William Brown was born in Providence, Rhode Island on January 31, 1847 (other sources indicate sometime in 1848). At the age of 14 his family went to Nebraska by covered wagon, settling in Syracuse. William, his brothers, and his father hauled freight from Syracuse to Denver, Colorado.

William married Cecelia in 1868 at Syracuse, Nebraska. She was born in Circle Ville, Ohio on September 16, 1852 and migrated to Nebraska with her parents.

William & Cecilia (Hurst) Brown

The children of William and Cecelia Brown are (not necessarily in order):

1. Charles b. Jan 14, 1886 m/1 Jennie B. d. Apr 27, 1920
2. Mary Edith b. 1879 m/1 Mr. Kelley m/2 Herbert C. Benedict d. 1952
3. Mae (twin of Jay)
4. Jay (twin of Mae)
5. Ray m. Blanche Keller
6. Gus
7. Fanny m. George Jose

(Note: Mae and Jay may have been triplets with the third dying either at birth or very young.)

Mary Edith (Brown) Kelley known as Edith, adopted a baby girl while she was single, after she was a widow and before her marriage to Herbert C. Benedict [See Herbert Clarence Benedict Family. The little girl, Gertrude, was the daughter of her sister Mae Brown. Mae was a single woman and was sent away because of a "nervous breakdown." Soon afterwards, Edith (Brown) Kelley, already with a son of her own, adopted baby Gertrude. According to Wilma (Beman) Benedict McCulley, wife of Ernest Benedict, this was verified by Edith when her sons Ernest and Kenneth confronted her about it.

After farming and breeding cattle for some years, the family decided to look for new land and a new start. In the fall of 1906 William, his son Ray, and his future son-in-law decided to inquire about land in North Dakota. They eventually found land in the area of Temvik, Emmons Co., North Dakota. Ray purchased a quarter of land in Danbury Township, SW 1/4-23 134-76, which was unimproved and he also rented a farm (which he later purchased). William purchased an established farm in S.E.C. - 24 134-76.

Ray married Blanche Keller in the Spring of 1907 in Nebraska and then he along with his father's family shipped their belonging to Linton, Emmons Co., North Dakota. Charles, Edith with her two children Dean and Gertrude, and twins Mae and Jay accompanied the rest of the family to North Dakota.

Edith and her brother Jay bought a 160 acre farm seven miles east and two and a half miles south of Hazelton.

Cecelia died on October 31, 1916. William farmed in the community until 1917 and then he sold the farm and spent time with each of his children. He spent much of his time with his son Ray and told his grandchildren stories of coming west, freighting to Denver, and his desire to come north. William died on May 21, 1926.

William and Cecelia Brown are buried in the Linton Cemetery, Emmons Co., North Dakota.

Ray farmed in the Temvik area until 1917. He and his family then moved to Linton, Emmons Co., for two years. Then they returned to Nebraska and farmed there until the spring of 1924. They returned to the farm in North Dakota where Ray farmed until his death. The family made it through the '20s and '30s which were very difficult times. Ray always said, "We'll make it if we stick together." He always had an optimistic outlook. He did much veterinary and auctioneer work to supplement his income. His son Darel remembers him calling in the morning, "Boys, it's a nice day," whether it was raining, snowing or nice.

Sources

Personal correspondence with Wilma (Beman) Benedict McCulley.

The History of Temvik, ND "History of William and Cecelia Brown" by Darel Brown (son of Ray Brown), after 1988.

History of Hazelton, 75th Anniversary, 1978.