Donald Raymond Brown

BROWN, HANK, BLOOMER, THOMPSON, WHITE, MESSER, THORMANN, BAKER, DERBY, HUTCHISON

Posted By: David L. Skipton (email)
Date: 1/4/2010 at 00:15:33

Former Wapello businessman, Donald Raymond Brown, age 69, of Wapello, died at his home early Saturday, October 26, 1991. Don was co-owner of the Corner Grocery at Wapello from 1952 to 1980.

He was born March 4, 1922 at Grandview, Iowa the son of Lewis William and Georgiana Hank Brown. He married Janice Elaine Bloomer at Wapello on June 22, 1947.

After graduating from Wapello High School in 1940 he worked as a lineman for AT&T. He then served as a PBY pilot in the US Navy during WWII in the Pacific Theatre. After the war he sold life insurance and worked as a car salesman. Following the years at the Corner Grocery he worked as parts manager at Pine Motor Co. at Wapello, managed the Indian Hills Golf and Country Club, was in service & sales at Pugh Motors of Columbus Junction; and most recently had worked as a security guard at Monsanto Company of Muscatine.

Don was a member of the First Presbyterian Church at Wapello where he was serving as an elder. He had served on the Wapello School Board for 6 years, the Keck Memorial Library Board for 26 years, was a member of the VFW Glenn Allen Post at Wapello and the American Legion at Columbus Junction, was charter member of the Wapello Development Corporation, was on the founding Board of Directors of Indian Hills Golf and County Club, and had been active in Little League sponsorship and the Athletic Boosters. Don enjoyed hunting, fishing, cooking, and refinishing furniture.

Survirors include his wife, Janice; three daughters, Joan (Mrs. Paul) Thompson of Winfield, Mary (Mrs John) White of Mason City, and Martha Brown of Wapello; two sons Greg of Wapello and David at home; seven grandchildren, Clinton and Ashley Brown, Joy, Julie, and Kendra Thompson, and Shelby and Abra White; two sisters, Ora Messer of Watseka, Illinois and Marian Thormann of Ames; and a special friend, Mary Baker of Wapello, who provided a home for Don when he became a teenage orphan. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Lela Derby and Dorothy Hutchison; and one brother, Garry Brown.

Memorial service for Don Brown was held at First Presbyterian Church at Wapello on Wednesday, October 30, 1991 at 10:00 a.m. with the Rev. Bill Young officiating. Betty McChesney provided the organ music. Burial of the cremains followed at the Wapello Cemetery with Military Rites.

Memorial contributions may be made according to the donor's descretion.

The arrangements and care were provided by the Dudgeon-McCulley Funeral Home.