Mary Elizabeth Brown

Mary Elizabeth Fuemmeler Brown passed from life on April 25, 2024 in much the same way as she lived life—surrounded by loving family. Mary was born November 1,1934 in the small river town of Glasgow, Missouri.  She was the child of first-generation Americans. Her mother, Pauline Delaney and father Bernard Fuemmeler were born to Irish and German immigrants who settled in Glasgow. As the only girl in a family of five, she was the apple of her Daddy’s eye and her mother’s life-long confidant.  Mary was a smart, independent, and as she would be the first to admit, stubborn little girlie. She wasn’t shy about standing up for what she thought was right, and with four brothers, she learned early how to hold her own.

Mary’s independent spirit inspired her to move to Kansas City after high school graduation. She worked at several companies including Western Auto in the building that is now an iconic part of the Kansas City skyline. Her life changed forever on a return trip to Kansas City from Glasgow when a friend of her cousin’s finagled the seating arrangements to ensure he was the one sitting next to her in the backseat. While she had known Bob Brown for several years, this was the moment they “found” each other.  A first kiss shared in that backseat led to date nights in Kansas City and ultimately to a wedding in 1954. They celebrated 59 years of marriage before Bob’s passing in 2012.

When Bob started his own construction company Mary became the interior designer, selecting paint and carpet colors, countertops, even the landscaping, to ensure each house he built felt like a home. Nearly 30 years after graduating from high school she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. It wasn’t easy—chemistry was brutal—but she persevered, graduating from Johnson County Community College with her nursing degree at age 50. Mary truly loved caring for the elderly and found great joy in her nursing career at the Good Samaritan Center in Olathe.

Mary was adventurous--learning how to swim at age 40 and trying skiing for the first time at 49—and curious about the world. She was an avid reader often devouring 3-4 books a week, and she and Bob travelled the country and explored Europe.  Their favorite times were spent in Green Valley, Arizona where they wintered for 10+ years, sharing a home with Mary’s brother Jim. After Bob’s death, Mary moved to Arizona full time, enjoying garage-sale adventures with her friends, and finding peace and contentment in the beautiful rose garden surrounding her patio. She returned to Kansas City and spent her final years living at Cedar Lake Village in Olathe.

Mary had a plaque hanging on the wall that read: “Before I had children, I had six theories about child-rearing. Now I have six children and no theories.”  While she may not have had theories, what she and Bob did have was the simple practice of loving each child unconditionally, being present with them and for them through all of life’s ups and downs, and teaching them kindness, respect, and compassion for others. Most of all, they instilled a deep commitment to family. The words that have become the family motto, Family First, Family Always, live on in their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and are their enduring legacy.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Bob, by her brothers, Bob, Bill, Jim, and Tom and by her parents Pauline (Delaney) and Bernard Fuemmeler. She is survived by her children Paul (Debbie), Gary (Lynne), Mark (Aileen), Sherry Johnson (Jerry), Jim (Chong Mi), and Rob (Kelli), by 19 grandchildren and by 24 great grandchildren. She welcomed the newest member of the family just days before her passing.

Mary told many stories about growing up but one of the family’s favorites was about how she and her girlfriends would go down to the cemetery in Glasgow, sit on the headstones, and crack each other up telling jokes. We smile every time we think of those little rebels bringing laughter and fun to the quiet of the cemetery. Surely the silent audience around them, one that included generations of family and friends, laughed along with them.  We hope future generation of little girls will come and tell Mary jokes as she rests alongside Bob, and near her mother, father, and brothers.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 AM, Saturday, May 4, 2024 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Glasgow, with Fr. Joshua Duncan officiating.  A Rosary and Visitation will be held the same day before the service at Friemonth-Freese Funeral Home in Glasgow.  Rosary will start at 9:30 AM and Visitation will follow from 10-10:45 AM at the funeral home.  Interment will be at Washington Cemetery in Glasgow.  A luncheon will be hosted at the Knights of Columbus Hall following burial.

In gratitude for the kind and compassionate care Mary received during the final days of her life, we encourage anyone wishing to make a memorial gift in Mary’s name to direct it to the Olathe Health Hospice House, 15310 S. Marion St., Olathe, KS 66061.

Final arrangements are under the direction of Friemonth-Freese Funeral Service of Glasgow.

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