Isabel M. Brown

Isabel McKerrow Brown, age 102, passed away peacefully at her home in Merton, Wisconsin on June 9, 2024. Isabel was born on March 1, 1922, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin to Gavin and Carolyn McKerrow.

Isabel is survived by daughters, Carolyn (Eric) Erdman of Silverton, CO, and Tucson, AZ, and Bette (Paul) Slayton of Bedford, PA; daughter-in-law, Cindy Brown, of Hartland, WI; grandchildren, Jenny Brown of Plymouth, WI and Ben Brown of Spring Green, WI; two sisters, Helen Pugh of Waukesha, WI, and Florence Glass of Lincoln, MA.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Warren Brown, who passed away in 2005, and her son, Randy Brown, passing in 2023.

Alongside her late husband, Isabel owned and operated the W.W. Brown Nursery, established in 1901. In addition to the nursery, they ran beef cattle and crop farms and were nationally recognized breeders of Polled Hereford cattle. Their contributions to the cattle industry were honored with inductions into the American Hereford Association Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Wisconsin Polled Hereford Association Hall of Fame in 1995. The Browns were named Wisconsin Livestock Producer of the Year in 1990 and Wisconsin Cattle Producer of the Year in 1996.

Isabel served on the Arrowhead School Board for 21 years, the Merton School Board for 12 years and as the Clerk-Treasurer for the Village of Merton for five years.

She was the General Leader of the Richmond 4-H Club for 20 years and served as Beef Superintendent of the Waukesha County Fair, where she was named Honorary Fair Marshall in 2003. She was a certified livestock judge traveling to fairs throughout the Midwest.

Isabel was a past president and over 30-year member of the Hartland Woman's Club, co-founder of the Schoolhouse Players, a local theatrical group, and was an active member of her church. She was well-known for her bread baking and enjoyed gardening, knitting, and entertaining.

Isabel attended Carroll College in Waukesha and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Visitation will be held at St. John’s United Church of Christ, N67W28321 Sussex Road, Merton, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Saturday, June 29. A funeral service will be held at 12:00 noon.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to St. John's United Church of Christ, P.O. Box 525, Merton, WI 53056, or the McKerrow-Brown Family Fund at the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation, The Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison, WI 53706 or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

https://www.stjohnsmertonucc.com/

https://wis4hfoundation.org/