Earl Brown

Earl and Esther Brown — wedding picture 1928

Earl was the son of Edward and Stella (Hockman) Brown. He was born in Henry County on April 14, 1897, and lived his entire life in rural McClure, Ohio.

On December 27, 1920, Earl was united in marriage to Esther Rudolph daughter of George and Mamie Rudolph. Esther was born near McClure, on September 29, 1898. As a youth she joined the Bethany Christian Union Church and was an active church worker. Esther taught school at the Weaver School in Richfield Township, McClure School, and the Councilman School in Damascus Township. To Earl and Esther, a little girl named Pauline was born, December 22, 1922, but lived only a few hours. Esther developed T.B. of the lungs and fought this disease for six years and passed away, April 18, 1934, at the age of 35.

Earl married Bernetta Austermiller Foor, daughter of Charles and Laura Austermiller on October 24, 1935, and they started housekeeping on the Ed Brown farm. To this union, a son Robert (Bob) was born on September 24, 1936. Earl has a stepdaughter Irene Foor, Bernetta's daughter by a previous marriage.

Earl was a farmer all his life, farming various farms in the McClure area. On October 30, 1952, he was hauling a load of corn to town when his tractor-trailer was struck by a truck on Rt. 6, one mile east of McClure. He was killed instantly. His age was 55. He is buried in Hockman Cemetery.