Clear, 38° F
(March 3, 1930 - Nov. 16, 2013)
George Ellis Brown, 83, of Cody, died peacefully surrounded by his family on Nov. 16, 2013, at Spirit Mountain Hospice House.
He was born March 3, 1930, in Merrill, Ore., to Matt and Margaret Brown as the second youngest of seven children. As a child George spent summer vacations on his grandmother’s ranch on Owl Creek near Thermopolis. Wanting to be a “real Wyoming cowboy” and after the death of his father, he moved to the ranch at the age of 8.
He graduated from Thermopolis High School in 1948 and married Donna Lee Anthony on Dec. 27, 1951. They had three children.
He and Donna bought a family ranch on Owl Creek from his aunt and lived there until moving to the Hoodoo Ranch as its manager in January 1967, a position he held for 43 years until retiring in 2010.
George was well-known and respected in the cattle industry and was on the board of directors of several organizations, including the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and Shoshone National Bank.
George is survived by his wife Donna; son Don (Linda) Brown of Las Vegas; daughter Mamie (Jim) Knadler of Laramie; and Mary (Marvin) Haugen of Gillette. He is also surived by his grandchildren Mark (Shelley) Musser, Rhys (Kitt) Haugen, Michael Haugen, Blake (Amanda) Knadler, Afton Brown and Tony Brown; great-grandchildren Forrest, Tyler, Carson and Jacob; sisters Jean Burtis and Mary of Portland, Ore., and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and three sisters.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 25, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Cody, with a viewing preceding services at 10 a.m. A luncheon will follow at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. A private family burial will be held at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to the Spirit Mountain Hospice House or Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
An online memorial is available at www.ballardfh.com.
