Joseph Blair Brown

Joseph Blair Brown, 91, of Topeka, passed away Friday, September 28, 2012. He was born January 28, 1921 in Greeley, CO, the son of Harry and Eva (Daniels) Brown.
Joe was the grandson of pioneers who settled in the San Miguel Valley of Colorado. Joe was raised in Telluride and Redvale, CO where he met his childhood sweetheart, Elsie Ross, whom he would eventually marry. Due to his age, Joe had to get his parents' permission to enlist immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor and he served the full duration of the war in the Army Air Corps, stationed in North Africa and Italy. After the war, he graduated from Colorado State University (formerly the Colorado A&M Aggies) in 1949 with a bachelor's degree in Agronomy.
Joe married Elsie immediately following his graduation, and they were married for 62 years, until Elsie's death in December of 2011. They lived and raised their family in the Denver area beginning in 1949. Joe was a soil scientist for the Federal Government for the Soil Conservation Service, and later worked in Grants and Aid for the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. There, his work was instrumental in the development of State Parks in the western region of the U.S. He also was the inventor of a patented automated auger used to facilitate the process of obtaining soil samples. After his retirement at age 55, Joe farmed 160 acres of winter wheat in Adams County, CO. Elsie and Joe moved to Topeka in 1998 in order to be closer to their family.
Joe is survived by his son, Tim (Anita) Brown and their family, Brian (Bree), David and Cassie; daughter, Melinda (Bill) Donovan and their family, Rosie (Pat) Rourke, Kerry (Spencer) Norton, Chuck Donovan, great-granddaughter, Maisie Rourke, and a great-grandchild Norton expected in Feb. 2013; daughter, Eva (Lynn) Curtis and their family, Lucy and Leah Curtis, Alex (Becca) Jamrozek and great-grandchild Brandon. He is preceded in death by his parents, 6 siblings, and his wife, Elsie.
As were his wishes, Joe was cremated. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, October 6th at First United Methodist Church-Klasse Chapel at 6th and Topeka Blvd. He will be inurned with his wife at Lone Tree Cemetery in Telluride, CO. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Joseph B. Brown, to the Colorado State University Foundation, PO Box 1870, Ft. Collins, CO 80522. Gifts will be used to provide scholarships for undergraduate students majoring in Agronomy. To leave a message for the family online, please visit www.DoveCremation.com.