Vivian Coen Brown

BROWN, COEN, MUNGOVAN, STITT, KRANZ, MILLER, BERG, SHIMKAT, COX, WILLIAMS, MORRISON, ERNST, BUCKWALTER, OMANN, IMHOFF

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 6/11/2009 at 13:25:19

Vivian Coen Brown, 92, of Iowa City died peacefully at her daughter’s home in Ft. Dodge Monday, June 1, 2009.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 am, Friday, June 5, 2009 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church with the Rev. Rudolph Juarez officiating. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery. Friends may call Thursday from 4-8pm at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service, Iowa City, where a Prayer Service will be held at 7pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Bob Brown Scholarship Fund c/o Regina High School, St. Patrick’s Building Fund, UI College of Nursing or the American Legion Auxiliary.

Vivian was a longtime Iowa City resident. For the last six months she has made her home with her daughter Carole and son-in-law Michael in Ft. Dodge. Vivian was born July 3, 1916 in Parnell, Iowa the daughter of William and Mary Mungovan Coen. On May 31, 1941 Vivian married Capt. Berton B. Brown in Alexandria, LA. Berton was serving in the US Army.

Vivian was a 1933 graduate of St. Patrick’s High School and received her BS degree from the University of Iowa College of Nursing in 1938. She had an exemplary career in nursing career at UIHC spanning 43 years. She started in Orthopedics as a surgical nurse for Drs. Steindler and Ponseti. Vivian also managed the UIHC ER, and was often the night nursing supervisor for the entire hospital. She completed her career in staff development and service education by orienting new staff to her beloved hospital, and keep doctors and nurses up to date on CPR and other procedures.

Vivian was a longtime member of St. Patrick’s Church, and was devastated when the Church was destroyed in the tornado. Her other memberships include the Altar and Rosary Society, American Legion Auxiliary, UI Alumni Assn. I Club and the Retired UI Employee Assn. Vivian was a volunteer at VAMC and also was proud to serve as an election officer.

Vivian loved to travel, meet new people, and attend both musical and sporting events that her grandchildren and great grandchildren participated in. She was a loyal Hawkeye supporter, attending Iowa football games for over 70 years, and Regina supporter, where her son, Bob was the track coach for many years.

Vivian was a devoted mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, cousin and was friend too many. She will be greatly missed.

Vivian is survived by her daughter, Carole (Dr. Michael) Stitt of Fort Dodge, her son, James Coen (Connie) Brown of Lakewood, CO and her daughter-in-law, Darlene Brown of Iowa City; ten grandchildren, Amy (Neal) Kranz, Rob (Christy) Brown, Annemarie (Vic) Miller, Melissa( Nathaniel) Berg, Kimberly (Bill) Shimkat, Stephanie (Kyle) Cox, Alyssa (Garron) Williams, Kristen (Andy) Morrison, Andrew and Laura Brown; sixteen great grandchildren; her sister-in-law Ila Ernst; numerous nieces and nephews. Vivian had a special fondness for nieces, Kitty Coen Buckwalter and Jane Omann.

She was preceded in death by her husband Berton, son Robert and two infants, William and Mary; two brothers William and Robert; sisters and brother-in-law, Gertrude Coen, Zelpha Doster Omann Imhoff and Louis Ernst.