Chester Glen Brown, 90, of Grand Rapids, died February 27th, 2019 at Bridge Hospice in Bowling Green. He was born on October 12th, 1928 in Providence Township, Lucas County, Ohio, the second son of John W. and Frances P. (Sheely) Brown. On March 4th, 1949, he married Mildred LaVon Carter of Grand Rapids. They raised five children and enjoyed fifty-one years of marriage before her death on October 25th, 2000. On March 16th, 2002 he married Janice Crozier Kaiser of Tontogany. She preceded him in death on June 21st, 2018.
After graduating from Grand Rapids High School and marrying Mildred, Chet farmed and raised hogs on Box Road in Providence Township. He drove bus for Grand Rapids and Otsego Schools for 38 years, which included countless trips with the band and sports teams. For decades he played saxophone and called square dances in the dance band, “The Sundowners”. In his later years, he joined the Bowling Green Community Band and continued to play his sax at church and family gatherings.
Chet and Mildred were longtime members of the Farm Bureau, enjoying many family picnics, canoe trips, and agricultural tours that took them as far as Hawaii and Switzerland. They loved to travel and visited all fifty states. They were pillars of the First Presbyterian Church of Grand Rapids, where Chet sang in the choir and served as elder, deacon, and Sunday school superintendent. He also served as a Providence Township Trustee and was a member of the Masonic Lodge #123.
In his retirement Chet was an active member with Janice of the Tontogany Presbyterian Church. They sang in the choir, occasionally played duets, and were a fixture serving refreshments at Vacation Bible School. They were also great supporters of Otsego schools and could be found together at nearly every athletic or musical event. For many years they volunteered as kindergarten aides, where the children took turns holding “Grandpa” Brown’s hand on the way to the library.
Chet is survived by his sons; John and Scott (Paige) of Grand Rapids and Lee (Tammie) of Zanesville; daughters Kaye (Mark) Spicer and Amy (Blair) Dyke of Grand Rapids; nine grandchildren and two great-granddaughters; stepchildren Joseph (Kathy) Kaiser and Linette (Reed) Church, six step-grandchildren, and 5 step-great-grandchildren, brother, Clair (Sandy) and sister-in-law, Lenora. He was preceded in death by an infant son, parents John and Frances, wife Mildred, brother Clifford, and wife Janice.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Peinert-Dunn Funeral Home, Tontogany, OH. Funeral Services will be Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Tontogany Presbyterian Church with Pastor Pamela Short officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. Memorials may be given to Tontogany Presbyterian Church or the Otsego Music Boosters. To leave an online memory please visit www.dunnfuneralhome.com.
