Blanche Aline Halford Brown, 90, died Saturday, August 28, 2010, at Woodmont Assisted Living in Tallahassee, Florida. She had been a resident of Tallahassee for the past 60 years. She was born in Detroit, Michigan, on January 21, 1920, where her father, James Willis Halford had accepted a job with the Ford Motor Company. Her mother, Louise Studstill Halford of Lakeland, Georgia died at age 23, two weeks after Blanche was born, due to the flu epidemic of 1920. When Blanche was three months old she went to live with her grandparents, Amanda Peeples and Americus Columbus Studstill in Lakeland, Georgia. The Studstills and Peeples were early pioneer families of Georgia and Florida. Blanche was proud to be a fourth generation of that family. In 1938, she married Victor Howard Brown of Repton, Alabama and had five children. When her youngest child started school, Blanche went to work outside the home and retired from the Florida Department of Commerce where she was a founding member of the Florida Commerce Credit Union. While working she was an active member of the Business and Professional Women's Club. Blanche and Victor were charter members of Fellowship Baptist Church in Tallahassee where they and their children developed many life long friendships. Blanche and Victor never met a stranger and welcomed everyone into their large farmhouse in Northwest Tallahassee where many Tallahassee children learned to ride horses and enjoy country life. Many of their children's friends lived with them while working or attending college. Blanche had a great sense of humor, was an avid reader and loved telling stories. She always had the answer to every question and surprised her children on Christmas 1997 with a book she wrote about her life, Growing Up In Wiregrass, Georgia. Blanche was a great cook and loved gatherings with friends, family and spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She is survived by two sons, John W. Brown, Tallahassee, J. Robert Brown (Cecilia) Ochlocknee, Ga.; two daughters, Vicki B. Fuqua (Harry) Marianna, Fla.; Jeannie Barrett (Tommy) Tallahassee; and 13 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by three half sisters, Bea Shepard, Louise Bennett, and Pat Sauls; and a half-brother, Earl Halford. She was preceded in death by her husband, Victor H. Brown; and a son, Joseph Michael Brown. The family will receive friends Wednesday, September 1, 2010, from 6 to 8 p.m. EDT at Culley's MeadowWood Riggins Road Chapel. Funeral service will be held 1 p.m. EDT Thursday, September 2, 2010, at Fellowship Baptist Church with burial in Oakland Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Gretchen Everhart School where her great grandson is a student.
Published in Tallahassee Democrat on August 30, 2010.