Born at the outbreak of the Civil War and given the same name as the First Lady, our great grandmother is shown above in 1939. She's pictured with her grandson, Richard Brown and a woman believed to be Mary Lincoln's daughter, Norma Dobson, and an infant we think is Frances Beverly, Richard and Esther's first born. Mary Lincoln's husband, Ralph Lee Brown, preceded her in death by 28 years. Meet our great-grandmother
Last week Stan's sister Sosie wrote to her Siblings about our great grandmother, Mary Lincoln Manley Brown. After organizing some closets and talking with Mom, she came up with a sweet vignette of a woman none of us knew.Sosie writes:
Mother remembers her paternal grandmother this way:
“Grandma Brown was a very tiny woman and tripped along on high heels with very little steps. She always walked to church Wednesday evenings for prayer meetings. She lived to age 88. Never weighed as much as 100 pounds.”
Mary Lincoln Manley was born to Amanda Fraley and Ira Manley in Philadelphia on July 8, 1861. She married Ralph Lee Brown and they had three children: Paul Manley, Norma, and Clinton Fiske.
This is the newspaper account of her death:
Mrs. Ralph Brown, who has spent considerable time at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. M. Dobson, died Tuesday at the Walker Home in Minneapolis where she has been living more recently. She was 88 years old, her family home in Aberdeen, SD. She leaves Mrs. Dobson and her two sons.
Mr. and Mrs. Dobson and Dr. and Mrs. Robert Petersen were in the south at the time, the Dobsons in Texas, the Petersens on a motor trip.
The funeral has been set tentatively for Saturday at Lakewood chapel, arrangements dependent on word received from Mrs. Dobson. Until that time Mrs. Brown will be at the Washburn-McReavy mortuary, 4th and Central, Minneapolis.
Her newspaper funeral announcement is more detailed:
Funeral services for Mrs. Ralph L. Brown who died March 28 at the Walker home in Minneapolis will be held at Lakewood chapel in Minneapolis on Monday at 3 pm.
Mrs. Brown, mother of Mrs. J. M. Dobson, had spent considerable time in St Cloud with her daughter prior to going to Minneapolis about a year and a half ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Dobson, who have been in Texas, will return in time for the funeral service.
Mrs. Brown, the former Mary Lincoln Manley, was born July 8, 1861, in Phileadelphia, Pa. She was married to Ralph Lee Brown at Tolono, Ill., in June 1879, and went with her husband as pioneers to South Dakota, where Mr. Brown engaged in real estate and banking business, living in Aberdeen, except for 10 years spent in Ashland, Ky. Mr. Brown died 28 years ago.
Mrs. Brown leaves two sons as well as Mrs. Dobson. There are nine grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren.
Her newspaper obituary notice includes the addresses of her children:
BROWN—Mary, age 88, of 3701 Bryant Ave. S. Survived by 2 sons Paul M. of Fessenden, ND, Clinton F. of Whitewater, Wis., 1 daughter Mrs. James M. Dobson, St. Cloud, Minn., 9 grandchildren & 28 great grandchildren. Services Monday 3 pm at Lakewood Chapel. Arrangements with Washburn-McReavy, AT 2369.
According to the mortuary book, Mary Lincoln Manley Brown died at 7 in the morning at the Walker Home at 3701 Bryant Avenue South in Minneapolis. Her funeral service at Lakewood Chapel was April 3, 1950, at 3:00 pm and she was laid to rest at Lakewood Cemetery at 3:30 pm. The soloist, Beverly Rolfsrud, sang Jesus, Rose of Sharon and Sunrise Tomorrow. (Mom was pregnant with Stephen Paul at that time.)
The following relatives attended the funeral and signed the book in this order: Mary Frances Petersen, Norma Brown Dobson, Clarence D. Chase, Judy Chase, David Wendel Chase, Sandra K. Chase, Beverly Brown Rolfsrud, Clinton Fisk Brown, Paul M Brown, Kaye B. Brown, Dorothy M. Chase, and (James Dobson).
A floral arrangement was sent from the Park Ave Methodist Church, so perhaps MLM Brown attended that church, either in St Cloud or Minneapolis.
But Mary L. Brown comes alive in this letter she quite legibly wrote two months before she died and sent to Mrs. H. B. Gough, 1501 2nd Ave. So, St Cloud, Minn:
3701 Bryant Ave. So.
Minneapolis, Minn
Jan. 18—1950
Dear Mrs Gough-
You will recognize the very pretty stationery you were so kind as to give me. I thank you very much and will enjoy using it.
I appreciated reading your Christmas letter. Sorry for you in the loss of your good mother but we all have to meet these “almost” heart-breaking experiences sooner or later, but the Lord always will help us if we call upon Him.
I had a happy Christmas in the Home. It is such a satisfactory place to live. I have become acquainted with Mrs. Nichols. She is a nice lady. Her friend Mrs. Olsen can’t come until there is a room for her. All are filled at present.
Aren’t we passing through the coldest weather. We do not leave the building. Do not have to (go) for a church Service as we have a lovely chapel and a good sermon every Sunday.
I am so in hopes you can come to see me before very long & then see our lovely Home. We have so many fresh flowers, most of the time. Have right now. I trust you & the family are well.
My love to you & the rest of the family.
Yours,
Mary L. Brown
“Grandma Brown was a very tiny woman and tripped along on high heels with very little steps. She always walked to church Wednesday evenings for prayer meetings. She lived to age 88. Never weighed as much as 100 pounds.”Mary Lincoln Manley was born to Amanda Fraley and Ira Manley in Philadelphia on July 8, 1861. She married Ralph Lee Brown and they had three children: Paul Manley, Norma, and Clinton Fiske.
