Margaret B. Brown

Margaret Bertha Brown passed away on April 8, 2024 at 100 years of age. She was born in Macon Township, Mich., on a farm, to Hungarian immigrants Louis Kovach and Elizabeth Papp Kovach. She and her sisters Elizabeth and Gizela were educated at the Henry Ford School in Macon.

After graduation from high school she attended a finishing school in Detroit established and directed by Henry Ford’s wife, Clara. During World War II she worked as a Rosie the Riveter at the Willow Run B-24 Bomber Plant and is in the Rosie Roll of Honor.

She married Henry “Hank” Brown of Britton after he returned from military service in the Army Air Corps in New Guinea and the Philipine Islands as they had hoped and planned to do.

Bertha and Henry built a home in Britton and raised three sons there, Jack (Pamela) of DeWitt, Jim (Janet) of Spring Arbor, and Jeff (Betsy) of Clayton, Calfornia. The boys have 14 children, and in addition to these 14 grandchildren Bertha had 21 great-grandchildren.

She worked at the Britton-Macon School as manager of the cafeteria until retirement. She was active in the Britton Christian Congregational Church for many years in the choir and as a teacher and superintendant of the Sunday School.

She was creative and handy with crafts, cooking and baking, organizing the Papp-Brown Christmas parties, furniture upholstery, and basket weaving especially. She and Hank enjoyed traveling in retirement with her Aunt Irene (more like a third sister) and Uncle Ralph Mehler who were in her graduation class.

She and her husband were fans of the University of Michigan football and basketball teams, attending many games in person. She also attended countless games and concerts in which her sons and grandchildren participated.

She enjoyed friendships she maintained with schoolmates, church friends, neighbors, community, church, and nursing home friends as well.

She encouraged and supported all three sons in higher education. And she herself was a life-long learner and reader. Her primary interest was the Bible and books on Christian history and living. She played word games on her laptop and followed her family on Facebook, interacting with them daily, even at 100 years old.

Her family honors her for her deep and abiding Christian faith, loving example, wise counsel, gracious generosity, and constant affection, interest and support.

The Bible in the book of Proverbs, chapter 31 says “a noble woman is hard to find,” but we found one and we, her family, “praise her in the gates,” celebrating her life and legacy.

Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, May 10, at Purse Martinez Funeral Home, Tecumseh.

A graveside service will follow the next day for family at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, at Ridgeway Cemetery with Rev. H.F. Jack Brown officiating. 

A Celebration of Life for family will take place on June 29.

Condolences may be offered online at pursemartinez.com.