Marie Hamrick Brown of Douglas, Alabama, died Feb. 5 after a short illness. She was 89.
Marie and her husband, Waymon, founded Brown Hardware and later Brown Appliance in Douglas and operated both for decades. The couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Dec. 23, 2020.
Marie was valedictorian of the 1949 graduating class of Douglas High School. She attended business college in Nashville, Tennessee, and then worked in Birmingham, Alabama, until she and Waymon eloped to Iuka, Mississippi, where they married before he was inducted into the U.S. Air Force. After he completed basic training they moved to Victorville, California, where their first child was born.
They returned to Douglas before Waymon’s deployment to Korea and never left home again.
When her four children were in school, Marie was a frequent volunteer at school, serving many times as room mother and working in the Parent Teacher Organization. She was an avid fan of her daughter Carol’s high school sports, taking off work to attend all Carol’s volleyball games. She worked the polls at local, state and federal elections in Douglas for many years. Marie also organized her high school reunion for decades.
Marie and Waymon attended Zion Hill Primitive Baptist Church.
Marie was known for her cheerful outlook and would always say she was doing pretty well for her age. She was a talented seamstress who for many years made most of her own clothes and those of her three daughters. She especially loved gardening, growing both vegetables and flowers. A wonderful cook, she was famous in the family for her vegetable soup, chicken dumplings and apple pies.
She is survived by her beloved husband, Waymon, and four children: Sharon Brown-Henry (John) of Kanehoe, Hawaii; Vicki Brown (Chris Klein) of Nashville, Tennessee; Gary Brown (Lisa) of Douglas, and Carol Brown of Montgomery, Alabama; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, as well as her sister, Nell Bartlett of Douglas and her brother, Tom Hamrick of Huntsville.
A private graveside service was held at Douglas Cemetery on Feb. 7, Elder Ricky Harcrow officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Zion Hill Primitive Baptist Church or Shepherd’s Cove Hospice of Marshall County.
