This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: MichaelCronk28 Surnames: BROWN, CAMPAU, FISHER, HALL, LEEK, PHILLIPS Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.michigan.counties.kent/8690/mb.ashx Message Board Post: ALVAH BROWN DIES; ACTIVE MANY YEARS IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS HOTEL PROPRIETOR, ILL 17 MONTHS, HAD WIDELY VARIED CIVIC, BUSINESS CAREER ALVAH BROWN, president and manager of the Browning hotel company, died yesterday afternoon after an illness of 17 months. In 1917 Mr. Brown built the BROWNING HOTEL, organized the Browning Hotel company and has been from its inception the president and manager. Later he acquired a lease to the property known as the Browning Annex, which is run in conjunction with the hotel by the same company. Born Nov. 14, 1865, in Caledonia township in the village of Brownville, now called Alaska, Mr. Brown has lived continuously in Kent county, where his activities of a varied nature have made him widely known. The son of one of the first settlers and lumbering and mill operators of Brownville, he was educated in the village school and later in Grand Rapids. FORMS EMBALMING FLUID CO. At the age of 21 he was employed by the late Allen Durfee, leading local undertaker, and from this start Mr. Brown developed the sales and manufacturing departments of the business until with possession of formulas and sole rights, he organized the DURFEE EMBALMING FLUID COMPANY. He was president and manager of this company until he sold his interests in 1917, when the Browning Hotel company claimed his entire attention. Mr. Brown organized and operated the UTILIZATION COMPANY, a piggery in Paris township, which gained considerable attention from municipalities throughout the county by feeding 7,000 hogs on city table waste. Other enterprises of which he was an organizer and officer include the MICHIGAN HEARSE AND CARRIAGE COMPANY and the MICHIGAN ENGRAVING COMPANY. Mr. Brown also served for several years as secretary of the Michigan Funeral Directors' and Embalmers' Association and acted as chairman of the executive committee of the National Funeral Directors' association. He was the first licensed embalmer in Michigan. A POLICE COMMISSIONER In addition he was for five years a member of the Grand Rapids board of police and fire commissioners and for 10 years chairman of the Kent county road commissioners, in which capacity he championed the removal of the famed "dead man's curve" on Plainfield rd. He was also for many years a director of the Michigan Good Roads association. Politically, Mr. Brown has served as chairman of the Republican committee of Kent county and was president one year and secretary three years of the local Lincoln club. Mr. Brown was a 32nd degree Mason, belonging to DeWitt Clinton consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish rite; York lodge no. 410, F.&A.M., and Saladin temple. He was active in the Michigan Hotel Greeters' association, a member of Grand Rapids lodge no. 48, B.P.O. Elks, and numerous fraternal organizations. Among these, he was one of two surviving charter members of the local branch of United Commercial Travelers. Surviving are the widow, ELLA; two daughters, MISS LEAH BROWN of this city and MRS. BRUCE E. BROWN of Chicago; a brother, FRED O.C. BROWN, and two sisters, MRS. CARRIE M. CAMPAU and MRS. LIBBIE FISHER, all of Grand Rapids. Funeral services will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at the Greenhoe chapel, where friends may view the body. Dr. Alfred W. Wishart will conduct the services at the chapel. Services at the grave in Woodlawn cemetery will be in charge of York lodge. THE GRAND RAPIDS HERALD, Grand Rapids, Mich., Sat., 26 Nov. 1932, Pg. 1, Col. 2 & Pg. 10, Col. 1 ************************ A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH on ALVAH BROWN can be read at: http://kent.migenweb.net/white1924/personal/browna.html As stated in the above biography, Alvah Brown was born 14 November 1865, in Caledonia township, Kent Co., MI, the son of WILLIAM H. BROWN and LUFANNA LEEK. In 1891, Alvah Brown married ELLA PHILLIPS, the daughter of CHASE PHILLIPS and MARY HALL. Alvah and Ella Brown had two daughters, LEAH F. and VIRGINIA M. A c.1938 PHOTOGRAPH of the BROWNING HOTEL can be seen at: http://www.grpl.org/photocoll?cat=onclick&keynum=578 WOODLAWN CEMETERY, GRAND RAPIDS, KENT CO., MI BROWN, ALVAH (1865-1932) - Sec. 2, Lot 299, Grave #1 http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Brown&GSiman=1&GScid=2002&GRid=14565208& BROWN, ELLA PHILLIPS (1872-1954) - Sec. 2, Lot 299, Grave #2 http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Brown&GSiman=1&GScid=2002&GRid=35986748& Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.