Representative Benjamin Franklin Brown View All Years

HON. B. F. BROWN.

MR. SPEAKER—Your committee appointed to draft and present resolutions commemorative to the life, character and public services of the Hon. B. F. Brown, late a member of the House of Representatives in the Fifteenth General Assembly, beg leave to submit the following as their report:

B. F. Brown was born in Knox county, Ohio, May 3rd, 1833. When he was twelve years of age, his parents moved to Brooks county, West Virginia, where he grew to manhood and at the close of his career in the public schools he entered Bethany college, founded by Alexander Campbell of the Christian church, and of which Mr. Campbell was president, and continued in that college for three years, taking the scientific course, and graduating from that institution in 1857. In 1858 Mr. Brown came to Washington county where he engaged in teaching school. He was married to Miss Sarah Kinkade on the 21st day of August, 1860, Rev. Wm. Vanatta officiating. Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Brown went back to West Virginia where they remained, engaged in farming until 1873 when they returned to Washington county and this has been their home ever since. Two children were born to them: Charles R. Brown, now at the head of the theological department of Yale university, and Ella M., wife of Seth Thomas of Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Mr. Brown was prominently identified with Washington county business, politics and religious affairs for many years. He was a member of the Methodist church and always took a great interest in the work of the church.

He was for a number of years a director in the Washington County Savings Bank. In politics he was a Republican, and as a member of that party he represented Washington county in the House of Representatives in the state legislature in the Fifteenth General Assembly of Iowa. He was recognized by all as a man of fine intellectual range and was a splendid type of the American citizen as developed through our own institutions. He was a man whose place in his community will never be filled by another for he was an unusual character. He was not one of the many of the same kind, but he was rather a character unique in himself, distinguished from others by a personality peculiarly his own. Those who knew him well will remember him as a man whose presence commanded respect, whose conception of life was big and broad, whose opinions were confirmed but not intolerant and whose everyday manners radiated congeniality, sympathy and good humor.

He died at Biloxi, Mississippi, on March 7th, 1915, at the age of eighty-two years, the remains being brought back to Washington county for burial.

To honor his memory, it is therefore

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be spread upon the Journal of the House, and that the chief clerk be directed to forward an engrossed copy of same to the family of the deceased.

DAVID R. MUNRO,

W. F. KOPP,

THOS. J. WILSON,

Committee.

Adopted unanimously.