Bill Gene Brown

Bill G. Brown

1930 - 2015 | Obituary

Bill G. Brown, 85, of Newton, died Monday (June 22, 2015) at the Newton Medical Center.

He was born on February 10, 1930 on the family farm in Marion County, Kansas, the son of Gilespie Epp and Eva Lawson Brown. He graduated from Peabody-Burns High School.

Bill married Norma Lee Riggs on January 25, 1947 in El Dorado, Ks. After being married, they lived in Burns and Russell, Kansas before moving to Potwin where he worked at Vickers Refinery until moving to Newton in the mid 1950's.

Bill was the manager for the McLain Grain Elevator from 1957 until 1977. He then purchased the Newton Municipal Golf Course, where in the mid 80's they turned it into a grass green course, which he operated until retiring in 2005.

Bill and Norma enjoyed traveling to South Texas and South Florida. She died on February 21, 1990. He later married Virginia L. Garrett Schultz on July 23, 1991. They continued their annual trips to Florida. Virginia died on July 20, 2011.

Bill was also an avid fisherman and gun collector. He was a member of the Newton Masonic Lodge and the Scottish Rite Consistory in Wichita.

Survivors include his sons Mike Brown of Newton and Bill D. Brown and his wife Pam of Miami, Florida; son-in-law Ronald Flickinger of Newton; sister Blanche Cowan of Stockton, Mo.; 12 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild.

Bill is also preceded in death by his parents; daughter Shirley Ellen Flickinger; brother Richard M. Brown; and sister Elsie Uphoff.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Friday (June 26, 2015) at the Broadway Colonial Funeral Home. Interment will be in the Greenwood Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home on Thursday, 1pm til 8pm where the family will receive friends between 6 and 7 in the evening.

A memorial has been established with the Newton Masonic Lodge and Wichita Scottish Rite, contributions may be sent to Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway, Newton, Ks. 67114.

Condolences may be left at www.broadwaycolonialfh.com

Arrangements are by Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, Newton.

Published in The Kansan on June 24, 2015