Mary Williams Brown , 86, of North Stonington died December 14th at the Mary Elizabeth Nursing Center after an extended battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
She was born on February 27, 1916 in New York City,NY, the daughter of Dr. Nathan W. Williams and Annie Buffum Williams. She was raised in Northampton, Mass and summered in Misquamicut, RI. She attended the Northampton School for Girls and Smith College, Class of 1937.
In August 1935, she was married to James Franklin Brown III in Northampton and then moved to Wychwood Farms in North Stonington to become part of the 4th generation of a farming family. For many years, Mary helped with the milking of the dairy herd of Ayrshire cattle along with many other chores on the farm. She and her husband had five children who all survive.
Mary was a member of the North Stonington Congregational Church where she was a member of the Senior Choir and the Women’s Fellowship. She was active in many community organizations, serving on the Nursing Board of the North Stonington public schools and as President of the PTA. She was on the Republican Town Committee for many years. Mary was the leader of a 4-H club where she taught sewing and cooking. She was an avid reader and did many handcrafts of sewing, knitting and was well known for her cloverleaf rolls that she always made for bake sales.
One of the most traumatic and heroic nights in Mary’s life was when the farmhouse burned in February 1987. She awoke her husband and sisters-in-law, Dorothy Brown and Elizabeth Hermes and climbed down a rope of sheets tied together by her husband Jim. She then ran across the road to the barn and brought back a ladder which the others used to escape the fire. Quite remarkable since she was the youngest at age 71 and the others were in their 80’s. She was honored by the North Stonington Fire Department with a plaque for this deed. The four who survived the fire were also honored by a dinner at the Ramada Inn which celebrated their lives as well as their amazing escape from the burning house.
She was married to her husband Jim for 58 years during which time they were always active at the farm. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a hot air balloon ride from the farm to Mystic followed by a party at the Aquarium.. He passed away in June 1994. They had 5 children together: Dr. James F. (Jeff) Brown, IV, of Butte, Montana, Prudence B. Holton of Misquamicut, RI, Susan B. Johnson of Mystic, George C. Brown of Wychwood Farms, North Stonington and Martha B. Booker of Stonington. She is also survived by a brother, John W. Williams, of Deland, FL and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday December 22 at 2 pm at the North Stonington, Congregational Church. Private burial will be in the family plot at Elm Grove Cemetery, Mystic. There are no visiting hours.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the church or the Alzheimer’s Association, 96 Oak Street, Hartford, CT 06106.