Robert Duane Brown passed away at his home in Colby, KS on November 27, 2019 at the age of 82.  Duane was born in Chardon, KS on September 27, 1937.  He was the son of Henry Isaac and Leola Ruth (Hutchinson) Brown.

Duane married Doris Ludolph on June 23, 1957 in Colby.  5 children were born to this union.  3 boys and 2 girls.  He worked at several jobs until going to work for the City of Colby as Line Superintendent in 1974.  He retired in 2002 after 28 years.  He always enjoyed traveling with family for vacation and later in life to see family.  He was an avid woodworker and enjoyed building things for his family.  He helped with many remodeling projects and enjoyed spending time gardening and feeding the squirrels.  He enjoyed going to McDonalds everyday for coffee.  He was also an avid KU fan.

Survivors include his wife Doris, sons:  Rodney Wayne (Ileen) Brown of Kalispell, MT, Ronald Wayne Brown, Russell, and Donald Gene (Debbie) Brown of Independence; daughters:  Connie Sue Moore, Gothenburg, NE and Sheila Kay Williams of Colby; sister-in-law, Carolyn Brown of Tennessee and brother-in-law, Bob Maris, of Missouri; 10 grandchildren:  Tucker and Taylor Brown, Katie Rose, Jamie Moore, Crystal Steger.  Brian, Brandon, and Kayla Williams.  Kyler and Denton Brown.  5 Great Grandchildren:  Olivia and Nadia Williams, Oliver Brown, Layla Rose and Eva Sowers, and many nieces and nephews, friends and neighbors.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Henry and Ruth, half-brothers:  Bethal (Geraldeen) Brown, William (Geneva) Brown, half-sisters:  Clara (Bert) Bergstrom, Wanita (Sport) Tousley, Angie (Ole) Lee, and Roma (Bob) Nickel; brothers:  Bernard Brown and Donald Jay Brown, sister, Willa Jane Maris; son-in-law, Jack Moore, and granddaughter, Amanda Kay Moore.

Duane grew up and lived in 2 different homesteads north of Colby.  He helped with the chores and farm work.  Duane and his brother often times drove the truck together, Donald driving and Duane on the gas & brake pedal.  He went to country school often times riding his horse with his brother and the Sharp boys 2 or 3 miles.  He attended school until after the 8 ^th grade, then moving to Colby that summer.  He remembered being surprised on how many people were in town.  And the street lights a surprise too.  He started as a freshman in Colby and quitting at semester of his sophomore year.  His first job was setting pins by hand at the bowling alley.  He really had to hurry because sometimes the men would throw their ball before he wasn't quite out of the pit.  He fooled them though because he was always out.  Then he and a friend went north on harvest with Miller Harvesting.  The boss's wife was following them, driving the trucks and pulling the trailers with combines on them and going too fast down the road.  She stopped them and told them to slow down.  She wasn't very happy.  After harvest, he worked for Gib & Nina Inlow at their restaurant for the winter.  The following summer he went to work for Service Oil and worked there for several years.  During that time, he met and married Doris Ludolph.  They were married in Colby on June 23, 1957.  When going to the courthouse to get their marriage license, he had to call and ask her, her name.  He knew her as Shorty.  To this union, 5 children were born.  3 boys and 2 girls.  They celebrated their 62 ^nd anniversary this year.

He enjoyed his family, taking them to Colorado on vacation every year.  His sister had a ranch in Woodland Park where they would go to stay in a cabin in the mountains.  His brother-in-law, Bert, owned the Ute Inn Bar in Woodland Park and would give the kids silver dollars and Shirley Temples to drink.  They would also take trips to the lake to go boating in the summer.  He also spent time raccoon & coyote hunting.

He wasn't much on going to parent teacher's conferences.  He did, early on, go to watch the kids participate in wrestling, basketball, & volleyball; later saying that the benches weren't long enough so he decided to stay at home.

Duane enjoyed woodworking, building foot stools, small toolboxes, and chests for his grandchildren.  He also made a baby cradle that all of his grandchildren slept in.  He enjoyed remodeling.  He remodeled his kitchen and helped his kids to remodel their kitchens.  He also helped put in several windows and sliding glass doors and helped to pour yards and yards of concrete.

He enjoyed traveling to see his kids in his motor homes or 5 ^th wheel camper.  He also enjoyed spending time with the grandchildren and the day care kids.  Watching cartoons and reading books with them.  They would also follow him in and out of his woodworking shop.  He allowed them to pound nails in cardboard boxes and wood, painting sticks and building bird houses.

Duane retired September 30 ^th , 2002 from the City of Colby where he worked for 28 years as Line Superintendent.  He spent hours gardening and keeping his yard beautiful and feeding the squirrels.  He enjoyed going to McDonalds for coffee every day to visit with his friends.  He also became an avid K.U. fan.

Memorial service:  10:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at the Colby United Methodist Church.  Inurnment will follow in Beulah Cemetery, Colby.  No visitation is planned.  Memorials to Duane Brown Memorial Fund may be sent in care of Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, P.O. Box 221, Oakley  67748.

Guestbook: www.kennedykosterfh.com