Laura Etta Brown

GRAND PRAIRIE -- Laura has climbed those golden stairs to greet her Lord and reunite with her husband and family on October 2, 2011. Service: 12:30 pm Wednesday at Moore Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation: 6-8 pm Tuesday at the funeral home. Pallbearers: Scott Spencer, Scott Spencer II, Robert Countes and Jason Shaw with Jonathan Shaw and Tracey Shaw as honorary pallbearers. Born August 7, 1925 in Alichia, McCurtain Co., OK, her father was a Teamster in the lumbering camp when she was born. Laura said Alichia consisted of a store, a church, and a school building at that time. She was baptized at the 1st Baptist Church of Leary, TX when she was a young girl. In grammar school in 1934 she played tennis. Laura graduated from Hooks High School in Hooks, TX in 1943. In 1944 she attended the Electronic Radio and Television Institute in Omaha, NE and learned teletype. She worked for the railroad for a period of time in this position. In 1945, while living in California with her half-sister, she met Robert Lee Brown who was in the Merchant Marines at that time. On August 1, 1945 they were married in Yuma, AZ. Robert passed away October 24, 2001, just short of their 60th wedding anniversary. She is also preceded in death by her father, William Jessie Harrison; mother, Margarette Eliza Williams Brister Harrison; son, Laurance Lee Brown; son-in-law, Janeth Z. Coates, Jr.; half-sister, Cleo Thelma Brister; sister, Jessie Mary Harrison Wagstaff; and four of her five nephews. Laura is survived by daughter, Margarette Elizabeth Brown Coates of Grand Prairie; two granddaughters, Paula J. Coates Spencer and spouse, Scott Spencer of Grand Prairie, and Martha E. Coates Shaw and spouse, Jason Shaw of Saginaw; four grandchildren, Scott Spencer II, Tracee Shaw, Nicholas Spencer, Jonathan Shaw; daughter-in-law, Linda Brown of Cleo, MI, nephew, Jessie William Flagstaff. Laura and Robert bought their house on N.E. 32nd Street in Grand Prairie in 1950 when the area was just starting to be developed and lived there until their death. They jointly ran a business from home building display models and give away models for companies such as Aerospatiale, Bell Helicopter, and LTV for more than10 years. They were the sole model makers in the United States for Aerospatiale (American Eurocopter) when the business was open. The Brown families were all members of Bowles Memorial Baptist Church in Grand Prairie since the mid 1950's. Laura had been in declining health ever since Robert's passing. They were active in Bowles for many years. In the 1970's they donated a new organ for the church. She had long been looking forward to her trip to be home with the Lord and her already deceased family and friends. We will miss you but are happy that you are now where you wanted to be.