Mary Brown

Mary E. Brown was born in Oakland, Mississippi, on May 1, 1927, to the union of Willie and Addie Mae Williams. Mary accepted Christ at the age of 13 at Massey Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Oakland, Mississippi. She met and married Frank Brown, AKA Winston Anderson, and their union produced ten children - seven girls and three boys. Frank and Mary moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1947. The family joined Tabernacle Baptist Church under the leadership of Sr. Pastor Earnest Rhodes. Faith, family, and friends were a fundamental, yet essential to raising their family with spiritual values. Frank and Mary purchased their first home in 1959 in Council Bluffs, where the family lived for 65 years with generations of family memories. 

She was an active member at Tabernacle Baptist Church for over 67 years and served in numerous roles. Mary served as President of the Ushers' Board, Mothers' Board, Mission Board, and Pastor's Anniversary Chairperson, and was affiliated with the New Era State Ushers of Omaha, Nebraska. 

She was employed for 35 years at Blue Star, AKA Con Agra Foods, receiving numerous employee service recognition awards for "Service Excellence". She joyfully retired from Con Agra Foods in 1979, leaving a host of friends and co-workers who loved her and often visited even after she retired. Mary loved to cook and was known in the neighborhood and community and throughout the family for being a fantastic cook and baker. She was known for her signature dishes like fried corn, collard greens, fried chicken, yams, cakes, sweet potato pies, peanut brittle, cinnamon rolls, peach cobbler, and bread rolls. She started our family Sunday Dinner tradition that was also extended to many close family friends and neighbors. Her tradition lives on with family members today at Sunday Dinner gatherings with our next generations. She was an excellent scratch-only cook, who rarely, if ever, used off-the-shelf box mixes.

 Mary was blessed with a green thumb and enjoyed planting beautiful flowers around the family home. She enjoyed the creation of putting together flower arrangements until the very end. Flowers were her pride and joy during the summer months as she enjoyed showing friends and neighbors around her yard which was filled with beautiful flowers from April to October of each year. 

Mary Brown is preceded in death by her mother, Addie Mae Williams-Bland; paternal father, Willie Williams; siblings, Artimisha Williams, Eddie B. Williams, Edna Rice, George Williams, Leslie Williams; siblings with Addie Mae Williams-Bland and stepfather Jack Bland - John C. Bland, R.D. Bland, Georgia B. Floyd, Nobia Mae, Griffin, Ernest Green Bland, husband Frank Brown Sr., AKA Winston Anderson; daughter, Ella D. Brown; sons, Frankie Jr. and Melvin Brown. 

Mary leaves to cherish her life, the following children: Lou Dean Dunbar (James) Omaha NE, Regina Arvin (Darrell) Kennesaw GA, Linda Scoggins (Daryl) Minneapolis MN, Raymond Brown (Gayle) Chino, CA, Rosemary Smith (Gregory, deceased) Omaha NE, Damita Byrd (Malaby Jr.) Omaha NE, Juanita Cobb (Rodney) Spring TX; stepdaughter, Lillie Thompson, Memphis TN. 

She was blessed to have a large family village that included 18 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren, for a total of 48. God has truly blessed Mary's family to also leave a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and best friend, Mrs. Thelma McIntosh, and family. 

Visitation will be held from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM at Hoy Kilnoski Funeral Home on Friday, August 16, 2024. Funeral Service will be held at 12:00 PM at Hoy Kilnoski Funeral Home on Friday, August 16, 2024.