Eleanor Ann Brown

Eleanor Ann Brown passed away at Madrone Hospice on January 7, 2013. She was 90 years old. Eleanor was born in Topeka, Kansas on July 1, 1922. She was the daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Gamlowski) Pitt, along with six brothers and sisters. Due to hard times, she spent a good part of her childhood in a Catholic orphanage. Eleanor often joked about leaving Kansas and coming to California in a stolen car, which was true. The part she sometimes left out was that her sister, Alice, had made a deal to drive the car back to California to its rightful owner. After being told by Alice to “get in”, Eleanor made it to the Bay Area and worked a variety of jobs, including capping ketchup bottles for Heinz. She ultimately went to work for Westinghouse, where she met her future husband, Earl Brown, who had just returned from Europe and World War II. Earl and Eleanor were married on July 3, 1948 and made their way to Little Shasta where Earl had been raised. Like most folks of her era, Eleanor was a hard worker. Along with taking in ironing to help make ends meet in the early days, she also worked at JC Penneys and Nolan Printing. She retired in 1985 after many years as the Curator of the Siskiyou County Museum. In her early years, Eleanor carried a rifle and deer hunted with the guys, although she secretly admitted that she could never shoot anything if the opportunity was to arise. In retirement she enjoyed watching the wildlife out the back window of the family ranch. Eleanor’s passion was bowling, which she did until physical limitations would not allow it. She would often talk fondly of all the friends she made at the bowling alley, which were many. Eleanor was a special person, smiling to the end with never a complaint. She is survived by her son, Jeff and daughter-in-law April of Little Shasta, granddaughters Hallie Brown, Katie Black, Amanda Causway and Durell Van Alstyne. She was preceded in death by her husband Earl in 2011, daughter Nancy in 2005, brothers Raymond, Carl, Herb and Ben, and sisters Elizabeth and Alice. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Madrone Hospice, 255 Collier Circle, Yreka, CA 96097 or the charity of your choice. A memorial graveside service will be held on Friday, May 17, 2013 at 2:00 PM at the Little Shasta Cemetery. The family would like to thank Dr. Bruce Riger and the wonderful staff at Meadowlark and Madrone Hospice for the excellent care they gave Eleanor.

Eleanor Ann Brown

July 1, 1922 - January 7, 2013