Ezra D. Brown was the third child of French M. and Virginia Mae (Rexroad) Brown. Everyone called him Brownie. In his young years he sang at church with his brothers and sister. He enjoyed bluegrass and gospel music all his life.
He was a jack-of-all-trades and master of quite a few. He did lumberjacking in Northern California. He had done finish cement work at one time. He finished the cement floor at his local church with no ripples or scrape marks in its smooth-as-glass surface. He loved to hunt and fish, going north each year for the Thanksgiving weekend, taking with him the mincemeat pie made especially for him. He built his own hunting cabin in Alpena with no help at all. He knew electrical work. He could drive a double bottom oil truck. He knew plumbing. He grew up farming. At home he planted and cared for an acre of garden and had another garden up north. He made excellent crepe-like buckwheat pancakes and a tasty chocolate cream pie.
He was easy-going and got along with just about everyone. He had a puckish sense of humor. When his wife, on occasion, chased him from the house with a broom for his teasing, he ran, laughing all the way. He had a large and loving heart. He adopted the three children of his wife's first marriage and they had five more. They were all his own. He liked little ones and was a kid-magnet. They knew, somehow, that they didn't need to fear him. He built swings in both the trees in his front yard for his children and grandchildren.
For many years he worked as a boiler operator in a local power plant, occasionally snowbound for 2-3 days at work when the weather turned icy and people in following shifts couldn't get in. With eight children to care for, he put in plenty of overtime. In those days caller ID was not available. Everyone knew that when he was too tired to work more overtime, he was not at home to phone callers.
He never got the chance to enjoy retirement. He developed lung cancer in early 1982 and despite treatment, was gone before Christmas. I'm quite confident that Anna is chasing Brownie around with a broom in Heaven.
He was a jack-of-all-trades and master of quite a few. He did lumberjacking in Northern California. He had done finish cement work at one time. He finished the cement floor at his local church with no ripples or scrape marks in its smooth-as-glass surface. He loved to hunt and fish, going north each year for the Thanksgiving weekend, taking with him the mincemeat pie made especially for him. He built his own hunting cabin in Alpena with no help at all. He knew electrical work. He could drive a double bottom oil truck. He knew plumbing. He grew up farming. At home he planted and cared for an acre of garden and had another garden up north. He made excellent crepe-like buckwheat pancakes and a tasty chocolate cream pie.
He was easy-going and got along with just about everyone. He had a puckish sense of humor. When his wife, on occasion, chased him from the house with a broom for his teasing, he ran, laughing all the way. He had a large and loving heart. He adopted the three children of his wife's first marriage and they had five more. They were all his own. He liked little ones and was a kid-magnet. They knew, somehow, that they didn't need to fear him. He built swings in both the trees in his front yard for his children and grandchildren.
For many years he worked as a boiler operator in a local power plant, occasionally snowbound for 2-3 days at work when the weather turned icy and people in following shifts couldn't get in. With eight children to care for, he put in plenty of overtime. In those days caller ID was not available. Everyone knew that when he was too tired to work more overtime, he was not at home to phone callers.
He never got the chance to enjoy retirement. He developed lung cancer in early 1982 and despite treatment, was gone before Christmas. I'm quite confident that Anna is chasing Brownie around with a broom in Heaven.
Ezra D. Brown was the third child of French M. and Virginia Mae (Rexroad) Brown. Everyone called him Brownie. In his young years he sang at church with his brothers and sister. He enjoyed bluegrass and gospel music all his life.
He was a jack-of-all-trades and master of quite a few. He did lumberjacking in Northern California. He had done finish cement work at one time. He finished the cement floor at his local church with no ripples or scrape marks in its smooth-as-glass surface. He loved to hunt and fish, going north each year for the Thanksgiving weekend, taking with him the mincemeat pie made especially for him. He built his own hunting cabin in Alpena with no help at all. He knew electrical work. He could drive a double bottom oil truck. He knew plumbing. He grew up farming. At home he planted and cared for an acre of garden and had another garden up north. He made excellent crepe-like buckwheat pancakes and a tasty chocolate cream pie.
He was easy-going and got along with just about everyone. He had a puckish sense of humor. When his wife, on occasion, chased him from the house with a broom for his teasing, he ran, laughing all the way. He had a large and loving heart. He adopted the three children of his wife's first marriage and they had five more. They were all his own. He liked little ones and was a kid-magnet. They knew, somehow, that they didn't need to fear him. He built swings in both the trees in his front yard for his children and grandchildren.
For many years he worked as a boiler operator in a local power plant, occasionally snowbound for 2-3 days at work when the weather turned icy and people in following shifts couldn't get in. With eight children to care for, he put in plenty of overtime. In those days caller ID was not available. Everyone knew that when he was too tired to work more overtime, he was not at home to phone callers.
He never got the chance to enjoy retirement. He developed lung cancer in early 1982 and despite treatment, was gone before Christmas. I'm quite confident that Anna is chasing Brownie around with a broom in Heaven.
He was a jack-of-all-trades and master of quite a few. He did lumberjacking in Northern California. He had done finish cement work at one time. He finished the cement floor at his local church with no ripples or scrape marks in its smooth-as-glass surface. He loved to hunt and fish, going north each year for the Thanksgiving weekend, taking with him the mincemeat pie made especially for him. He built his own hunting cabin in Alpena with no help at all. He knew electrical work. He could drive a double bottom oil truck. He knew plumbing. He grew up farming. At home he planted and cared for an acre of garden and had another garden up north. He made excellent crepe-like buckwheat pancakes and a tasty chocolate cream pie.
He was easy-going and got along with just about everyone. He had a puckish sense of humor. When his wife, on occasion, chased him from the house with a broom for his teasing, he ran, laughing all the way. He had a large and loving heart. He adopted the three children of his wife's first marriage and they had five more. They were all his own. He liked little ones and was a kid-magnet. They knew, somehow, that they didn't need to fear him. He built swings in both the trees in his front yard for his children and grandchildren.
For many years he worked as a boiler operator in a local power plant, occasionally snowbound for 2-3 days at work when the weather turned icy and people in following shifts couldn't get in. With eight children to care for, he put in plenty of overtime. In those days caller ID was not available. Everyone knew that when he was too tired to work more overtime, he was not at home to phone callers.
He never got the chance to enjoy retirement. He developed lung cancer in early 1982 and despite treatment, was gone before Christmas. I'm quite confident that Anna is chasing Brownie around with a broom in Heaven.
