Cover photo for Frances Marie Brown's Obituary
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Frances

Frances Marie Brown

d. July 15, 2019

Frances Marie Brown
01 Nov. 1939 - 15 Jul. 2019

Our beloved mother, grandmother and sister was called back to her heavenly home on July 15, 2019 after patiently enduring the effects Parkinson’s Disease.

Frances was born on November 1, 1939 to Clyde L. and Grace L. Gamble in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Soon thereafter, her daddy read a ‘help wanted’ ad and took employment in Lindsay, California. Little Frances remembered riding with her mother, brothers and sister on a westbound train with the kind World War II soldiers who held her as she rested her tender cheeks upon the wool of their uniforms. As a young girl, Frances attended Washington Elementary School in Lindsey and was a member of the local Girl Scouts. Her family would later move to Porterville, CA where Frances attended Porterville Union High School. Frances would walk to her parent’s business, Gamble’s Machine Shop, after school where she would visit and work with her daddy and then ride home with him. She also worked as a carhop server at Johnny DeLaney’s Drive-In. It was during this time, prior to her graduation with the PUHS Class of ’57 that Frances would meet her future husband, Charles Philip Brown.

On September 12, 1957, Frances and Charles were married in Visalia, CA. They made their first home in Morro Bay, CA. Frances worked as a secretary for Mave Hayes’ Realty in San Luis Obispo, CA before she had their first of two children. In 1959 the young family moved to San Jose, CA and it was there that they welcomed their second child. Frances earned her cosmetology license at Em Raye’s Beauty College in San Jose before they moved with Charles’ work assignment to Madera, CA.

The family moved to Taft, CA in 1965 when Charles was employed with Standard Oil. Soon Frances went to work at Mason Marie Beauty Salon. In 1967 Frances was hired at Safeway Stores. She enjoyed her work and particularly loved her special customers and coworkers. She was just such a friendly, shining light at the store. Frances retired in 1982 so she could help her mother care for her father. She would later come out of retirement and work for Newkirk Trucking and the Kern County Court.

Frances was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved the Lord with all her heart and would share her testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her family and many others. She was blessed with recognizable gifts of the spirit, especially the gift of discernment. She valued honesty, exactness and strictness to obedience to the first and great commandment—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Frances dedicated her service in the church to callings which included the Children’s Primary, the Young Women’s Organization, and the Relief Society. She enjoyed genealogy research, family history compilations and temple service.

Frances was an excellent cook, a fine embroiderer, a talented seamstress, and she enjoyed oil painting classes. She adored her grandchildren and great grandchildren and loved to share the happiness from her heart with them. Her great joy was time spent with Charles and their family and friends during camping and hunting vacations. She made the best hot chocolate over a smoldering campfire and loved to share cups of the treat with fellow travelers. Frances also loved her Labrador retrievers and enjoyed training them for successful field trial competitions. She loved and could train animals that Charles would bring home as little surprises. He once brought her home a squirrel and she had the little guy trained to snuggle into the pocket of her housecoat because she was such a gentle person.

In 2011 Frances and Charles moved to Bakersfield to live with their daughter and son-in-law where they were loved and cherished. Mom and Dad generously shared and returned their love with us every moment of every day.

Frances is survived by her daughter, Theresa Rochelle (Brian) Crane of Bakersfield, and her son, Charles Phillip Brown, Jr. (Teresa) of Montrose, CO. She has four grandchildren, Erin Marie Crane-Ramos (Michael) of Bakersfield, Joshua Phillip Brown of Duncan, SC, Jessica Lynn Brown of Bakersfield, and Vanessa Marie Duncan of Bakersfield. Frances is also survived by seven great grandchildren, Charlotte Frances and Brian Michael Ramos, Hailey and Jacob Duncan, Kirsten, Trinity, and Kyler Brown; her sister, Betty L. (Mel) Elliott of Ephrata WA; numerous nieces and nephews and many friends. Frances was preceded in death by her parents, two older brothers, Edward C. and Samuel L. Gamble, and her mother and father-in-law, Winfred C. and Christine J. Brown.

Frances and Charles’ were married for 56 years. Their love and devotion to each other is a bond that is promised to last beyond this brief mortal lifetime and their children look forward to participating in their parent’s sealing for time and all eternity in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake Temple this summer.

The family offers special thanks and heartfelt appreciation to Bishop Allen Luthi, Relief Society President Sister Jeanette McArthur, our ministering brothers, sisters and compassionate ward members with special appreciation to our mother’s youthful friend, Tyler, who regularly arranged with a companion to bring the Sacrament into our home so Mom could partake. Sincere gratitude is given to Mom’s physician, Stephen T. Strategos, M.D., her physical therapist, Paula, her nurses, Elaine, Michelle, Jackie, Ana, Kimberly and others who spent time with Mom and cared for her even as they would their own mothers.

A viewing will be held at 10:00 A.M. with her funeral service to follow at 11:00 A.M. on Monday, July 22, 2019 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brimhall Ward, 601 Deseret Way, Bakersfield, CA.

Interment will follow at the Porterville Cemetery, 1013 E. Olive Ave., Porterville, CA at 2:30 P.M.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Frances Marie Brown, please visit our flower store.

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