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William "Bill" Brown | Visitation:
Friday, June 6, 2008
6:00 PM until 8:00 PM
Martin-Mattice Funeral Home
Ruthven, IA
Service:
Saturday, June 7, 2008
11:00 AM
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Ruthven, IA
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| | | In Loving Memory of
William James Brown
May 13, 1915 ~ June 3, 2008
SERVICE
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Ruthven, Iowa
Saturday, June 7, 2008, 11:00 A.M.
CONCELEBRANTS
Rev. Peter Nguyen
Rev. Tom Geelan
MUSIC
Erin Schany ~ Vocalist
Sue Rouse ~ Organist
EUCHARISTIC MINISTER
Heather Wirtz
LECTOR
Angie DeGooyer
CASKET BEARERS
Tim Brown
John Brown, Jr.
Andy Brown
Paul Freeman
Mike Brown
Dave Brown
Jim Brown, Jr.
USHERS
Marty Geelan
Bob Finnegan
INTERMENT
Calvary Cemetery
Ruthven, Iowa
William James Brown, son of W.H. and Mary Gertrude (Donahue) Brown, was born May 13, 1915 on a farm northeast of Ruthven, Iowa. He received his early education at the country school and graduated from Ruthven High School in 1932.
In 1939, Bill moved to a farm seven miles southeast of Ruthven, which he purchased and farmed until he retired in 1977. On June 1, 1940 Bill was united in marriage to Margie Thomson in Ruthven, Iowa. To this union four children were born: Colleen, Bill, Jane, and Mary. In October of 1977 Bill and Margie moved into their new home in Ruthven and began wintering in Mercedes, Texas. In Texas they continued to widen their circle of friends and provided family and friends the opportunity to visit them and enjoy the southern climate and hospitality. Texas provided Bill the opportunity to continue to hone his card playing skills in gin rummy, poker, euchre and many social card games played daily and on Friday nights for pennies and nickels with other couples.
Bill and Margie were fortunate and were able to travel abroad to Ireland, Italy, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, as well as Alaska and Hawaii and numerous other states in the Union. Throughout their travels they made many new friends and enjoyed the “flavor” of each region while traveling “off the beaten path” and mingling with the locals. Bill had a genuine interest in people and accepted and appreciated everyone.
Bill was an active member of the community; he served on the Ruthven Coop Elevator and Telephone Boards for numerous years. He was also a life-long parishioner of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Bill died Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at the Spencer Municipal Hospital at the age of 93. He was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Gertrude; a daughter, Jane Finnegan; two brothers, Bob and Dick Brown; a sister, Kay Hyde; a grandson, Nicholas DeGooyer; and a son-in-law, Marvin Anderson.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Margie; his children, Colleen (Coke) Anderson of Sioux Rapids, Bill Brown Jr. and wife Connie of Ruthven, Mary Hoefner and husband John of Glendale, Arizona; son-in-law, Dennis Finnegan of Omaha, Nebraska; his grandchildren, Angela DeGooyer, Jeannette Raglen, Heather Wirtz, Trisha Bruning, Erin Schany, Todd Brown, Sheena Finnegan, Megan Finnegan, Ryan Finnegan, Josie Roeschley, Jennie Kenney; seventeen great grandchildren, Cole & Conner Raglen, Danny DeGooyer, Bradley, Matthew, Justin, & Ryan Wirtz, Mackenzie, Avery, & Cael Bruning, Molly, Emily, & Rachel Schany, Samantha & Jack Finnegan, Joelle & Hunter Kenney; three brothers, John J. Brown of Emmetsburg, Iowa, Jim Brown of Omaha, Nebraska, and Donald J. Brown of Des Moines, Iowa; a sister, Rosemary Sneeringer of Seattle, Washington; as well as many other relatives and friends, particularly his card playing buddies in Ruthven.
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