Merritt E. "Red, Brownie" Brown, age 95, of Janesville, died peacefully at home on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010. He was born in Bear Creek, Vernon County, WI on Dec. 9, 1914, the 11th of 16 children born to George E. and Luticia H. (Appleman) Brown. The family moved to the Milton area in 1923. He graduated from Milton Union High School in 1935 after having played on the 1932 to 1934 championship teams of Rock Valley Union Football. He was united in marriage to Regena M. McNally on June 15, 1940, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Janesville. Brownie worked for General Motors, Parker Pen and Durfee Brothers Roofing before embarking on his career with the Janesville Fire Department in September of 1944. After 30+ years of service, he retired with the rank of Battalion Chief. He served a term as president of Firefighters Local 580, was a member of the State Fire Chief Association, Rock County Fire Officers, and was on the board of directors for the Municipal Employees Credit Union. Until his passing he was a member of the Retired Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin. Brownie taught fire evacuation classes for Mercy Hospital personnel, totaling 35 years going well into his retirement. He spearheaded fund raising for paramedic ambulances in Janesville. He served as First Aid Chairman and instructor for the American Red Cross Rock County Chapter for over 20 years. Brownie was a professional blood donor for Mercy Hospital and then a regular donor for the Red Cross. He was a consistent presence and volunteer for many years for the Red Cross Bloodmobile. He served as Chief Inspector at the election polls for many years. In their later years Brownie and Regena were known on the south side as the senior couple who rode their power scooters on the sidewalk. He was a longtime member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, served on the Parish Council, and Property Commission and ushered for many, many years. A member of the Janesville Senior Center, serving as president and representative-at- large. Brownie and Regena were members of the Janesville Swinging Squares square dance club for over 40 years. He enjoyed playing Euchre with his grandchildren, who affectionately called him "Bumper Brown". He was survived by his loving wife of 69 years, Regena; 6 children; 16 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; 2 brothers-in-law; sister-in-law; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; 11 brothers: Sherrill, Forrest, Carlos, Vilas "Jack", Berlin "BJ", Nester, Orlin, Donald and Jewell, Lowell and Clausen in infancy; 4 sisters, Iva (Clifford) Hubbard, Madelia (Paul) Frye, Cretia (Rex) Addie and June (Joe) Taylor; and son-in-law, Larry Nichols. Interment in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Schneider Funeral Home.
=============
The following was contributed in November 2020 from Contributor: John Christeson (46562435) •

Merritt (Red) Edson Brown, son of George Edson Brown and Harriet Lutisha Appleman, was born December 9, 1914 in Vernon County, Wisconsin, died February 28, 2010 in Janesville, Rock County, Wisconsin, aged 95 years, 11 months and 19 days, and was buried in the family plot in Mount Olivet Cemetery.

On June 15, 1940, at Janesville, Rock County, Wisconsin, Merritt was united in marriage to
Regena Margaret McNally, was born May 12, 1918 in Milton, Rock County, Wisconsin, daughter of John P. McNally and Catherine V. Malone. She died April 4, 2010 in Beloit, Rock County,
Wisconsin, aged 91 years, 10 months and 22 days, and was buried next to the remains of her
husband in the Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Merritt, known as "Red" due to his red hair, joined the Janesville Fire Department in 1944 and
worked there until retirement. He also taught first aid for many years. Regena or Jeanie, as she
liked to be called, was a member of the Fireman's Auxiliary. Red and Regena enjoyed square
dancing and card playing and resided in Janesville.

Wedding

McNally - Brown

Regena McNally, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. P. McNally, Janesville, and Merritt E. Brown, Milton Junction, were married at 9 a. m. Saturday in St. Mary's church, Janesville, the Rev. E. J.
Beck officiating. Cousins attended the bride, Miss Mary McNally, Milton, being maid of honor
and Miss Catherine Malone, Johnstown, bridesmaid. Floyd McNally and Vilas Brown attended
the groom.

The bride wore white silk lace over satin, and her long veil fell from a crown of seed pearls. She carried a shower of sweetheart roses. Miss McNally wore pastel blue taffeta with white
accessories and Miss Malone wore pink taffeta with white accessories. They carried arm
bouquets of pink roses.

Breakfast was served to forty guests at the McNally home which was decorated with pink and
white peonies.

John Malone of Johnstown, 86 year old grandfather of the bride, and Jacob Appleman of La
Farge, 86 year old grandfather of the bridegroom, were among the guests as were a number of
Milton relatives.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown will reside in Janesville where he is employed by the Durfee Roofing
company.

* * * * *

Retired Fireman Merritt Brown
a Tireless Bloodmobile Worker

By SUSAN STEINWALL
of The Gazette Staff

When the bloodmobile was in town last year, Merritt Brown gave a blind woman a ride so she
could donate her blood.

The incident sticks in Brown's mind. "Some people can see well," he said, "but they can't see
to give blood."

Brown, 1427 Marquette, known to his friends as "Brownie," has been involved with the Rock
County Red Cross since the 1930s.

He took a first aid class and one thing seemed to lead to another. He recalls that in the 1940s,
he became a first aid instructor and from 1950 to 1965, served as first aid chairman for Rock
County Red Cross.

