Joseph Smith Brown was born January 2, 1855 [1856], in Ogden, Weber, Utah. He is the son of Captain James Brown and Mary McRee Black Brown.
When Joseph was eight years old his father died suddenly [on September 30, 1863] due to an accident. This left this little boy without a father's care. But his half brother [George] David Black, who was twenty-three years old at the time was not only a devoted brother but was also a father to young Joseph. A few years after this his mother sold her property in Ogden and moved to Brigham City with David and his family. She put all she owned in the United Order in Brigham City but became dissatisfied with conditions and they all moved back to Ogden. David moving to Huntsville and later to Ogden where his mother, Joseph, and Josephine lived then on the corner of what is now 28th and Washington Avenue.
Joseph attended the public school in Ogden and even at this age was noted for his independent attitude toward things in general and maintained his belife to the extent of physical resistance when necessary even though his assailent was of a more rugged and hunky build then he. Jose;h worked at whatever a boy could find to do in those days. His wise mother seeing the need of something permanent and more profitable for her young son than just odd and uncertain jobs, decided to buy a farm in Idaho where her son David had located. This she did, again pioneerin in a new place, Oxford, Idaho, where there were less than fifty families and all houses but one log and dirt-roofed. The house on the farm she boufht had three room built Mexican style, with no communicating doors between them. One had to go out of doors from the kitchen to go into the bedroom and also into the combination grainary, chicken-coop and sleeping quarters for Joseph.
Joseph industrially tilled the soil in the season, and in the winter went away to work at grading on the Utah Northern railroad. It was my privilege to live with Grandma one winter and I remember so well one incident that occurred which really left its mark on Uncle Joe for all of his lifetime.
Joseph came home for a week or so and and a big party in the log school house celebrated his homecoming for he was popular with the young folks. He took a lovely young girl, [Sarah] Wealthy Patten to the dance. While the dance was in progress a certain young bully (whose name I will not mention as he was a member of a prominent pioneer family of Utah), who had been drinking heavily, picked a quarrel with Joe which resulted in a fight and both of them lost part of an ear. I remember so well the excitement caused and he was taken to his brother David's house who lived across the street from Grandma's and she was called out of bed after midnight on a bitterly cold night to help bandage the ear and other bruises left by this fight.
I might say that Joe's sweetheart Wealthy had made a new dress for this party. She and her friend, a Miss Cooper, made one just alike. It was black wool delpine with rosebuds scattered profusely in the pattern. It had a full skirt and had several fringed rufles gathered in the middle and sewed on the bottom part of the skirt and a tight basque waist. I thought it was the prettiest dress I had ever seen. I remember Gandma wondering whether Joe was going to take Wealthy to the party. He had not said anything about it to her and she was anxious about it as Wealthy was such a good girl. Well, their interest in each other grew into love and they were married March 8, 1876 and she was ever a most devoted and faithful wife, while he never seemed to be religiously inclined she was, and her influence in this direction was a constant support to them in rearing a fine family [of ten children]. They later moved up to Plano, and thereabout, and became prosperous. When western Canada was being pioneered by the Mormons Joseph wanted to move there and sell out his farm in Idaho. He and some of his sons went to Canada and took up land. But Aunt Wealthy didn't want to move there so he returned to Idaho and became well to-do, but it was his level-headed wife who wisely counselled him and kept him from many enterprises which she felt were not for the best.
Joseph Smith Browntop: Captain James Brown,Sarah Wealthy Patten Brown
bottom: Mary McRee Black Brown
He was noted for his honesty and generosity. In [22] March 1903, Joseph and Uncle David were on their way to Ogden to attend their beloved sister Mary Eliza Brown Critchlow's funeral at Idaho Falls, then know as Eagle Rock, they had to wait over several hours and change trains. Uncle Joe went up town to pass the time away while waiting until train time. About midnight , as he was well acquainted there and was known to carry large sums of money on his person, and spent it freely when occasion called for it. It is supposed but was never proven that he had treated some of his friends and on his way back to the train, one shot him to death in the back, indicating that the cowardly murderer knew his tendency to fight back if challenged, so attacked him from the back. His brother had to take him back home for burial and neither one could attend their sisters funeral. After her funeral the family in Ogden went to Idaho to attend his funeral [on 29 March 1903 at the Plano Cemetery, Madison County, Idaho], except Grandma Mary who was too feeble and too grief-stricken to go that long distance.
Joseph's name will ever be honored by his fine famiy and descendents.
[Joseph Smith Brown and Sarah Wealthy Patten Brown's ten Children:
Joseph Smith Brown 1877-1963
Wealthy May Brown 1878-1914
Henry Alonzo Brown 1880-1973 - 93 years
Mary Josephine Brown 1882-1970
James William Brown 1884-1905
George David Brown 1885-1966
Margaret Viola Brown 1887-1956
Leroy Patten Brown 1890-1929
Sidney Earl Brown 1894-1950
Wendell Eddy Brown 1896-1905 -9 years]
Sources:
PAF - Archer files
Book of Remembrances
[Bracketed], bold, corrections, and photos added by Lucy Brown Archer
