Mary Ellen Brown
Mary Ellen Brown, 88 passed away peacefully surrounded by family, on Friday Dec. 2, 2022.
She was born Jan. 20, 1934, in Sedro-Wooley Washington to Lee and Leola Markin. She married the love of her life, Sidney Brown on July 5th, 1952. The couple enjoyed 40 wonderful years together on the farm until Sidney’s passing in 1992. Mary enjoyed many hobbies over the years. Her favorite was travel but if it was on a train she was elated. The train allowed her to take in the countryside during her travels and that was most enjoyable to her. Often, she would take grandchildren with her to take in the experience. A favorite pastime of hers was to reminisce about her travels by going over maps of the many places she had visited. Other hobbies included her love for cooking resulting in her publishing her own cookbook – “Queens Kitchen”. Sewing was always a lifelong hobby. She loved quilt making, made many wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses and designed several fun baby blankets Mary stayed active in her retirement years. She was a department manager at Walmart where she loved working in the fabrics department. Often, customers would bring in their creations to show her and she enjoyed them all. In later years she enjoyed and anticipated her Red Hat Ladies get-togethers and meeting with her Walmart friends for lunch. She enjoyed planting and tending to flowers and was especially fond of feeding and watching birds. She was known to have slapped an occasional possum that got into the bird feeder.
Mary is survived by her sister, Lois Sladkey, Huntington Beach, CA; her seven children, Dennis (Kay) Galesville, Karen Durst (Ken) Cambridge, Ann Burke (Kevin), Viroqua, Lebbeus (Angela), Gays Mills, Janet Heller (Bryant), Wisconsin Dells, Joey (Ashley) Wauzeka, and David (Erin), Gilberts, IL. She was also survived by 23 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and another one on the way, two great-great grandchildren and many beloved nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Her husband Sidney Brown and two sisters Leola Brown, Houston, Texas and Joan Riley, Boscobel.
She will be sadly missed by her family and friends. Family would like to thank St. Croix hospice and Soldiers Grove Health Services for their wonderful support and care they showed to our mother. Services will be held at the Mt Zion Methodist Church in Mt Zion on Saturday Dec. 10th at 11:30 am with Wayne Goplin officiating. Service followed by a luncheon and Celebration of Life.
