Louise Jaggard Brown

Louise Jaggard was born July 23, 1880 near Brimfield, Ill. She moved to Elk Co., Kans. when she was two, growing up in a two room house, going to country school and then a 3 year high school at Howard, Kans. graduating in 1897. Then she taught country school. She moved to Emporia, KS, attending Kansas State Normal School, working in the registrars office and also the library at College of Emporia. Then in the teens she attended the University of Wisconsin, receiving a B.A. and then the Library Science certificate (now a Master's Degree).

She was a librarian at Wichita, KS until 1920 when she married (as a second wife) Frank Emerson Brown, Chem.Prof. at Iowa State. This wasn't her first experience at homemaking. As a young girl she baked the bread for the family (parents and 4 brothers). She also cared for her parents in their final illnesses. Now she had a ready made family of twin boys, Frank Jr and Holmes who were six years old, and three years later little Louise came along. To start one's own family at age 43 must have been quite a challenge. She took me for walks In the woods (even went wading) and played football with me.

She was community-minded, and active at Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Faculty Women's Club, AAUW, and various fund drives (before the days of UNITED WAY). I remember going with her to vote in 1928 in the basement of Welch School where I was in Kindergarten. I thought it had always been like this, but women got the vote only 8 years earlier. What changes she witnessed! Electric lights at the St Louis World's Fair, automobiles, airplanes, radio, television, watching men walk on the moon - her world was ever changing and she was always keeping up with it. After her cataracts were removed, she was reading a book a day even though she was in her 90's.

She made no differences - each child was her child and their children were her grandchildren. She was interested in each and every one of them. I didn't realize she was a history major until I chose that major myself. She also passed on to me unbeknownst the love of making verses. She also taught me music, saw that I had lessons, and encouraged me. When I sang in the Elijah, I used her score from her days at Wisconsin. She always came to the Ames Choral Society concerts.

She took her turn providing leadership in her church circle. She led one of the Bible studies each year until she was past 90. She finally asked if there wasn't someone younger who could take her place. She pioneered again in 1965 when Northcrest was built. When she moved in, the hallways were not completed-- bare bulbs lighting the planked paths between buildings. It was then on the edge of town - Jack rabbits and meadow larks and deer wandered by. That caring community enabled her to live in comfort among friends. She died there Jan. 11, 1979 at the ripe old age of 98 1/2.

12/19/94