My dad was born to John and Mary Brown, in Indiana, January 14, 1879.   They moved to the Fossil, Oregon, area when Dad was about six years old.   They were pioneers of that day.   Arriving too late in the fall to build a house, he dug into a hill, and built a house around the cave, in which they lived through the winter.

     Dad's mother died before I was born, but his remembrance of her, usually brought tears to his eyes, because her Christian influence upon him, lasted all his life.

     Granpa Brown was killed, in what was reported as an accident with a horse, which he had been riding, shortly after Dad and Mother were married.

     Dad married Cora Black, in September of 1899.   Ten children were born to them, two of which died in infancy.   The other eight are still living:   Roy in The Dalles, Oregon; Ivan in Centralia, Washington; John in Phoenix, Arizona; Jim in Coos Bay, Oregon; Mable Brown in Portland, Oregon; Thelma (Luelling) in Bend, Oregon and Eston in Anaheim, California.

     Jim attended Western Baptist Theological Seminary and spent many years in pastoral work.   I graduated from William Jewell College, Liberty, Missouri, with a B. A. and B. Th.   I have spent 40 years preaching and teaching.

     When Dad was married he was engaged in freighting with his own six horses and two wagons, but when two boys had arrived, he went to farming near Mayville, Oregon.   After farming for a few years, he then worked for the farmers of the area and built a small house in Mayville, so that Roy and I could go to school.

     Later, Dad moved from the Mayville area, to Upper Thirty Mile, where he worked at splitting posts and making cord wood.   One of our few neighbors, for a while, was the John Sampels family.

     Dad had been converted sometime earlier in life, but when we lived in Mayville he repented of his back-slidden ways, and dedicated his life to Christ.   He quit his bad habits, and joined the Mayville Baptist Church.   Along about that time he, along with John Sampels, decided to enter the ministry.

     Dad was deeply concerned about his lack of education, having gone only as far as the fifth grade, so he secured books to prepare himself.   His grammar, which no doubt was atrocious, showed great improvement.   He bought other books to improve his knowledge of the Bible and the Christian way of life.

     He began preaching around, in school houses and other small communities.   Roy and I, who seemed to have some natural singing ability, often went with him, walking everywhere.   Dad continued the practice of preaching in every area to which he moved.

     Dad was later called to pastor the Baptist Church in Mitchell, Oregon.   Here, he was the only minister in the southern half of Wheeler County, and part of Grant County.    Dad was always engaged in some of work, to augment his small salary, and to support a growing family.

     When he ended his pastorate in Mitchell, he acquired a small sawmill, up on Mountain Creek, and rented a farm north of Mitchell, for five years.   It may be seen that we boys learned how to work.

     Dad was later called to the Mud Springs Baptist Church near Madras, where he stayed for a number of years, including the time when the church organization was moved into Madras.   He continued to preach in small communities, in the surrounding area.   When he closed this pastorate he started to operate a small dairy, of from six to ten cows.   This, he continued, until he was taken by cancer, at the relatively young age, of sixty-one years.

     Dad once conducted a tragic funeral, for three people, two men and one woman, victims of a shooting.   He was saddened by the fact, that he had known one of the men quite well, yet, he had never spoken of Christ to him, so he vowed he would do his best, to speak of Christ, to every man he knew, and met in Madras.

     Mother survived Dad, by a number of years.   She later, married Homer Alexander, a friend of Dad's.   She went to be with the Lord at the age of 78 in Redmond, Oregon, where they had lived.

     Editor's note:   I'm happy to give this account of Brother Fred Brown, one of our faithful, old time Baptist preachers.   I first remember him, from the association meeting at Mitchell in 1920.   He was pastor there, and I have never forgotten his slightly balding head, and big, round, jolly face.   When I had finished seminary, and visited in Madras, he was ever my friend, and gave me a welcome; giving of his time to take me about.   I have a snapshot taken in Prineville, when I visited there in 1936, and Brother Brown, the pastor there, stands with them, smiling his big smile.   I remember him so.   ~~JRB

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Tom Blalock Webservant edit@BaptistLandmarks.org