Marguerite LaVonne Tiffany Brown

at Foss Home and Village in Seattle, WA. She was born on November 24, 1922, in Creston, Iowa, to Wayne Lawring Tiffany and Nellie Marie Slater. She and her brother, Robert Dean Tiffany grew up in Creston surrounded by their grandmother and many aunts and uncles. She had fond memories of her life there speaking of her grandmother especially. She met Ray Brown (Leo Ramon who went by Raymond Leo) when they were teenagers. On March 1, 1941, they eloped to the courthouse in Maryville, Missouri, ages 18 and 20. They moved to Renton, WA, in 1943 and lived in a converted chicken coop! When their first daughter was 2, they moved back to Iowa for 6 months. Marguerite would have been fine staying there but Ray wanted to move back. They did so as did her parents, all living together in a bus barn. In 1948, they purchased land in the Renton Highlands, part of an old farm and orchard. They bought a WWII surplus house and moved it onto the property. There Marguerite lived until December 2015, when she entered long-term care.

Marguerite was an excellent seamstress and loved doing handwork, drawing and painting, reading, studying her Bible, and researching family history. She loved to garden which for a time included two large iris beds on either side of the walkway.

She was a founding member of Highlands Community Church in Renton and served in many ways including developing their library. Her walk with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was of utmost importance and gave her strength during difficult times. She especially loved a trip to Israel to see biblical places in person.

Marguerite is survived by her 3 daughters, Laura Marie Burgi (Richard), Barbara Ann Livdahl (Gregory) and Shirley Edith Wall (Jack), her 6 grandchildren, Christopher, Megan, Jason, Tiffany, Heidi and Norman, and 10 great-grandchildren. She had an “adopted family” that was so dear to her, Paul and Jean Goodner, and their children, Rachel and Stephen. She was their adopted grandma.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother, and sister-in-law. She was the last surviving spouse of the Brown family’s 14 children and spouses.

The family is grateful for the care given by Foss Home and Village these past 6 years and Providence Hospice the last few months and days of her life.