Brown County IN Archives Biographies.....Brown, Marion L. 1862 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 4, 2007, 1:21 pm Author: B. F. Bowen (1904) MARION L. BROWN. The enterprising agriculturist of whom the biographer writes in this connection comes from the historic commonwealth of West Virginia, where his birth occurred September 6, 1862, the home in which he first saw the light of day being situated in the county of Marion. His parents, Michael and Mary (Veach) Brown, are also natives of West Virginia, and of a family of nine children he is the third in order of birth. Michael Brown moved his family to Brown county, Indiana, in 1865, and purchased the farm on which he has since lived and prospered, being at this time one of the leading agriculturists and well known citizens of Jackson township. He has devoted his life to the cultivation of the soil, and while always a hard worker and noted for his industry, has also taken a lively interest in whatever concerns the welfare of the community, being a man of intelligence, good judgment and commendable public spirit. Marion Lee Brown was a child of three years when his parents transferred their abode to Brown county and from that time to the present he has spent his life within its geographical limits. Reared to farm labor, he early became familiar with the same, and remained at home, assisting his father, during the spring and summer months and of winter seasons pursuing his studies in the district schools. Being a natural student and a lover of books, he experienced no difficulty whatever in leading his classes, and such was his progress that at the age of nineteen he was well enough advanced to pass the required examination and secure a teacher's license. During the ensuing twelve years he devoted the winter months to educational work and earned honorable mention as a teacher, the frequent demands for his services as an instructor in the same locality attesting his efficiency as an instructor and disciplinarian, as well as his popularity with patrons and pupils. While thus engaged he spent the summer seasons working on the farm and not caring to devote his life to teaching, he abandoned the profession about 1885 with the object in view of giving all of his time to agricultural pursuits. Purchasing eighty acres of land the above year near Needmore, Mr. Brown at once took possession of the same and began the work of its cultivation and improvement, and to say that his efforts have been crowned with encouraging results the present excellent condition of the place, together with his high standing as an enterprising husbandman bear abundant witness. In addition to tilling his own land, he rents his brother-in-law's farm, from the two having realized during the last few years an income sufficiently liberal to place him in comfortable circumstances. Mr. Brown's domestic life dates from April 21, 1889, at which time he contracted a matrimonial alliance with Miss Lurena Baughman, who was born in Brown county, being the daughter of Jacob and Eliza (Snyder) Baughman, natives of Ohio and Kentucky, respectively. Jacob Baughman came from Georgetown, Ohio, to Brown county in the early fifties and entered public land, from which he developed a farm and on which he spent the remainder of his days. His wife, who was born November 15, 1823, and whom he married shortly after his arrival, was a member of one of the oldest families of Brown county, having come to that part of the state, with her father, William Snyder, whose wife's name was Jane Evans, as long ago as 1828, the trip being made from Kentucky on horseback. Being quite young at the time, she sat on a pillow in front of her father, who, holding her with one hand and guiding his horse with the other, experienced no little difficulty in making his way through the wild, unbroken country to his new home in the midst of a Brown county wilderness. It seems her parents had separated in Kentucky and her father brought his mother and one son to Indiana, Eliza remaining with her mother, and she was finally taken by her father, who brought her to join the rest of the family. After reaching young womanhood Eliza visited her mother in Kentucky, and some years after her own marriage she brought her mother to Indiana and gave her a home until her death, about one year later. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Brown has been blessed with seven children, namely: Lawrence Glenn, Leonard Roland, Olive, Mary Jane, Maude L., Burrell and Paul, all living, and, with their parents, constituting a mutually pleasant and agreeable home circle. Politically Mr. Brown votes the Democratic ticket, and for a number of years has been an active and untiring worker for his party, contributing as much to its success in his township perhaps as any other man. He served five years as trustee of Jackson township, during which time he manifested commendable zeal in the discharge of his official duties, his administration being able, businesslike and satisfactory to the public. As a neighbor Mr. Brown is highly esteemed in his community and as a citizen is enterprising and public spirited. Having always tried to realize in himself his highest ideal of manhood, it is sufficient to state that his life has been eminently honorable and his character free from stain. He owes his success entirely to his own exertions, as he began working his way in the world at the early age of fifteen, and from that time to the present he has received no assistance from outside sources. By patient, persevering industry and good business management, he has been enabled to earn a comfortable competency and place his family beyond the reach of want, and by persistently pursuing a straightforward, manly course in carrying out his purposes has won a conspicuous place and an honorable reputation among his friends and fellow citizens of Brown county. Additional Comments: Extracted from BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY INDIANA INCLUDING BIOGRAPHIES OF THE GOVERNORS AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS OF INDIANA ILLUSTRATED 1904 B. F. Bowen PUBLISHER File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/brown/bios/brown854gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 6.5 Kb