Josephine Brown

JOSEPHINE’S LEGACY

In Every Heart She Touched

Josephine Brown, affectionately known as Jo, Josie, Mama, Grannie, Aunt Jo, was born to Robert and Magnora (Overton) Brown, Sr., on December 3, 1934, in Isola, Mississippi. She was the eldest of nine children.

In the early 1960s, Josephine moved from Mississippi to Waukegan, Illinois, where she lived with her childhood friend, Esther Catrell, who was instrumental in assisting Josephine relocate. While living for a brief time with Esther, Jo worked three jobs simultaneously until she could establish her own home and provide for her children. She worked tirelessly to make sure her children had everything they needed and some of the things they wanted. Eventually, she was hired by Abbott Laboratories where she remained until she retired in 1996.

Jo came from a spiritual family. She and her family attended Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville, Mississippi, where her father served as a Deacon. As soon as she moved to Waukegan she joined and became an active and faithful member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Waukegan. At Shiloh Jo participated in the Hospitality Ministry and was a member of the Mothers Board.

She enjoyed taking cruises. She had tremendous friendships with all her neighbors on Prescott Street. Her house was the house where the neighborhood children came to play.

Home and family were at the heart of her life. She loved to cook and she especially loved to cook for her family. She made her home a warm and welcoming place for everyone who walked through her door.

Jo was gregarious and outgoing; she never met a stranger; she treated everyone as though they had been friends for years.

Josephine lived a long, happy, rich life surrounded by loving family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Sr. and Magnora Brown, sisters Dorothy Brown, Lillie Mae Herron, Ruther Mattox, and Ceola Little, beloved sister-in-law Maylease Brown, and cherished life-long sister-friend, Edna Harris.

Josephine leaves to cherish her memory and carry on her legacy her brothers Robert Brown, Jr., Samuel (Willease) Brown, sisters Vera Scott and Catherine Brown, and brother-in-law Floyd Herron; her children Earnest (Tanya) Brown, Sr., Phyllis (Paul, Jr.) Simpson, Benjamin (Shirley) Brown, Lee Esther Brown, Wanda Hardy, and Anita (Ricco) Brock; 13 grandchildren LaMont Brown, NaQuesha (Bryan) McChristion, Earnest Brown, Jr., Willie James “Jay” (Grace) Simpson, Paula Simpson, Paul Simpson, III, Jesse Burnette, Carnell (Jessica) Jones, Tenesha Payton, Ronald (SocCora) Brown, Kenneth Grant, Ashley (William) Woods, and Zechariah Yancey; 34 great-grandchildren, 7 great-great grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, her life-long sister-friend Esther Catrell, and her beloved extended family, Rev. Ralph and Mrs. Joann Heard and their children.

The family of Josephine Brown wishes to acknowledge with deep appreciation the many comforting messages, prayers, flowers, and all other expressions of kindness and concern shown to us in our time of sorrow. May God bless and keep you all in His care.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished my race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)