Ray Brown was the son of William Frances Brown (1865, MI - ??, MI) and May Evelyn (Beardsley) Brown (1870, MI - 1922, MI). In 1919 when he was 16 years old, Brownie worked for the Hotel Whitcomb owned by LeGrand F. & Emma C. Whitcomb of 132 Portage St. in Kalamazoo, not the better known Whitcomb that's in St. Joseph MI. A twelve year or high school education was not yet a standard in America at that time. He only had about an 8th. grad education. Later on, he was a factory laboror that had worked as a Stripper for the Sutherland Paper Company, in the 1930's, 40's and 50's. He had worked as a truck driver in the 1950's. After that and up until he retired, he had worked in hotel maintenance at the Burdick and Holliday Inn [Crosstown Parkway] Hotels in Kalamazoo. On May 29th., 1924 he married Beulah May Hastings and they lived with her mother at 838 Myers St. in Kalamazoo. It was where their only child, Ray Alfonso Brown II, had been born. An old City Directory shows a Beulah M. Brown living with a "John W. Brown" who was a carpender, at 1902 Humphrey St. Chances are pretty good that it was him, going by another name. After that, they managed to buy their own home at 2218 Humphrey St. Brownie, Beulah and young Ray had all lived together there and they stayed together as a couple throughout their lives. They hosted holiday dinners and enjoyed being with their grandchildren. He was the grandfather of Alice Mae Brown; RN, NP, and Ray Alfonzo Brown III, Technician/Journeyman, who he knew in his lifetime. If he was still living, he'd be the great-grandfather of Dr. Nickolas Ray Button, DDS; SFC Ray Alfonso Brown IV, US Navy, and Aaron Lee Brown, who are 13th. generation Mayflower Descendents through Brownie's daughter-in-law, Marilyn Lee (Myers) Brown Payne (1931-2002). Ray, Sr. died one month shy of his 70th. year of life, from longstanding heart problems. May he rest in peace...
Ray Brown was the son of William Frances Brown (1865, MI - ??, MI) and May Evelyn (Beardsley) Brown (1870, MI - 1922, MI). In 1919 when he was 16 years old, Brownie worked for the Hotel Whitcomb owned by LeGrand F. & Emma C. Whitcomb of 132 Portage St. in Kalamazoo, not the better known Whitcomb that's in St. Joseph MI. A twelve year or high school education was not yet a standard in America at that time. He only had about an 8th. grad education. Later on, he was a factory laboror that had worked as a Stripper for the Sutherland Paper Company, in the 1930's, 40's and 50's. He had worked as a truck driver in the 1950's. After that and up until he retired, he had worked in hotel maintenance at the Burdick and Holliday Inn [Crosstown Parkway] Hotels in Kalamazoo. On May 29th., 1924 he married Beulah May Hastings and they lived with her mother at 838 Myers St. in Kalamazoo. It was where their only child, Ray Alfonso Brown II, had been born. An old City Directory shows a Beulah M. Brown living with a "John W. Brown" who was a carpender, at 1902 Humphrey St. Chances are pretty good that it was him, going by another name. After that, they managed to buy their own home at 2218 Humphrey St. Brownie, Beulah and young Ray had all lived together there and they stayed together as a couple throughout their lives. They hosted holiday dinners and enjoyed being with their grandchildren. He was the grandfather of Alice Mae Brown; RN, NP, and Ray Alfonzo Brown III, Technician/Journeyman, who he knew in his lifetime. If he was still living, he'd be the great-grandfather of Dr. Nickolas Ray Button, DDS; SFC Ray Alfonso Brown IV, US Navy, and Aaron Lee Brown, who are 13th. generation Mayflower Descendents through Brownie's daughter-in-law, Marilyn Lee (Myers) Brown Payne (1931-2002). Ray, Sr. died one month shy of his 70th. year of life, from longstanding heart problems. May he rest in peace...
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Ray A. Brown ~ 1903-1973 ~ MARRIED MAY 29, 1924
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