Wanda A. Brown, 97, a prominent community benefactor, volunteer and retired businesswoman,died Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at Foxwood Springs in Raymore, Missouri. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 5, 2015 at the United Methodist Church in Harrisonville, with Reverend Kevin Shelton will officiating. Burial will be in Orient Cemetery, Harrisonville. There will be no visitation. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Missouri Press Foundation, 802 Locust, Columbia, Mo 65201 or the Cass County Public Library Foundation, 400 E Mechanic, Harrisonville, Mo 64701.

Mrs Brown and her late husband, J.W. Brown, Jr., were known locally and across the state as publishers of newspapers in Willow Springs, Harrisonville, Lee's Summit and Belton. From 1955 to 1985, they owned and operated the Cass County Democrat-Missourian, part of the Cass County Publishing Co., one of the most successful community newspaper operations in Missouri. The Browns also published the Cass County Shopper, the Lee’s Summit Journal and the Belton Star-Herald.

Mrs Brown was born June 16, 1918, in Franklin County, Ark., to Alfred and Hattie (Hunter) Alston. After graduation from Mulberry High School and Draughon Business College, she worked as the business manager for Robbins Motor Co., a Buick dealership in Fort Smith, Ark. There she met her future husband, J.W. Brown, Jr., a U.S. Army officer serving at nearby Camp Chaffee. J.W and Wanda were married June 14, 1946, in Rogers, Ark. The couple lived in Willow Springs, Mo., where Mr Brown, the son of a Marionville, Mo., newspaper publisher, was the postmaster and publisher of the Willow Springs News.

The Browns moved to Harrisonville with their two daughters in 1955 after purchasing the Democrat-Missourian from J.W. Sexton. The Browns ushered in an era of significant growth and modernization. In 1958, the company moved to its present location at 301 S Lexington St., the first of four expansions to accommodate additional publishing operations and the creation of a central printing plant that at its height served 20 newspapers in Missouri and Kansas. The Browns retired in 1985 and sold their newspaper business to Kansas City businessman Clark O. Murray.

Mrs Brown joined the newspaper staff as business manager in 1958. For more than 25 years, she published a popular weekly column, “Wanda's Favorite Recipes.” She assembled the best recipes into two cookbooks published in 1985 and 1990. A third collection combining the two previous books was published in 2015. Proceeds benefited the Cass Regional Medical Center Foundation. Mrs Brown had a special place in her heart for the local medical center. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees for Harrisonville Hospital, predecessor of Cass Regional Medical Center, she was active in its auxiliary for more than 50 years. She was among the medical center's major benefactors. In 1999, she endowed an annual scholarship for nursing students. Her fondness for the youth of the community was also expressed in a donation that created the Children's Library at the Harrisonville branch of the Cass County Public Library as well as a North Park ball field complex named in memory of her husband. Mrs Brown actively supported many other community causes, including the Harrisonville Public School Foundation, an amphitheater at City Park, thermal imaging cameras for the Harrisonville Fire Department and the school stadium bleacher project.

After her husband's death on March 2, 1993, Mrs Brown continued to support his alma mater, the University of Missouri-Columbia and its renowned School of Journalism. She helped endow a faculty chair in community journalism and underwrote the cost of a bronze plaque of the Journalist's Creed at the Missouri Press Association headquarters in Columbia. The creed had special significance to Mr Brown, who was a student under the creed's author, Walter Williams, university president and the journalism school's first dean.

The Browns were active in state and regional press associations for many years, both serving in leadership positions. In recognition of her longtime service, Mrs Brown was named to the Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame in 2007. Their two daughters, both MU graduates, shared the Browns' association with the university. Jean Snider is past president of the University of Missouri Alumni Association. Mary James is a former president of the University of Missouri Board of Curators.

Mrs Brown was recognized by many organizations for her community support. She was a recipient of the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Harrisonville Optimist Club, the Citizen of the Year Award from the Missouri Municipal League, the Service Above Self Award from the Harrisonville Rotary Club, the Heritage Award from the Harrisonville Parks and Recreation Board and the Foundation Award from Cass Regional Medical Center. Early in her business career, she was named Missouri Merit Mother of the Year. She was Grand Marshal of the Log Cabin Festival Parade and the Harrisonville Area Chamber of a named Mrs Brown Individual of the Year in 2003.

Her affiliations spanned local and statewide organizations. She was a member of the Harrisonville United Methodist Church, the University of Missouri Jefferson Club, the University of Missouri Chancellor's Society, the University of Missouri Alumni Association, the University of Missouri Flagship Council, the Missouri Press Association, the Cass Regional Medical Center Foundation and Auxiliary, the Harrisonville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Cass County Historical Society, the Harrisonville Cemetery Association, the Harrisonville United Way, the American Heart Association, the Harrisonville Public School Foundation, Chapter GR of the PEO sisterhood, Mary Sibley Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Delvers Federated Club. Her husband, her daughter Mary and son-in-law Bill James, her parents, two sisters and a brother preceded Mrs Brown in death. Surviving is daughter Jean Snider and husband Dr Larry Snider, Harrisonville; a sister, Christine Conner, Lavaca Ark; four grandchildren Kate (Jeff) Thrailkill, Kansas City, Mo., Ann (Ben) Davis, Gladstone, Mo., Alex (Sheri) James, Overland Park, Ks., and Doug (Allison) James, St Louis, Mo.; five great-grandchildren, Molly and Lucy James, Overland Park, Avery, Abby and Will James, St Louis.

Atkinson Funeral Home