Marie A. Brown

Marie A. (Weber) Brown, “The Fudge Lady,” passed away at her home on July 12, 2011. Born at Black Lake on November 22, 1922 to parents Tony and Elsie (Goldsby) Weber, Marie was a life-long resident of the area. She attended the one-room Black Lake School (current site of the Black Lake Grange) and was a graduate of Olympia High School. She was preceded in death by her husband Stanley H. Brown, a daughter Katherine Mueller, brother Al Weber, and sister Doris Voss. She is survived by two daughters, Carla Mendenhall (Rod) of Olympia and Margaret McAninch (Jon) of Oakville, sister Irene Doughty of Tumwater, brother John M. Weber of Olympia, nine grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Known for her home-made fudge, apple pies, whole wheat bread (“Granny bread”) blackberry duff, and cookies, all of which she cooked on a wood cookstove and shared generously with neighbors, family and friends, she enjoyed her rustic lifestyle in the home she and her husband had built almost 65 years before. Marie also enjoyed painting, wood carving, sculpting clay figurines, traveling, reading, gardening, and mowing her extensive yard. A great lover of nature, she was a friend to many woodland critters (except moles and slugs). She answered to many names (Marie, Mom, Granny, Aunt Ree) and there are many adjectives that could be used to describe her—talented, unpretentious, hard-working, genuine, optimistic, uncomplaining, and generous to name a few. A graveside service has been scheduled for 3 PM on Monday, July 25 at Mills and Mills Memorial Park (formerly Olympic Memorial Gardens) on Littlerock Road and will be followed by a potluck get-together at Black Lake Grange. Donations may be made to the Thurston County Food Bank in lieu of flowers.