Delbert Erven Brown, 87

Delbert Erven Brown, 87, was born Nov. 1, 1928, to Harry and Della Brown in Gurley, Nebraska.

He passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sept. 26, 2016, in Lakewood, Colorado, from heart failure.

Delbert is survived by his sons (and daughters-in-law) Robert Erven Brown (Kathy) of Phoenix, Roger Kelley Brown (Susan) of Golden, Colorado, Thomas Edward Brown (Katie) of Bigfork, and Richard Lynn Brown of Lakewood, Colorado; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by Grace Nadine Mong Brown, his beloved wife of 67 years, his father Harry F. Brown, his mother Della Badgett Brown, and his brothers Artie Norval Brown, Harry Arthur Brown, Malon Wilbur Brown and Donald Raymond Brown.

When Delbert was born, his mother was 48 years old and the oldest of his four brothers was 17. Harry and Della Brown and their boys worked a hardscrabble, dawn-to-dusk life farming near Gurley, Nebraska, and Veteran, Wyoming, before moving to Yoder, Wyoming, in 1944. Del attended Yoder High School but, like many of his classmates, his school attendance ended early in the spring so he could help get the crops in and was delayed in the fall until the harvest was over. He met Grace Mong during his senior year, which was her junior year. Although she declined an invitation to a school social early in the school year, Del persisted, and they began a lifelong friendship that year which turned into a romance after Grace accepted his invitation to the senior prom.

With his four older brothers in the military, Del continued to work on the farm after graduation. Grace graduated and moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to take a summer job at the Citizens’ National Bank and then postponed her acceptance of a scholarship at the University of Wyoming to work at the bank for a year. Despite the distance, their romance blossomed and Grace never made it to Laramie. On June 3, 1948, Delbert and Grace were married at the First Presbyterian Church in Torrington, Wyoming. As Del was fond of saying, “That was the best decision I ever made.”

Del joined the Army National Guard that year and served for three years. He continued to work hard, often holding down two jobs for the next several years in Torrington, driving a truck for the local Texaco distributor and covering evening shifts at the sugar factory. Grace gave birth to the first two of their four sons there, Robert and Roger, in 1949 and 1952.

Del and Grace moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, when he was accepted to the Wyoming Highway Patrol Academy. Del was sworn in as a highway patrolman on Feb. 1, 1954, and was transferred to Gillette, for a “temporary” assignment that lasted five years and led to a 22-year stay. Sons Thomas and Richard were born there in 1956 and 1957. The hard work and long hours continued. At that time, Campbell County, a land area the size of Connecticut, had two city police officers, one county sheriff and one state highway patrolman.

As his boys got older, Del wanted to be more available for his family and left the patrol in 1959. He went to work at the Stockmen’s Bank where he worked for 17 years, serving as security officer, bookkeeper, teller, assistant cashier, loan officer, assistant operations officer and bankcard manager. During a period of dramatic growth in Gillette and with college-age sons, Del decided to try his hand at selling real estate, and he managed to sell a million dollars worth of property in a 10-month period, an accomplishment he was very proud of.

After their sons left home, Del and Grace decided to move to Cheyenne in 1977, where Del worked at American National Bank and then Rocky Mountain Federal Bank for the next 10 years, serving as a vice president and loan officer. He joined the Laramie County Treasurer’s Office for five years before retiring in 1992. While Grace continued working, Del kept active with community and service activities and, of course, some fishing and golf.

In 1999, Del and Grace moved to Bigfork to be near sons Tom and Bob and their families, and to enjoy the beauty and outdoor recreation of the Flathead Valley. They returned to Cheyenne in 2007 and continued their community and volunteer activities along with traveling and keeping tabs on their grandchildren. In 2012, Del and Grace moved to Golden, Colorado, to be closer to their sons Roger and Richard and their families.

A man of deep faith, Del was a lifelong Christian and member of the Presbyterian Church wherever he lived, serving as treasurer, deacon and elder. Del belonged to numerous community, fraternal and service organizations and held a variety of volunteer service and leadership positions. A partial list includes charter member and first president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce in Gillette, president of the Gillette District No. 1 School board, member of the Lions Club and the Odd Fellows Lodge, a 54-year member of the Masonic Lodge, a 22-year member of the Shriners Club, including service in the Indian and Clown Patrols that entertain children, board of directors for Goodwill Industries, and many years as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

Del loved the outdoors, especially playing golf, fishing, hunting and camping with friends and family. He particularly enjoyed sharing his passion for it with his children and grandchildren. His love of nature was infectious and inspired three generations of fishers, hunters, golfers, hikers, campers and a career conservationist.

During his 87 years with us in Wyoming, Montana and Colorado, Delbert Brown quietly and humbly lived his life with dedication to the timeless values of hard work, self-improvement, truth, liberty, human dignity, fellowship, community, brotherly love, relief of others’ suffering, and love of God. Above all, Del deeply loved Grace and his family and was a truly good man who sought to pass his values on to his sons. He was the kind of father, grandfather, great-grandfather and role model that all children should have – funny, loving, caring, principled, and firm, but forgiving.

The family will be holding a memorial service to celebrate Delbert’s life at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, at the First Presbyterian Church, Cheyenne. The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers be made at www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org or the American Diabetes Association at www.donations.diabetes.org.

Olinger Woods Chapel in Golden, Colorado, is handling the arrangements; www.olingerwoodschapel.com.