Funeral services for Rex Brown Sr., 97, of Marshall will be Thursday, June 14, 2007, at 10:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Marshall with the Rev. Joel McMahon officiating. Burial will be in Colonial Gardens under the direction of Downs Funeral Home. Mr. Brown passed away June 11, 2007, at Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview. He was born Oct. 29, 1909, in Ore City, to A. E. Brown and Cynthia Allen Armstrong Brown. In July of 1939, he married Bernice Skeans. During World War II, he served with the war training service in Dallas as a flight instructor. Post-war, he began working in the automobile business with J. B. Nehls, eventually taking ownership of the company. In partnership with his son, Rex Brown II, he continued to grow Nehls Chevrolet-Olds-Cadillac over the next 60 years. During that time, he co-founded several other businesses including Marshall Exploration, Reynolds Drilling and Roco Drilling. He served as a director of First National Bank from 1962 until 1998. A member of First United Methodist Church for most of his adult life, he was also an active member of the Men's Fellowship Sunday School Class and served on the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee. He enjoyed hunting, riding horses with children and grandchildren and traveling with his wife to many parts of the world. His beloved wife preceded him in death in 1992. Also preceding him in death were his parents; his brother, Dr. Wallace H. Brown of Shreveport; and his sisters, Lillian B. McAdow, Esther Hinson, and Irma Brown. Survivors include his sister, Norma Brown; his son, Rex Brown II and wife Gail; and his daughter, Nancy Brown Conwell and husband Ken. Surviving grandchildren are Rex Brown III and wife Trish, Allison Brown Pollitt and husband Sean, Jennifer Conwell Uygur and husband David, Caryn Conwell Barber and husband Mike. Mr. Brown's five great-grandchildren include Harrison and Chase Brown, Ellie and Luke Barber and Thomas Pollitt. He is also survived by many other loving friends and relatives. Pallbearers include Ken Conwell, Rex Brown III, David Uygur, Mike Barber, Sean Pollitt, Lee Degges, Jim Gooch and Charles Williams. Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church Memorial Fund, 300 E. Houston, Marshall, Tx., 75672, or the charity of the givers choice.

Published in the Marshall News Messenger on 6/13/2007.