KEN MAYNARD BROWN

Ken Maynard Brown, 89, of DeKalb, Illinois, passed away at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 3, 2023 at Kishwaukee Hospital. Ken was born at home in Greeneville, Tennessee on September 27th, 1933. Ken was the next to the youngest child born to Tee Rome Brown and Clara Imogene (King) Brown. He was named after the movie Western Cowboy, Ken Maynard by his brother Buster.

Ken married Cordia V. Feezell on July 2, 1953, at the Greene County Courthouse in Greeneville, Tennessee. Six years later Ken and Cordia welcomed their daughter Connie Colleen Brown and the three of them were never apart.

Ken and Cordia were married for 55 years until Cordia’s  passing on November 18th, 2008. 

Ken worked hard to provide for his little family. He had a strong work ethic, he said he started working when he was big enough to walk, helping his mother by dragging tobacco stalks into the barn to dry. Ken had many different jobs including working for Nehring’s Electrical Works running the Big Strander making cable wire for 20 years.

In the fall of 1977 (three months after Connie graduated high school) Ken began working at DeKalb High School. Ken and Connie joked that Connie quit school to go to work and Dad quit work to go to school. Ken retired from DeKalb High School and continued subbing there until he ended his working career in 2008. Ken said he was always blessed with good jobs, good bosses and great coworkers.

In retirement Ken enjoyed watching the Cubs, Atlanta Braves, and Westerns on his big screen TV.

Ken is survived by his loving and devoted daughter, Connie C. Brown; his brother, Elmer (Sharon) Brown; Connie’s best friend, Susan N. Griswold (who was like a second daughter to Ken), and numerous nieces and nephews who loved their Uncle Maynard including special niece Pam (Jeff) Struthers and nephews, Harold Dean (Agnes) Fortner and Ryan Brown.

Ken now joins his beloved wife Cordia; his parents; his sisters, Laure Belt, Hazel Fox, Wilma Malone, Kathleen Fortner, Pauline Stoddard, and Helen Louise Norton; his brothers, Buster Brown, Wilbert Brown, Paul Brown and Clarence Brown; his step sister, Ruby Babb Laughlin; his step brother, Joe Babb and numerous nieces and nephews.

The Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, September 9, 2023, at Salem Lutheran Church, 1145 DeKalb Avenue, Sycamore, with Rev. Preston C. Fields officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Park Cemetery in DeKalb.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00  p.m. Friday, September 8, 2023, at Anderson Funeral Home in DeKalb. 

Connie would like to thank Dr Thakkar and the Y2 unit nurses and PCT’s at Kishwaukee Hospital for their kind and compassionate care that they gave to Ken and Connie during the last few months of Ken's hard fought battle with Parkinson's disease.

For information, visit www.AndersonFuneralHomeLtd.com or call 815-756-1022.

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