Ralph R. “Brownie” Brown, age 87, of Evansport, Ohio, passed away suddenly at 7:23 P.M. on Wednesday, November, 27, 2019, in his home.
Mr. Brown began working at the GM plant in Defiance, Ohio, at nineteen years old and after less than a year was drafted into the United States Army, proudly serving in Korea during the Korean Conflict.
He was trained in heavy mortar and while in Korea they were in need of truck drivers, so being a good old farm boy who could drive anything, he hauled troops and everything from soup to nuts. He loved those big trucks.
Upon return from serving his country, he returned to GM working as a millwright, retired with thirty-six and a half years of service to the company. He was a member of the Union Chapel Church of God near Bryan, Ohio, and also Post #3360 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Defiance.
He was a “family first” type of guy who enjoyed camping, fishing and hunting. He was always tinkering and keeping busy and could fix most anything. Having been raised in Michigan to the age of twelve, Ralph’s heart was in Michigan, where he loved to spend time at the River Rasin area near Jackson and was an avid Detroit Tiger fan.
A strong advocate of his second amendment rights he would always say, “You can take my guns when you pry them from my cold dead hands” and he instilled the same belief in all his children.
Ralph R. Brown was born on October 22, 1932, in Norvell Township in Jackson County, Michigan, the son of Forrest J. and Ida (Miller) Brown. He married Barbara Jane Fenstermaker on August 17, 1957, at the Chapel of the Garden in Angola, Indiana, and she survives.
Surviving in addition to his wife are four daughters, Cindy (James) Freshour, of Cecil, Ohio, Teri (Gary) DeLine, of Stryker, Ohio, Julie (Larry) Freshour, of Bryan, and Pam (Tony Przepiora) Brown, of Bryan; one son Ralph (Karla) Brown, Jr., of Defiance; eighteen grandchildren, Joe Eldridge, Stephanie (Joe) Zimmerman, Valerie (Jeremiah) Garcia, Shawna (Tracy ) Westrick, Skylar (Kit Tiell) Mettert, Larry (Stacy) Freshour, Cassie (Andrew) Carlin, James (Judi “Ruby”) Bishop, Zachary Brown, Zane Brown and Trevor Przepiora; nineteen great-grandchildren, Ronatta Campbell, Cooper, Maggie, Grant, and Ben Zimmerman, Micah, Rayna and Zaria Garcia, Victoria Rios, Chase, Andrew, Griffin, and Emmalyn Westrick, Landon and Lexi Freshour, Ava Carlin and Dacey Bishop; one great-great-grandchild, Ryelle Gibson; two brothers, Forrest Brown, of Camden, Michigan, and Rex Brown, of Webster, Florida; one sister, Wilma Michaels, of Montpelier, Ohio; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by six brothers, Boyd, Donald, Clyde, Walter, Richard and Eddie Brown; and three sisters, Elva Gurnsey, Clara Kunesh, and Shirley Knapp.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 4, 2019, from 2:00-8:00 P.M. in the Krill Funeral Home, 860 West Mulberry Street, Bryan. Services will be held on Thursday, December 5, 2019, at 11:00 A.M. in the Krill Funeral Home, Bryan, with Pastor Dennis Jones officiating, where the family will receive visitors for one hour prior to the service, from 10:00-11:00 A.M. They also request that your dress be informal to honor Ralph’s wishes. Interment will follow in Evansport Cemetery with military rites conducted by Defiance Post #3360 of the VFW and the United States Army Honor Guard.
Memorials are requested to Union Chapel Church of God or Tiffin Township Fire Department.