 1900 and served two terms as mayor of the city. He had served on the Colfax School Board and for 35 years was a treasurer of the board. He was co-founder of the Close to Nature Co. in Colfax and served as its president until it became the Monroe Co. Mr. Brown was postmaster of this city for 12 years.
A pioneer land owner in Saskatchewan, Canada, he gave a corner section of his land for a town site and chose the name of Colfax for the town, naming it after his home town of Colfax, Iowa.
Mr. Brown reigned as Centennial King when Colfax celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1966.
Mr. Brown is survived by two daughters, Mrs. John (Enid) Alsup of White Plains, N.Y and Mrs. James (Barbara) Monroe of Colfax; two stepsons, Royce Harp of West Frankfort, Ill. and Clarence Harp of Newton; five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. William (Cora) Crisman of Colfax; three nephews; four step grandchildren and several great step grandchildren.
Rev. H. J. Nolding, retired Presbyterian minister, officiated at the services.
Miss Eleanor Howell was the organist and the hymns were sung by the congregation.
The bearers were: Edwin Behrens, Robert Hopkins, Keith Keipp, Horace Lockhart, Richard Peterson and George T. Weirick.
Honorary bearers were Howard Bell, Ralph Hopkins, Arnold Kunze, Clifford Marquis, S. E. Tennant and George S. Weirick.
Flowers were taken care of by Mrs. Raymond Fletcher, Mrs. Francis Millburn and Mrs. Priscilla Riley.
Masonic services were held at the cemetery.
Burial was in the Colfax Cemetery.
Memorials for Mr. Brown will be accepted by Colfax First Presbyterian Church, the American Cancer Society Source: The Colfax Tribune; Thursday, August 13, 1970