Mary Ellen Brown

Mary Ellen Martin Brown was born on August 3, 1930 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She moved to Colorado with her parents and brother, Sam, when she was 16 years old. She graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in May of 1948. One year, she was homecoming royalty.

After she graduated, she attended the University of Colorado for two years. She was a sister in the Kappa Delta Sorority and while she was at CU, she met her future husband, Gene C. Brown. They were married in Denver, Colorado, on November 11, 1951.

After Gene graduated from CU, they moved to Wichita, Kansas, for a year and then moved on to Colorado Springs where they resided for 21 years. In December 1973, the family moved again to Salt Lake City as Gene took a new position with North West Pipeline. During the time Mary Ellen lived in Salt Lake City, she and Gene divorced. She then decided to go back to college and finish her degree in Business Management.

Mary Ellen moved to Lakewood, CO in 1989 and worked at the Federal Center in Lakewood and then at a First Presbyterian Church as office manager until she retired.

Mary Ellen was passionate about music and taught her four daughters to sing at early ages. She played the piano and cello. Piano recitals were bi-annual celebrations for the entire family. Mary Ellen was an excellent seamstress, who sewed many of her daughters' clothes, including two wedding dresses for Susan and Jean Ellen. She also loved to go antique shopping and refinished several antique tables for use in her home.

Mary Ellen passed away on Friday, December 13, 2013, after a brief illness.