From Holland St. John -"Harold was always referred to as "Buster" Brown; it was the name of a popular comic strip character of the time and the trade name of a major maker of children's shoes. He was the son of Frank and Ella (Jones) Brown and the youngest of three sons. Buster was born in Trail, British Columbia, Canada on November 24, 1901. As a youth, he often visited the ranch of his grandmother's, Sarah Ann Jones on Salmon Creek (near Okanogan, Washington). His mother and father would leave him there for extended periods of time although he really was too young to be of much help. He attended Washington State College and moved to California when his parents moved there in 1924. He worked for the California Bell System (a telephone company) most of his life. He lived first at Piedmont, near Oakland, for many years, and retired to Paradise, north of Sacramento. Harold married three times. First to Lola Bellingall in 1926. They had two children: Katharine (also spelled Catherine) and Ralph. This marriage ended in a divorce in Reno, Nevada. He married second to Luella "Jerry" Girard in 1939. His third marriage was to Vertna Ratliff in December 11, 1945. His retirement years was spent enjoying visits with his children and grandchildren. He passed away on May 13, 1996 at his home in Paradise."
From Holland St. John -"Harold was always referred to as "Buster" Brown; it was the name of a popular comic strip character of the time and the trade name of a major maker of children's shoes. He was the son of Frank and Ella (Jones) Brown and the youngest of three sons. Buster was born in Trail, British Columbia, Canada on November 24, 1901. As a youth, he often visited the ranch of his grandmother's, Sarah Ann Jones on Salmon Creek (near Okanogan, Washington). His mother and father would leave him there for extended periods of time although he really was too young to be of much help. He attended Washington State College and moved to California when his parents moved there in 1924. He worked for the California Bell System (a telephone company) most of his life. He lived first at Piedmont, near Oakland, for many years, and retired to Paradise, north of Sacramento. Harold married three times. First to Lola Bellingall in 1926. They had two children: Katharine (also spelled Catherine) and Ralph. This marriage ended in a divorce in Reno, Nevada. He married second to Luella "Jerry" Girard in 1939. His third marriage was to Vertna Ratliff in December 11, 1945. His retirement years was spent enjoying visits with his children and grandchildren. He passed away on May 13, 1996 at his home in Paradise."
