Martha Brown

MARTHA JEAN BURCH BROWN

Martha Jean Burch Brown, John Knox Village, Lee’s Summit was born April 20, 1928 to Harold A. and Imogene Rose Dunham Burch in Hartford, Il.  She attended the public schools of Jerseyville, Il., and received a B.A. degree from the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota and an M.A. from the American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, CA.

Martha had a varied career:  she taught public school English, vocal music, and kindergarten; served as Director of Christian education at Lima, OH; opened Rangely, Colorado’s first public Library; served 65 years as an organist, on staff, or as a substitute or interim at different times.  She considered homemaker and mother as her primary career.  Much of her time was given to volunteer work:  PTA and other work with the schools, Girl Scout leader and children’s choir director as her daughters were growing up.  She also spent nine years as a staff organist for Newcomer’s Sons, then 10 years as a Personal Trust Assistant for UMB Bank.

In early retirement she spent 4 summers as a volunteer at the Green Lake Conference Center – serving two years as years as assistant director of the Children’s Center, then two more in the Public Relations Department.  During that same period of time she spent a total of nine agencies: a hostel for education of young tribal women, a health project, and a hospice for victims of Aids/HIV.

While at John Knox she accompanied several vocal groups and directed the Village Consort.

She is survived by her two daughters, Kathleen Brown and Bonnie Randa, and her loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren.