Mrs. Jennie B. Brown Succumbs at 92

      Mrs. Jennie B. Brown, 92, a Teakean farm resident for 73 years before coming to Lewiston four years ago, died of the infirmities of age at 5:30p.m. Christmas Day at the Orchards Nursing Home at Lewiston.
      Mrs. Brown, widow of William L. Brown, had been at the nursing home for three months.
      She was born April 19, 1874, in McDonough County, Ill. She came with her parents, John Q and Ann Holladay to Reardan, Wash. in 1884. After four years at Readdan, they returned to Illinois for two weeks, then back to Washington.
      The following year they took a homestead in the Teakean vicinity. There she met William L. Brown, whose parents homesteatede in the Southwick area, and they were married at Southwick Dec. 23, 1894.
      He died March 11, 1954, and in 1962 she moved to 827A Linden Ave. at Lewiston. She was a member of the United Brethren Church.
      Surviving are six daughters, Mrs. Myrtle Powell, Teakean; Mrs. John L. (Anna) Bloom and Mrs. Eddie A. (Mayme) Nurmi, both Lewiston; Mrs. Thomas (Opal) Goin and Mrs. Eunice Fountain, both Port Angeles, Wash.; Mrs. Robert (Kathryn) McWatty, Seattle; a son Gifford Brown, Lenore; 23 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and 29 great-great-grandchildren.
      The funeral will be held at 11 Thursday morning at Brower-Wann Funeral Home at Lewiston. Burial will be at Normal Hill Cemetery.

Lewiston Morning Tribune , December 26, 1966


      Lewiston Morning Tribune - April 23, 1961

      Jennie Brown, Area Resident 75 Years, Marks 87th Birthday

      TEAKEAN - "I think I've seen about everyone come in this country," said Mrs. Jennie Bert Brown as she celebrated her 87th birthday Wednesday at the Teakean Community Church.
      About a dozen close friends and relatives attended the party arranged by her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Gifford Brown.
      "Grandma" Brown, as almost everyone calls her, was born in McDonough County, Illinois, April 19, 1874, the daughter of John Q. Holladay. The family moved to a farm near Reardan, Wash., in 1884 but returned to Illinois.
      "We hadn't been back there two weeks 'til Dad got that look in his eye and we came back to Washington in 1888," she said.
      In 1889 they came to Teakean and homesteaded the place where Mrs. Georgia Reece lives now.
      "We came Sept. 11 and at 4 p.m. we got to Choate's store. We didn't see the sun for a month because of the bad forest fires all around at that time," she said. They lived in a tent the first year while they cut logs for their cabin and barn.
      "We always thought times were pretty good in those days," said Mrs. Brown, whose mind is sharp despite failing eyesight and hearing.
      She married William L. Brown, who died in 1954, Dec. 23, 1894. They raised eight children, seven of whom are living.
      Starting when she was about 18 years old, she carried mail for four years by foot and horse from Southwick to Cedarville, a settlement about three miles east of Teakean. There is no one living there now.
     
Area Midwife

      Besides raising her large family, Mrs. Brown was the area midwife for many years. She cannot remember how many babies she delivered, but says she delivered babies for five doctors, Drs. Stoneburner, Watts, Horswell, Fairly and Lyle.
      "At one house I told them to call Dr. Fairly and tell him to hurry. After I got the baby delivered and washed up and mother all cleaned up, Dr. Fairly came walking in. 'Didn't I tell you to hurry,' I said, but he just said 'Yes, but I knew you were here and you're as good as any doctor at delivering babies.' "
      More than 500 quilts have been pieced by "Grandma" Brown and the Teakean Community Club is currently quilting one of the tops she pieced.
      "By the time I was eight I had pieced two quilts. I stayed with my grandmother to go to school and she taught me how," she said.
      Mrs. Brown taught school at Teakean, served on the Ahsahka election board for 16 years, and walked or rode horse back three miles to get an education. She is a member of the United Brethren in Christ Church at Cream Ridge.
      "In all my years, I have never found anyone with a birthday the same day as mine, April 19," she said, "and I hope someday to find someone."
      She lives now with her son, Gifford Brown, at Teakean. Her daughters are Mrs. Myrtle Powell of Teakean, Mrs. Les Bloom, Mrs. T.C. Goin and Mrs. Frank (Eunice) Fountain of Port Angeles, Wash., Mrs R. J. (Kay) McWatty of Seattle, and Mrs. Ed (Mayme) Nurmi of Lewiston. She also has 23 grandchildren, 39 great grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren.




Transcribed by Jo Frederiksen, 2014