Ethel Zoe Brown

Ethel was born in Wauconda on May 12, 1923 to the late Eugene Prior and Mary, nee Faulks, Prior (Buckley). She grew up on Bangs Lake with her 3 siblings during the Great Depression. She and her siblings cleaned and maintained the lake cottages the family rented out. She became an accomplished figure skater and drew the attention of an ice skating couple staying at their cottages. A highlight of her childhood was when the couple took her to the Ice Capades in Chicago. She married Rollin Brown in Wauconda where they started a family. They moved to Waukegan in 1951 where she spent most of her life. Ethel was a charter member of Faith United Methodist Church. As a homemaker she enjoyed baking, knitting, crocheting, and sewing. She loved giving away many of her homemade blankets, scarves, slippers and other items. She excelled at making clothes, doll clothes, and stuffed animals. She was the first woman school bus driver for Spaulding School. Later she worked as a seamstress at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. She spent many hours visiting relatives and others in nursing homes and made additional lifelong friends during these visits. Ethel’s strength and determination enabled her to care for her husband at home during his lengthy illness. She lived independently until she was 98 when she entered Oak Hill Supportive Living.

She was preceded in death by her husband Rollin Brown, sister Janet (late Howard) Hironimus, sister Mary (late Walter) Wojdakowski, son-in-law Gorman Dodson Sr., great-grandson Tristan Wolfson and stepfather John Buckley.

She is survived by her children Gary (Gerry) Brown and Janice (late Gorman Sr.) Dodson, grandchildren Angela, nee Brown (Reid) Templin and April, nee Brown (Julian) Wolfson; Gorman Dodson Jr. “Gene”, Tanya, nee Dodson (Jacob) Novak and Natalie Dodson; great-grandchildren, Trevor and Ashlyn Templin; Anabelle, Aria and Aidan Wolfson; James Dodson; Andrew, Callie, Evan and Alyssa Novak; Shailie (Alex) Loyd and Eli Hagstrom; great-great-grandchildren Kayden and Karlee Dodson, brother Hollis (Lynn) Prior and also survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to CurePSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) Organization in Memory of her husband.

https://www.psp.org/

Visitation:

Monday, July 29th 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Marsh Funeral Home

305 N Cemetery Rd., Gurnee, IL. 60031

AND

Saturday, August 24th 12:00 - 3:00 pm

Fairway Ridge Clubhouse

611 Leonard Dr., Gurnee, IL. 60031