Gertrude Lorraine (Reed) Brown

Gertrude Lorraine (Reed) Brown, 79 passed away in Coeur d’Alene, ID on Dec. 24, 2007. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 PM, Saturday, Dec. 29th in Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel. Pastor Jon Pomeroy, First Church of God, will officiate. Friends may call to pay their respects, on Saturday, from 9:00 AM, until service time. Inurnment will be later in the Westmond Cemetery. Gertrude was born on August 3, 1928, the daughter of Kenneth and Nina (Taylor) Reed, in Sagle, Idaho. She grew up in Sagle and graduated from the old Sandpoint High School, on Euclid, in 1946. She married and moved to St. Louis, MO to begin her family. She was a switchboard operator and secretary at Vi Jon Laboratory in St. Louis. She had 5 children and helped take care of her grandmother in-law for many years, making many trips back to Idaho to visit family. She moved to Grand Rapids, MI in Dec. 1968 and in 1970 her son, Steven, died in a car accident. In June of 1971 she moved to Arcadia Valley Bible Camp in Ironton, MO to help deal with the tragedy. In Dec. 1971 she returned to Sandpoint and worked at the Sandpoint Manor for 2 years. On Feb. 16, 1974 she married Thomas C. Brown, Jr. in Spokane, WA where they made their home. She ran the Village Inn kitchen and began selling Tupperware. In 1976 she moved to Guam for 4 years and was the Tupperware Manager there. She was #1, in sales, in the United States for 3 years in a row. In 1980 she returned to Spokane and Sandpoint, becoming a CNA. Gertrude enjoyed the young and the old; she loved her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She like to embroidery, do plastic canvas, and other types of needlework. She was a member of the First Church of God, the American Legion Auxiliary, the VFW Auxiliary, and a Past President of the Eagles Auxiliary. She is survived by her husband Tom (T.C.) Brown of Sagle, ID; her brother John K. Reed of Sandpoint, ID; her daughters Marietta (Don) Bone of Fredericktown, MO; and Pam (Steve) Fox of Ponderay, ID; her son Mark Potter of Boise, ID; 4 stepchildren Kevin, Kelley, and Chris Brown of NV and Tommy Brown of Oregon. Grandchildren Julie Britton, Tim (Jenny) Fox, Jamie (Kimberly) Britton, Joel (Kim) Britton, Lori (Keith) Marter, Lori (Jeff) Stensland. Kelly King, Lorisa Potter, Jessica Potter, Samantha Potter, Audra Potter, Paul Johanson, Wayne (Celeste) Fox, and Dave (Julie) Fox. Also surviving are 18 great grandchildren (with 2 more on the way); 3 sister in-laws, Claudia, Pat, and Eunice, other relatives and many many friends. Her parents, her in-laws, a brother, a sister, 2 sons, 2 great grandchildren, and a brother in-law preceded her in death. Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association. 1528 Vista Ave. Boise, ID; 83705; The First Church of God, 221 So. Division, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864; or the Kidney Dialysis Fund, % BGH, PO Box 1448, Sandpoint, ID 83864.