James Edsel Brown (92) passed away peacefully in his home on March 29, 2018 surrounded by loved ones. He was born to Snowden and Delia Blanton Brown White Oak (Williams) Morgan County KY. He had twin brothers Everett Clay and Charles Ray and a sister, Marcia Ann Hansberger. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother Charles Ray.
James served as a House Page and graduated in 1943 from Capitol Page School at the US Capitol. Lady Eleanor Roosevelt presented him his high school diploma. He graduated from the University of KY college of Pharmacy in 1951 and remained a Big Blue (Wildcat) fan his entire life.
He married Mayme Olene Joseph in 1952 and they were married for 60-years until her passing into Glory on April 4, 2013. He had 4 children James Edsel Brown II (preceded him in death), Joseph David (Tina), John Mark and Mary Ann Brennan (Tim). He had 8 grandchildren.
He co-owned his first drugstore Calico and Brown in Mt. Sterling, KY before attending Southwestern Theological Seminary graduating with a Divinity degree in 1956. After graduation he served as the president of the Magoffin Baptist Institute from 1956-1960, a 1st-12th grade boarding school run by the Kentucky Baptist Convention. In 1960 he bought a drugstore in Seminole, FL and sold it in 1963 to serve as a pharmacist and hospital administrator with the Southern Baptist Convention in Shaki, Nigeria, West Africa and served there with his family until 1966. At that time he and his family moved back to Seminole, FL where he purchased Warren Pharmacy in St. Petersburg, FL until he sold it in 1977. He continued to do pharmacy relief work until his mid 80's.
James was a founding member of the Seminole Kiwanis Club; serving as president and in various committees, with 33 years perfect attendance. He was also a founding member of Seminole First Baptist Church; serving there and other churches as a teacher, deacon, guest pastor and on various committees as he was called. He also worked in prison ministries traveling to various prisons with the Bill Glass Crusade in Dallas, TX and with Abe Brown Ministries in Tampa, FL. He was also a Gideon for many years and enjoyed handing out New Testaments even in his final months. Besides his love of reading the Bible, his hobbies included sport fishing and gardening.
James was stricken with polio at age 2 and overcame many setbacks related to this disease throughout his life. He lived each day knowing the hope of Heaven, a place where His Savior, Jesus Christ, would encourage him to run barefoot fast and free with no pain or any other limitations.
His Family is grateful for his friends and caregivers, Jack & Irrie Campbell, who enabled him to remain at home so he could peacefully pass into Glory.
He and his family request any donations in his memory be given to Gideons International at:
gideons.org or 866-382-4253 or PO Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214-0800.
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