Mabel Brown was one of the first people I met when I came to Cheyenne in 1991. She then was a young lass of 77. She was everywhere -- the legislature, book signings, history events all around the state, Governor's Arts Awards dinner, and at the Wyoming Arts Council. Mabel researched and wrote "First Ladies of Wyoming: 1869-1990," a large format book published by the Wyoming Commission for Women (Wyoming Council on Women's Issues) in cooperation with the Wyoming Arts Council. We sold the book out of the WAC offices until we ran out of copies several years ago. Mabel would come by occasionally to see how we were doing. We eventually sold out of the book and were waiting for an updated version.
We'll have to wait awhile longer. Mabel Brown died Oct. 23. She was 94. R.I.P. Mabel, and we'll keep on doing our best to support the arts and humanities here in Wyoming.
This obituary was in this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:
Mabel E. Brown, 94, of Cheyenne died Oct. 23 at Cheyenne Health Care Center.
She was born Jan. 19, 1914, near Golden, Colo., and had lived here since 1997.
She was an author, historian, and storyteller for the Wyoming State Historical Society.
Mrs. Brown was a member of the Wyoming Historical Society, Cheyenne Historical Society, the Weston County Historical Society, and PEO.
She is survived by two daughters, Martha Allender of Newcastle and Jeannie Martin of Billings, Mont.; nine grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Mabel was preceded in death by her husband, Charles W. Brown; parents, R.O. and Jessie Edwards; a granddaughter, two brothers and three sisters.Memorial services will be 1 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Trudy Robinson officiating. Cremation has taken place at Cheyenne Memorial Gardens. Services are under the direction of Wiederspahn-Radomsky Chapel of the Chimes.
Friends may send contributions to the Wyoming Historical Society, P.O. Box 247, Wheatland, WY 82201, the Weston County Historical Society or a charity of their choice.
