Johnnie Brown Sr.

Published 12:00 am Friday, July 10, 2009

NATCHEZ — Services for Johnnie Brown Sr., 99, of Sibley, who died Friday, July 3, 2009, at Promise Hospital in Vidalia, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Church with the Rev. Lloyd Bailey officiating.
Burial will follow at Kilma-Nox No. 2 Cemetery in Sibley under the direction of Webb Funeral Home.
Visitation will be from 1 to 6 p.m. today at the funeral home, with the family in attendance from 6 to 7 p.m. A visitation will also be from 9 a.m. until service time Saturday at the church.
Mr. Brown was born Nov. 18, 1909, in Adams County, the son of Goshem and Celeste Ellis Brown. He attended Robinson Bayou School and served in the U.S. Army. He was a farmer.
Mr. Brown confessed Christ and was baptized in 1932 at St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Church under the leadership of the late Rev. John Evans. In 1935, he was appointed as a steward and class leader, later serving as pastor steward where he served faithfully until recently when his health failed. Mr. Brown had a distinguished love of singing and music and used his gifts to faithfully serve God’s kingdom. He served the Sibley community by directing the St. Luke’s church choir along with the Mercy Seat and Mount Olive Baptist Church choirs. He was one of the greatest singers in the Miss-Lou area and fulfilled a number of requests to sing at various area churches.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ross Brown; four children, Johnnie, Miller and Carl Lee Brown and Laura Sanders; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and his parents.
Survivors include six sons, the Rev. James Brown Sr. and wife, Classie, and Douglas Brown, all of Sibley, Willie Brown of Cleveland, Ohio, Johnnie Brown Jr. and wife, Mary, of Natchez, Felix Brown of Baton Rouge and retired Sgt. 1st Class Charles L. Brown and wife, Sharon, of Grand Prairie, Texas; two daughters, Lula Shepherd of Sibley and Mildred Ealey and husband, Edward, of Natchez; one daughter-in-law, Ella Brown of Cleveland; 24 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; 12 great-great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Ida B. Johnson and husband, Elijah, of Natchez and Mildred Johnson and husband, Johnny, of Pine Bluff, Ark.; one brother-in-law, Willie Ross and wife, Lillie, of Chicago; one special cousin, Agnes Guyton of New Orleans; and a number of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Pallbearers will be grandsons.