Dolores Lorraine Brown
July 7, 1925 - December 18, 2005
Obituary
Dolores F. Dode Brown, ageless, passed peacefully on Sunday, December 18, 2005 in Helena. Dode was born in Glendale, MN July 7th, 1925 to Joseph Dewey and Lydia B. Fellows. She was brought up in Laurel, MT, graduating valedictorian from Laurel High School in 1943. Dode later attended St. Olaf College in MN for two years where she sang with the St. Olaf Choir, she later attended and graduated from the University of Montana, Missoula with a Bachelor of Science Degree. Dode married Gene Brown in Billings, MT in 1948 where they started there family. They eventually chose Helena as their home where they were both active in music and education. She worked with the Helena School Administration for many years and then for the Montana Historical Society until retiring in 1994. During her life she continued her love of music by performing with the Helena Symphony Chorale and other small local groups. She loved volunteering for the Live at the Civic Community Concert ticket drive and attending their concerts. After her retirement she enjoyed traveling with her husband Gene in their Bounder Motor Home, traveling to almost every state. She was an active member of the Bounders United �Timber Roos.� Dode kept an impeccable home and garden and loved her many pets throughout the years. She was always a very classy, beautiful lady, loved to travel, laugh and will always be remembered for her �straight forward� attitude. Her family includes her three sons, Kerry Gail, Kim and Kelly Brown; grandson, Kory; granddaughter Christina; great grandson, Koby; brother Don Rose Fellows; extended family including Jonathan, Mark, Johnna, Eli, her dog Schatzi and cat Coco. There will be a celebration of her life on Friday, December 23, 2005, 2:00 PM at the Plymouth Congregational Church, 400 S. Oakes Helena, MT. Inurnment will be held at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery in Helena. The family prefers memorials to the Helena Symphony, 616 Helena Ave., Helena, MT 59601 or to the Live at Civic, c/o Joy, 3883 Daisy St., East Helena, MT 59635.
Kim,
We’re glad you were with your mother during these last days. May God comfort you and your family during this time.
Cameron & Julie Moritz
Dode from day one when i frist met you you brought joy,happyness and laughter into my life.Thank you. I kenw we would be friends. thank you for all your kind words.
We hope your happy memories of your mom and g’ma will help you during this difficult time. We are certain she has found your dad and they are together again and in the arms of God.
Dode meant the world to all of us who worked with her at the Montana Historical Society. I especially admired Dode for “telling it like it is” – more people should be like that! Dode was an integral part of our workplace for many years, we have missed her since her retirement, and we will miss her still.
SHE WAS ONE OF THOSE NEIGHBORS WHO HAD A LOT OF SPARK AND LIFE IN WHATEVER SHE WAS DOING ON A GIVEN DAY. SHE KEPT YARD FLOURISHING WITH AN ARRAY OF COLOR THRU OUT THE YEAR. SHE WOULD BE OUT THERE IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY AND I WOULD ASK HER HOW SHE COULD STAND THE HEAT AND SHE REPLIED “I JUST LOVE IT”. WHEN ASK WHAT SHE WAS DOING TODAY, SHE WOULD REPLY ” PAINTING A ROOM, WALL, OR SORTING OUT A CLOSET. SHE WAS NEVER IDLE. DODE WILL BE EXTREMELY MISSED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. DALE WILL MISS HER SAYING ” DARN YOU, I JUST CUT THE LAWN A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AND NOW I HAVE TO CUT IT AGAIN BECAUSE YOURS IS SHORTER THAN MINE. I ENJOYED LOOKING OVER THE FENCE AND SEEING HER BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND TELL HER WHEN SHE GETS FINISHED OVER THERE SHE COULD COME OVER AND MAKE MINE LOOK GREAT TOO. DODE, WE LOVE YOU AND WILL MISS YOU. GOD BLESS YOUR FAMILY.
I worked with Dode from 1982 to 1989 at the Historical Society. When I was best man at Bob Archibald’s wedding, it was at Gene and Dode’s home and she was our hostess. She was always good to me when I needed to get in to see the Director and she had the wit and a wry smile she needed for dealing with us all. She could tell stories of the previous generation at MHS that made us wonder how the place survived, but we also learned good things about our predecessors. I heard lots of Kory stories in those days. Dode was a great coworker and a better friend.
Steve Germann, Museum Administrator at MHS 1982-89
To the Brown Family;
You know that I left Montana seventeen years ago but that your mother and I stayed in touch all those years. She was an extraordinary woman and a good friend who was always there in times of need. My thoughts are with you and you have my very best wishes as you endure the death of your mother, surely one of life’s most sorrowful times.
“Uncle Kim”,
You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. We miss you. I wish I could have met your mother, she sounds like a wonderful woman and mother. Please take care of yourself and we’ll see you soon!
Love,
DJ, Shadow and Dusty
Fondest memory is having such
a great neighbor for 40 years.
Gene & Dode took me to Community Concert for many years. Her kindness to Gene
over many years was a good
example for all of us to follow. Will miss her beautiful flowers, when I open
my window each morning. She
will be missed by all of Meadow Drive neighbors. She
enjoyed life to the end.
Am so sorry she had to suffer, &
know she is in heaven now.
Dolores & Gene were very nice people. My wife baby sat for Kerry’s son Kory. He became part of our family and he grew up and worked for me at Montana Sign Works in Helena.
His grandpa and grandma stoped to see him now and then and I got to know them more and more and enjoyed seeing them out here and there
and they always kept me posted on Kory after he moved to Seattle. Now I work with Kerry and he keeps me up on his family. Sorry for your loss.
Ray & Janet Gill
Kerry and Family, we want to express our sympathy for the loss of your mother
We at Hagler-Anderson Funeral Home would like to share our deepest condolences to the Brown Family, and we sincerely appreciate the confidence you have placed in us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
Dear Kerry & Gail & all your family members: We just read of your Mom’s death ‘on-line’, & we are both shocked & saddened. There will be a big loss for our organization without her. Her constant willingness to contribute her time to Live! at the Civic was so appreciated, welcomed & so necessary. She will be deeply missed. Thank you for always sharing her with us!! We send you our deepest sympathies, & we wish you God’s blessings for strength for healing & peace.
Gary & Joy Novota
I was sorry to miss Dode’s funeral because of a late occuring illness. What a great person! She baled me out of more than one situation that I had got myself into. I am pleased to say that we started basically at the same time at MHS and worked our way though it. What a great person. I will miss her always. Brian
Dear Kory, Kim, and Kelly,
I am so sorry to hear of Dode’s passing. We had many good times together and I spent one whole summer at Lyd and Dewey’s home in Laurel when Dode was 16 and I was 14. Good memories of that summer. It was so nice to get together when she came to visit in Seattle. I will miss her.
Gerry Storrar cousin
Dode,
thank you for making me feel like part of the family. I wish that I could have been there for you when you needed me most. I still have your voice saved on my voice mail asking when I was going to come back” I miss you so much and think of you every day.
May God bless you and the rest of your family.