Avis C. Brown

Avis Corrina Brown, daughter of the late William Edward and Iva Myrtle (Dennis) Sheppard, was born February 27, 1933, in Owens community in Wright County, Missouri, and departed this life August 22, 2018, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. She was 85 years, 5 months, and 26 days of age.

Avis was born in a log cabin that her father built. She and her siblings attended Broyles School, a one room school house. Avis was the only child who finished high school, walking half a mile to meet the bus and then riding an hour into Mountain Grove. Before getting ready for school, she milked eight cows by hand and then milked them again after coming home from school. Avis and her siblings worked hard growing up, but they also had many fun times together.

Avis was baptized in a creek on January 6, 1944, by Rev. Frank Linton of Rock Chapel. Her family still used a wagon in 1944, so on the way home from the baptizing, her hair froze. Avis remained faithful to the Lord throughout her life. She enjoyed attending services and spending time with her church family.

She married Henry Morgan Brown on May 19, 1951, and then went to Panama to be with him while he served his country in the United States Army during the Korean War. Morgan passed away on October 5, 1977. Six children were born to this union: Debbie, Connie, Henry, Susan, Marty, and Brad.

Avis was well known for her chicken and noodles, homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, and pies. She loved to cook for her family and enjoyed the times they shared meals together. Avis also worked on the treeing line at Brown Shoe Company for approximately thirty years
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Besides her parents and her husband, Avis was preceded in death by a son, Henry, six brothers, Curtis, Earl, Georgene, Bob, Clifford, and Houston Sheppard, five sisters, Margaret Shelby, Utella Matlock, Marcella Matlock, and the twins, Wilda and Wilmouth Sheppard.

She is survived by two sons, Marty Brown and his wife, Janet, and Brad Brown and his wife, Angie, three daughters, Debbie Barbe and her husband, Dr. David Barbe, Connie Koechner, and Susan Bushong, one brother, Russell Sheppard and his wife, Joan, all of Mountain Grove, Missouri, thirteen grandchildren, Morgan Brown, Branwyn Robertson, Emily Sigman, Nathaniel Barbe, Adelle McAlister, Onna Bushong, Jill Curtis, Brinton Bushong, Holly Irwin, Dayton Bushong, Braden Brown, Kyle Mason, and Levi Mason, eighteen great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends who will miss her dearly.