Brown, Charles Century Farm 1884-1984

BROWN, STINTON, BRISTOW

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 8/9/2010 at 10:30:07

CENTURY FARM CERTIFICATE, 1884-1984

BROWN FAMILY GATHERS AT ADAVILLE CHURCH TO CELEBRATE CENTURY FARM

[Photo with this news article: Caption reads, Secretary of Agriculture Robert Launsberry presents Century Farm certificate and sign to Virginia Brown, Keith Brown and Shelly Brown during the Iowa State Fair.]

Over 60 descendants of the late Charles Brown gathered Sunday, Oct. 7, to celebrate the proclamation of the Brown Century Farm.

Following a morning worship service at the Adaville United Methodist church, rural Merrill, family members gathered in the church parlors. Mrs. Leonard (Virginia) Brown, Merrill, hosted the gathering, which included a buffet dinner.

Mrs. Brown owns 62.9 acres of the land in Liberty Township that was purchased by Charles Brown in 1884. Leonard and Dewey Brown owned the land in the interim. Keith and Shelly Brown, who own 11 acres where buildings are located, were co-hosts of the gathering.

Virginia Brown gave a brief history of the Charles Brown family. Charles was the son of Jacob and Mary Ann (Stinton) Brown, who were English immigrants.

Jacob Brown donated the land for the first church at Adaville and is thought to have been the first minister there.

Charles was the eldest son in a family of 16 children. Jacob and Mary Ann Brown later moved to California. Charles was the only child to remain in this area.

Charles married Edith Bristow in 1884. She was also an English immigrant. Her father, Henry Bristow, was a sailor who made several voyages to the South Seas and served as a first mate.

Charles Brown’s children were Amy Tindall, Alice Bryant, Mary, Grant, Wesley, Nelson, Elmer and Bertsel. Elmer, of rural Merrill, is the only living member of that generation. Mary was a principal teacher who never married and died at an early age.

The rest of the family lived and farmed in the Akron, Merrill and LeMars areas. All seven children were represented by family members at the Sunday gathering. ~selected portions of article

~Source: The LeMars Sentinel, October 1984