BROWN, FRANCIS E. AND BETTY L. FAMILY

by Francis E. and Betty L. Brown

Entry F54 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

The Buck Brown Family, July 1987. L to R back row: Ernie, Lenora, Linda
Vivian and Gordon. Front: Betty and Buck.

Francis Edwin "Buck" Brown came to
Mullen the first part of July 1961 and began
work for Wes James at the Lowe Co. as Parts
Man. He lived at the Commercial Hotel,
which was operated by Gif and Marian Davis,
for 3 weeks, while he found a house to move
his family to. His wife Betty and 3 children,
Lenora, Linda and Gordon stayed with his
mother Florence Brown at Stapleton, NE for
3 weeks, when they moved into the Henry
Erny house at 204 N. McShane Ave in the
NW part of Mullen. They have lived there
ever since and later purchased it from Beulah
and Henry Erny.

Lenora Lea, who was born 1948 at
North Platte, was ready to start in the 8th
grade that Fall, Linda Marie, who was born
1949 at North Platte, was ready for the
6th grade, and Gordon Wayne, who was born
1951 at Grand Island, and was ready
for the 5th grade.

Francis was born 1921 at Hoag-
land, Logan Co., NE to Earnest and Florence
Cassell Brown. He received his education in
the Gandy Grade School and Baker Rural
High School at Stapleton, graduating in 1940.
He broke horses and worked on construction
until 10 Oct 1942, when he was inducted into
the U.S. Army at Offut AFB. After Basic
Training he graduated from David Rankin
Trade School in Automotive Mechanics at St
Louis, MO and was then transferred into the
3rd Air Force, where he served as a Mechanic
and Instructor Gunner. He was discharged 8
Jan 1946 at Chanute Field, IL with a SGT
rating.

Betty Lou Fletcher was born 1927
at Flagstaff, AZ to Vinton Leslie and Myra
Leaone Johnson Fletcher. She received her
education at Hoagland and Gandy Grade
Schools and Logan Co. High School at
Gandy, graduating in 1944. She taught for 3
yers in rural schools in Logan Co. and was
married to Francis on 1 June 1947 at the
home of her parents, in a sod house 3 1/2 mi
SE of Hoagland, Logan Co., NE. They
worked on ranches in Logan, Keith and
Lincoln counties, and moved to Oregon for a
short time. In the fall of 1950 Buck went to
work for the Nebraska Brand Committee and
worked at Grand Island for 3 1/2 years and at
Atkinson for 4 years. The Browns then moved
to a ranch in Boyd Co. where they milked
dairy cows and later moved to Mullen.

Buck worked for the Lowe Co. for 2 years
and was Deputy Sheriff, Town Marshall and
Local Brand Inspector until 1966. He was
Administrator for Pioneer Memorial Hospi-
tal at Mullen from 1966 until Feb 1971. He
then went to work for the Hooker Co. Road
Dept and stayed until the last of March 1984,
most of which time he was foreman. He began
driving the Handibus 1 Apr 1984 and is still
driving it. Betty has been a News Correspon-
dent for the Hooker County Tribune for some
20 years and does sewing and alterations.

Vivian Jean was born 1962 at
Pioneer Memorial Hospital at Mullen and
Ernest Leslie was born 1966 at
Pioneer Memorial Hospital. Vivian and
Ernie graduated from Mullen Grade and
High Schools in 1980 and 1984, respectively.
Vivian graduated from Kearney State Col-
lege and is presently working for Photogra-
phic Images at North Platte. She mirried
Robert Dean Frazier at North Platte in April
1987 and they have a son Randall Robert.

Ernie had completed his Junior Year at
Chadron State College, majoring in Indus-
trial Arts. He is also a member of the
Nebraska National Guard, joining in January
of 1984.

Lenora graduated from Mullen High
School in 1966 and Kearney State College in
1970. She married Danny Lee Little, son of
Elmer and Delores Little on 28 Feb 1970 at
the United Methodist Church in Mullen.
They have 2 daughters, Terri Lynn, born
1970 at Yankton, S.D. and Toni Ashlee,
born 1975 at Fremont, NE. They
presently live at Maple Grove, MN where
Dan is employed as a Production Manager by
Graco in Minneapolis. Lenora works part
time as an Accountant/Controller and
teaches evening Adult Education Classes.

Linda attended Mullen Grade and High
Schools and received her High School Diplo-
ma from the University of Nebraska at
Lincoln. She was married to Jimmie Arnold
Wright, son of Arnold and Blondie Wright,
and had 2 daughters, Patey Lynn, born
1966 and Lisa Marie, born 1969, both
at Mullen. Linda worked at North Platte and
Omaha before moving to Cincinnati, OH
where she married Daniel James Rishel on 10
Sept 1982. She completed her College at
Xavier University at Cincinnati in the spring
of 1986. Dan works for Peck, Shaffer and
Williams and Linda works for Mutual Mfg.
and Supply. Patsy came to Mullen in the
middle of her 1Oth grade and graduated here
in 1985. Lisa had completed her 11th grade
at Andersen High in Cincinnati.

Gordon graduated from Mullen High
School in 1969 and was in the USAF from 9
Sept 1970 until 6 Sept 1974 and served a Tour
of Duty in Vietnam. He married Brenda Sue
Johnson, daughter of Leslie Wayne and
Nadine Neola Johnson on 29 March 1975 at
Villisca, IA. Brenda was teaching school at
Halsey, when he met her at a dance in
Thedford. Brenda taught 1 year at Mullen
and 2 years at McDonald School and Gordon
worked for Lincoln-Mercury at North Platte.
They moved to Longmont, CO 4 July 1978,
where he worked for Lincoln-Mercury in
Boulder, then worked for Dave Taylor Ford
in Longmont, with 1 absence to own his car
company. Brenda has continued teaching
and does alterations and sewing. Gordon
enlisted in the Colorado National Guard in
Sept 1986.