His wife, Regena, who admits "I've always been a home-stayer, " didn't volunteer her time to
the Red Cross until about four years ago. Now, whenever the bloodmobile comes to town, one
can find Regena busy "segmenting" (labeling according to blood type) bags of blood.

Merritt, since retired as first aid chairman, is usually recruited to transport the blood to
Madison at the end of every day.

"Brownie" was on the Janesville Fire department force for 30 years. He says he can't remember why he signed up for the initial first aid class, but it marked the beginning of many years of volunteer service.

While he was chairman of Red Cross first aid, he recalled that he spent some of his time training student nurses. He also conducted first aid classes for salaried employees at GMAD during a steel strike.

But one of his seemingly never-ending duties, he said, was searching for new instructors. First
aid teachers usually only "lasted a year or two," he noted.

Regena mixed her duties as mother and wife with volunteer work for the Red Cross and for Rock Haven.

The Browns, avid square dancers, are also active in St. Mary's Church affairs.

The Browns are concerned with the seeming lack of public interest in donating blood. When the bloodmobile was in Janesville this summer, Mrs. Brown said the collection fell short by
about 25 percent of the 852 pint quota.

She explained she has given blood every time she could. Her husband, once a "professional
donor" for Mercy Hospital, donated blood every time the bloodmobile is in Janesville. He can't
remember how many pints of blood he has donated to bloodmobiles and to the hospital throughout the years.

The bloodmobile is in Janesville four times a year. However, because the quota hasn't been met the last two times, the Browns report that the Red Cross is considering sending the bloodmobile here only three times a year.

This fall, the bloodmobile will be at the First Congregational Church, 54 S. Jackson, from 1 to 7 p.m., Monday, and from noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday. In addition, it will be at General Motors on
Wednesday and Thursday.

Needless to say, the Browns are hoping for a healthy turn-out. "I always hope to be able to
continue giving to the Red Cross," Merritt explained, "and not receive."

* * * * *
"Red" Browns mark
golden anniversary

"Red" and Regena Brown of 1427 Marquette in Janesville, will celebrate their 50th anniversary
Sunday, June 10, from 2 to 5 p.m. in St. Mary Center, 837 Parkview Dr.

Brown and Regena McNelly were married June 15, 1940 in St. Mary Catholic Church in Janesville.

He is a retired Janesville firefighter. The couple have six children; Chet and Ruth Brown of
Delafield; Tom and Linda Brown of Milton; Clarence and Joanne Shields of Janesville; Barbara of Milwaukee; Dale of Racine; and Brad and Collen Munger of Milwaukee. They have 12 grandchildren
(rest of article missing)

News Item

Merritt Brown, 78, demonstrates one way of carrying a hospital patient off a bed during an
emergency evacuation. Serving in the role of the patient for this photo is Mark Winke, an employee of Mercy Hospital.

Evacuation education

Brown reties after 35 years of teaching

By Jim Dowd
Gazette staff

Merritt Brown deserves a merit award.

The 78-year-old retired firefighter finally has called it quits after 35 years of teaching evacuation procedures to Mercy Hospital personnel.

Brown started the instruction in the mid-1950s, when he taught first-aid and evacuation classes on his days off from the fire department.

He retired from the fire department in 1974, but his teaching career continued.

"I thought I would get away from it when I retired 18 years ago, but it didn't work out that way," he laughed.

He volunteered the teaching time while he was with the fire department. Mercy offered a small salary after he retired, "just to keep me on," he said.

Brown's evacuation classes focused on teaching nurses and other hospital workers how to carry patients in case of a fire at the hospital. He authored the hospital's first evacuation plan in the 1960s.

He said he first learned about carrying patients while as a hospital in Chicago. Later he sent away for instruction books on the subject.

At the time, Brown said he was teaching first-aid classes to student nurses. After the first-aid
classes ended, he started teaching the students how to carry patients in an emergency.

While most of Brown's classes were done at Mercy Hospital, he also instructed personnel at the Rock County Health Care Center, Rock Haven and are nursing homes.

Brown chuckled about the time he complained that his then 4-year-old daughter was too heavy to carry.

The daughter said, "Why Dad, you carry all those nurses," Brown said.

Indeed Brown carried many nurses as he demonstrated five or six basic carrying techniques.

One technique has the patient draped over the back of the carrier with the arms lock around the carrier's neck. "A person can carry 70 to 80 pounds more than his or her own weight easily," Brown said.

Other techniques Brown taught included the hip carry, cradle drop, and swing carry. The hip carry drapes the patient around the hips of the carrier. In the cradle drop, the patient is lowered to a blanket on the floor and then dragged. In the swing carry, the patient sits between tow carriers.

Brown continued to do all of his own demonstrations, except for a period after he had back surgery.

"I still held the classes, but had someone else do the lifting." Brown said. He estimates he only
missed one or two classes in the 35 years.

"It just something I took an interest in and worked into it," Brown said.

Brown's volunteer work for the Rock County Blood Bank and overseeing the asbestos abatement program at St. Mary's Church keep him busy.

[Unknown newspaper and date.]
Contributor: John Christeson (46562435) •
=================================