Judge Frank Alva Brownell (1921)
BROWNELL, LORIMOR
Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 3/2/2008 at 16:57:08
The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, October 12, 1921JUDGE BROWNELL'S DEATH
The death of Judge Frank A. Brownell on Sept. 27th, 1921, was due to pneumonia. He became sick from ptomaine poisoning in Denver, while attending Masonic grand lodge the previous week. In coming home, he contracted a severe cold, with fatal results.
Soon after his marriage in 1901 to Miss Minnie Lorimor of Madison county, he removed to the San Luis valley, living near LaJara, Colo., a year, then near Henry. For a year they have lived in Alamosa. He held the office of county judge at the time of his death, having been re-elected twice.
The Alamosa (Colo) Journal says this of Judge Brownell, who was a graduate of Winterset high school and a Lincoln township boy:
"Judge Brownell was a truly good man and his place in the community, vacated in a breath, cannot be easily filled. As a friend said when he heard of Judge Brownell's passing, 'It is not easy to replace such a man. It takes years of residence and mingling with the people to acquire the influence which a man of Judge Brownell's high character exerts.'
He was one of those rare characters whom everbody respected. The editor has never heard a single person say anything derogatory to Judge Brownell. Even in the heat of political campaigns, when each side was bent on winning and his opponents were leaving no stone unturned to defeaat him, Judge Brownell was never opposed on any but partisan grounds. With more public men like him, our government - national, state, county and city would be stronger and more respected. With more such men our communities would be more desirable places in which to live.
Judge Brownell is gone, but his influence will live on in the memory and emulation of those who knew him as a friend, as a citizen and as an upright, useful and honest man."
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Brownell returned Thursday evening from Colorado, where they attended their brother's funeral service, held on Oct 2nd at Alamosa.
________________________The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, October 12, 1921
Page 1, Column 3JUDGE BROWNELL DIES IN WEST
Former Madison County Man Dies in Alamosa, Colorado. Lived Twenty Years in West.
Frank Brownell, son of ex-auditor Ezra Brownell and a brother of Fred Brownell, of Lincoln township, died in Alamosa, Colorado, September 26. He grew to manhood in Madison County and was one of its most popular young men. The Alamosa Journal contains the following:
The whole community was shocked Wednesday morning when the news went around that Judge Frank A. Brownell had passed away during the night. It had been generally known that Judge Brownell was critically ill but his host of friends and neighbors were hoping for the best. He became sick from ptomaine poisoning while attending the sessions of the Masonic grand lodge in Denver last week. He came home but caught cold on the train and this developed into pneumonia.
The funeral services will be held at Elks’ hall Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock and will be participated in by the Masons, Odd Fellows and Elks. Judge Brownell was also a member of the Woodmen of the World lodge at La Jara. The interment will be in the Alamosa cemetery.
Frank Alva Brownell was born on November 14, 1866, near Lowell, Indiana. He was married on June 26, 1901, to Miss Minnie Cecelia Lorimor, at Peru, Iowa. He is survived by the widow, and a niece, Mrs. Opal Lorimor Brownell, who made her home with a Brownell’s as an accepted daughter. He is also survived by two brothers, Otto E. of Des Moines, Iowa, and Fred D. of Winterset, Iowa.
Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Brownell came to the San Luis Valley. They lived West of La Jara a year, then bought the ranch near Henry which reached such a high stage of development under the efficient management of Judge Brownell. A year ago they sold the place and came to Alamosa. For practically all of the time that he lived there judge Brownell was president of the school board in Star district. After the organization of Alamosa county in 1913, he was offered the appointment as county judge of the new county. He accepted and has filled the position since, having been re-elected twice.
Judge Brownell was a truly good man, and his place in the community, vacated in a breath, cannot be easily filled. As a friend said when he heard of Judge Brownell’s passing “It is not easy to replace such a man. It takes years of residence and mingling with people to acquire the influence which a man of Judge Brownell’s high character exerts”.
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