This is the newspaper account of her death:
Mrs. Ralph Brown, who has spent considerable time at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. M. Dobson, died Tuesday at the Walker Home in Minneapolis where she has been living more recently. She was 88 years old, her family home in Aberdeen, SD. She leaves Mrs. Dobson and her two sons.
Mr. and Mrs. Dobson and Dr. and Mrs. Robert Petersen were in the south at the time, the Dobsons in Texas, the Petersens on a motor trip.
The funeral has been set tentatively for Saturday at Lakewood chapel, arrangements dependent on word received from Mrs. Dobson. Until that time Mrs. Brown will be at the Washburn-McReavy mortuary, 4th and Central, Minneapolis.
Her newspaper funeral announcement is more detailed:
Funeral services for Mrs. Ralph L. Brown who died March 28 at the Walker home in Minneapolis will be held at Lakewood chapel in Minneapolis on Monday at 3 pm.
Mrs. Brown, mother of Mrs. J. M. Dobson, had spent considerable time in St Cloud with her daughter prior to going to Minneapolis about a year and a half ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Dobson, who have been in Texas, will return in time for the funeral service.
Mrs. Brown, the former Mary Lincoln Manley, was born July 8, 1861, in Phileadelphia, Pa. She was married to Ralph Lee Brown at Tolono, Ill., in June 1879, and went with her husband as pioneers to South Dakota, where Mr. Brown engaged in real estate and banking business, living in Aberdeen, except for 10 years spent in Ashland, Ky. Mr. Brown died 28 years ago.
Mrs. Brown leaves two sons as well as Mrs. Dobson. There are nine grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren.
Her newspaper obituary notice includes the addresses of her children:
BROWN—Mary, age 88, of 3701 Bryant Ave. S. Survived by 2 sons Paul M. of Fessenden, ND, Clinton F. of Whitewater, Wis., 1 daughter Mrs. James M. Dobson, St. Cloud, Minn., 9 grandchildren & 28 great grandchildren. Services Monday 3 pm at Lakewood Chapel. Arrangements with Washburn-McReavy, AT 2369.
According to the mortuary book, Mary Lincoln Manley Brown died at 7 in the morning at the Walker Home at 3701 Bryant Avenue South in Minneapolis. Her funeral service at Lakewood Chapel was April 3, 1950, at 3:00 pm and she was laid to rest at Lakewood Cemetery at 3:30 pm. The soloist, Beverly Rolfsrud, sang Jesus, Rose of Sharon and Sunrise Tomorrow. (Mom was pregnant with Stephen Paul at that time.)The following relatives attended the funeral and signed the book in this order: Mary Frances Petersen, Norma Brown Dobson, Clarence D. Chase, Judy Chase, David Wendel Chase, Sandra K. Chase, Beverly Brown Rolfsrud, Clinton Fisk Brown, Paul M Brown, Kaye B. Brown, Dorothy M. Chase, and (James Dobson).
A floral arrangement was sent from the Park Ave Methodist Church, so perhaps MLM Brown attended that church, either in St Cloud or Minneapolis.
But Mary L. Brown comes alive in this letter she quite legibly wrote two months before she died and sent to Mrs. H. B. Gough, 1501 2nd Ave. So, St Cloud, Minn:
3701 Bryant Ave. So.
Minneapolis, Minn
Jan. 18—1950
Dear Mrs Gough-
You will recognize the very pretty stationery you were so kind as to give me. I thank you very much and will enjoy using it.
I appreciated reading your Christmas letter. Sorry for you in the loss of your good mother but we all have to meet these “almost” heart-breaking experiences sooner or later, but the Lord always will help us if we call upon Him.
I had a happy Christmas in the Home. It is such a satisfactory place to live. I have become acquainted with Mrs. Nichols. She is a nice lady. Her friend Mrs. Olsen can’t come until there is a room for her. All are filled at present.
Aren’t we passing through the coldest weather. We do not leave the building. Do not have to (go) for a church Service as we have a lovely chapel and a good sermon every Sunday.
I am so in hopes you can come to see me before very long & then see our lovely Home. We have so many fresh flowers, most of the time. Have right now. I trust you & the family are well.
My love to you & the rest of the family.
Yours,
Mary L. Brown
__________________________
Now Stan writes:
Kathleen and Stan's middle daughter, Marcelline, lives in Uptown, just four blocks from Lakewood Cemetery where Great Grandmother Mary Lincoln Manley Brown is buried. To find Lakewood, just take Hennepin Ave south until it ends in the cemetery. Today we called her and said we were going to hunt for the 1950 gravesite. She gladly joined us and we three set about the gorgeous confines of Lakewood Cemetery, on the bank of Lake Calhoun, looking for Mary Brown's grave.
Many illustrious Minnesotans are buried in Lakewood among the thousands of gravesites, and we were proud to know at least one, not counting Hubert H. Humphrey, of course.
Earlier we searched the Lakewood Cemetery blog ("Celebrating Life Since 1871") and found her plot listed as Section 45, Lot 153, Grave 5.
It was a gorgeous summer day, but, even armed with downloaded maps, this was no easy task. We found the Section right away, but orienting from there proved harder. The map said Lot 153 was in the row that starts with Nelson, just down from Litzenberg but not as far as Callahan. Kathleen spotted it first and shouted with jubiliation.
"Here she is!"
Sure enough, and it was a two-fer. Great Grandma was buried next to her husband Ralph. She had been widowed for 28 years before joining him on March 28, 1950.
After a couple of pictures at the Walker Home two blocks away, we took Marcy to lunch a couple of blocks further where her brother owns a nice restaurant. But first, we made her put her hand on great grandmother's grave and promise to visit it at least once a year as long as she lives in Uptown.She agreed, saying she'd probably do it in a few weeks because she didn't want to be carrying the burden that she might forget and let the family down.
