Thief River Falls - Franklin Brown, 85, died Thursday, July 3, 1997 at Oakland Park Nursing Home in Thief River Falls.
Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 5 at the Presbyterian Church in Red Lake Falls with Reverend Clarence Johnson officiating. Carol Thompson was the organist. Special music was provided by Kathy Vatthauer and Jo Ann Zutz. Casketbearers were Mike Brown, Darrin Weigel, Jason Weigel, Jamie Weigel, Keith Erickson and Rodney Boutain. Burial was at the Presbyterian Cemetery in Red Lake Falls. The Gree Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Franklin "Oscar" Brown was born March 31, 1912 at Salt Lake City, UT to Fred and Lena (Hanson) Brown. When he was five, he moved with his family to the Thief River Falls area and farmed. He attended rural country school and grew to adulthood in the Thief River Falls area. On October 19, l933 Oscar was united in marriage to Blanche Thornton in Red Lake Falls. In l941, he started working for the Soo Line Railroad and worked until his retirement in l984. In l995, Oscar moved to Valley Home and later to Oakland Park.
Oscar was a Soo Line Railroad steward and foreman, on the Board of Directors for the Soo Line Credit Union, former mayor of Plummer, a member of the Plummer fire department and an elder of the Presbyterian Church in Plummer and Red Lake Falls.
Oscar enjoyed working on his hobbies in his garage and spending time with his family, friends and pets.
He is survived by his wife, Blanche; one daughter, Sandy (Russell) Landrus of Thief River Falls; three sons, Donavon (Lenore), Jerald (Bonnie) and Dale (Emma), all of Thief River Falls; seven grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
Oscar was preceded in death by his parents; one grandson, Roger Zavoral; two brothers, Elmer Brown and Shorty Hanson; one sister, Mildred Dahle; and one daughter, one grandson and one great-granddaughter, all in infancy.