Submitted by: Dan Rich

William F. Brown

Feb. 7, 1914 - Feb. 8, 1997

South Bend Tribune 2/11/1997

William F. Brown, 83, residing at 101 E. Patterson, Lakeville, Ind., passed away of natural causes at 10:04 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, in Memorial Hospital, South Bend, Ind. Mr. Brown retired from Allied Signal (Bendix Corp.) after several years of service. He was born Feb. 7, 1914, in Hopkinsville, Ky., to the late Finnes and Bessie Brown. Mr. Brown had lived in Lakeville since 1968, coming from Fort Benning, Ga.

Mr. Brown was active in the United States Airborne, 82nd and 49th, for 20 years and 10 months until 1958, and remained a civil servant for another six years. He was one of the original 48 test platoon paratroopers from Fort Benning, Ga.

He is survived by a daughter, Anita Woods, and a son, Ron Brown, both of Lakeville; three grandchildren, Jessica Brown-Kickbush, Sundown Brown and Dalana Woods; one sister, Evelyn Turnage of Plymouth, Ind.; four brothers, Lawrence Brown of Paduka, Ky., Robert Brown of Franklin, Ky., James Ballard of Louisville, Ky., and Marvin Sowell of Portage, Ind. One brother, Ed Brown, preceded him in death.

Services will be at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at the Palmer Funeral Home, 314 S. Michigan St., Lakeville, Ind. Burial will follow at the Fair Cemetery, North Liberty, Ind., where military graveside services will take place. Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. today at the Palmer Funeral Home, where the Lakeville Masonic Lodge will conduct services at 7 p.m.