Martha Jo Brown

Brown, Martha Jo (Lyon), 87, passed away September 2, 2013. She was born on July 26, 1926, at home on the family farm near Climax, Kansas. As a young girl she displayed a talent for performing readings before an audience, a well appreciated talent in the 1930s in rural America. She also enjoyed playing the piano. Upon graduation from high school she studied at Emporia State Teachers College and given the shortage of teachers during the war and earned an Emergency Teaching Certificate. She taught two years at a rural school near Fall River and the following year at Hamilton Grade School. Many letters exchanged with Don Brown while he was serving in the Navy during WWII, lead to a courtship upon his return and their marriage on May 21, 1947. They began a family a year later raising a son and two daughters. “Jo” as family and friends called her, was active in the First United Methodist and Eastern Star during the familys many years in Ottawa, Kansas. A move to Wichita in 1965 prompted many changes. She began employment outside the family home, first at JC Penneys, seven years at Oblinger and Smith, a planning firm and then nine years with the Wichita School District, serving as a paraprofessional at Wichita Heights High School in the Business Department. Her last job was helping with registration with the Wichita Convention Bureau. She was a 28 year colon cancer survivor. Following cancer treatment she volunteered for many years at Victory in the Valley, leading cancer support groups. And while she could be serious, family and friends knew her to have a delightful sense of humor and never reluctant to participate in a practical joke. In retirement Jo and Don created additional special memories by taking a cruise to Alaska where he served in the Navy and then later traveled to Switzerland including a visit to Bern, the ancestral home of her maternal grandfather. Jo was a wonderful cook and hostess, with the family home a gathering place over the years that generally included a beautifully prepared meal. Following Dons passing, Via Christi Georgetown Village became her home and once again she was involved in her community. She is survived by a son, Rod Brown (Becky) of Santa Barbara, California; two daughters, Donna Reid (Jim) of Wichita, Kansas, Debra Clemente (David) of Lawrence, Kansas; six grandchildren, Nicole, Ryan, Kristen, Megan, Amanda and Dominic; seven great-grandchildren, Tessa, Reid, Julia, Jason, Burke, Jesse and Evan. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Edwin Lyon. Visitation with family will be from 5:00-7:00 P.M., Thursday, September 5, 2013; Funeral Service will be at 10:00 A.M., Friday September 6, 2013, both at Downing Lahey Mortuary East. Interment will follow at 3:00 P.M., at the Greenwood County Cemetery in Eureka, Kansas. A memorial has been established at Victory in the Valley, 3755 E. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67218.