Emelda Jane Brown

Brown, Emelda J. (Age 79) Passed away on February 3, 2011. Emelda J. (Smith) Brown was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 3, 1931, to Anaise Valcour and Emanuel Smith. She was the youngest of three children. She remained in New Orleans and attended grade school at Booker T. Washington and Macdonald 35 schools. She left her longtime friends and moved to California in 1949 to live with relatives where she finished high school and some college at the Vallejo High School and Vallejo Junior College. In 1950, she met Manuel Brown to whom she was happily married to for over 58 years until her passing. Emelda and family moved to Spokane in 1960 at the orders of the government where they lived for over 50 years with the exception of 3 years in Spain. She loved those years in Spain and learned to speak the language very well. She enjoyed sewing, cooking, fishing, painting, flower gardening, decorating and writing. Emelda became a member of Calvary Baptist Church in 1960 and remained a member until her death. She was also a member of many national and local committees and organizations; Spokane Chapter of the Links, Inc.; National Coalition of 100 Black Women; Avista Scholarship Fund Committee; National Writer’s Guild and The National Library of Poetry for which she has published poetry. Emelda is survived by her husband, Manuel; two sons, Dwan & Timothy (Spokane, WA); son, Manuel III and daughter-in-law Rhonda (Issaquah, WA); daughter, Inez (Tampa, FL); sister, Yvonne Dupont (New Orleans, LA); 13 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, 1 grandson-in-law, 1 granddaughter-in-law, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Visitation will be held on Friday, February 11, 2011, from 3:00 P.M. till 7:30 P.M. at Ball & Dodd Funeral Home. A home-going service will be held at Calvary Baptist Church, East 203 Third Avenue, Spokane, WA, 99202, on Saturday, February 12, 2011, at 10 A.M. Entombment Greenwood Memorial Terrace.