Gerald Brown

    Gerald “Jerry” Robert Brown, 75, of 812 Maple Lane, Clear Lake, died Monday, July 4, 2011 at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa, Mason City, Iowa.
    Services were held Friday, July 8, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Clear Lake, with the Rev. John R. Tilp officiating. Graveside services were at the St. Lawrence Cemetery, Fairbault, Minn.  Family suggests memorials to Opportunity Village Memorial Fund.

    Jerry was born Nov. 29, 1935 in Princeton Village, Minn. the son of William and Mabel (Gohman) Brown.  He graduated in 1953 from Technical High School, St. Cloud, Minn.
    After high school he worked on the family farm in River Haven, Minn. and then went to work for Cockshutt Implement, St. Cloud.  Cockshutt changed to the Oliver Company where he worked in the parts department in St. Paul, later to be known as White Farm Equipment Company and transferred to Clear Lake in 1977 as a field service manager. Jerry retired in November 1998.
    Jerry enjoyed wood-working, making cradles and rocking horses for his grandchildren.  He loved to attend his grandchildren’s sporting and musical events.  He also enjoyed gardening, bird watching, playing cards, dominos, traveling, volunteering at Opportunity Village and helping his friend Mark on his Christmas Tree Farm.  He was known as a handy man - if he couldn’t fix it, it wasn’t broken. His favorite quote was, “If It Is Not Worth Doing in Excess It’s Not Worth Doing At All”. 
    He was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Clear Lake.
    Jerry is survived by his wife, Mary Brown, Clear Lake; two children, Kari (Sid) Cowherd, Bettendorf, Iowa and Jeff (Jodi) Brown, Albert Lea, Minn.; four grandchildren, Tyler Cowherd, Megan Cowherd, Annelisa Brown and Kylie Brown; three sisters, Shirley (Vern) Haehnel, Pequot Lakes, Minn., Diane (Ernie) Haehnel, Motley, Minn. and Janice Grundhofer, Foley, Minn. and six sisters-in-law, Patricia (Raymond) Schwichtenberg, Maple Grove, Minn., Geraldine (Jim) Stevens, St. Petersburg, Fla., Dorothy (Doug) Paulson, Vancouver, Wash., Carol Eveslage, Wanamingo, Minn., Diane (Wayne) Beumer, Northfield, Minn., and Sharon (Karl) Teater, Inver Grove Heights, Minn. 
    He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant daughter; brother, Stanley Brown; and sister-in-law, Phyllis Dean.
    Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.