Obit: Brown, Bernett "Bernie" (1943 - 2007)
Contact:  Shari Hahn
Email: steppinwest@elknet.net

Surnames: Brown, Murks, Fagan, Newell, Olson, Combs, Kara, Campbell, Ellis

----Sources: Marshfield News-Herald, Jan 16, 2007

Brown, Bernett "Bernie" (8 Dec. 1943 - 13 Jan. 2007)

Bernette Brown

WITHEE -- Bernette "Bernie" Brown, 63, of Withee, died Saturday Jan. 13, 2007, at Saint Joseph's Hospital Palliative Care Unit.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007, at Community Alliance Church, Withee. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Withee. Pallbearers will be Bill Kara, Bill Murks, Derek Newell, Jim Newell, Selena Olson and Benji Quelle.

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007, at Maurina Funeral Home, Owen, and from 10 a.m. until time of services Thursday at the church.

Bernie was born Dec. 8, 1943, in Shenoah, Ky. Her family moved to Michigan for several years before returning to Kentucky for a short time and relocating to Chicago where she met her first husband. Bernie and Billy Jack Murks were married in 1960. They moved to Wisconsin in the early 1970s. Together they owned and operated Billy Jack's Bar in Colby. Bernie continued to operate the tavern after their divorce. After getting out of the tavern business, she worked at the Clark County Health Care Center for 15 years. She met and married Roy Brown in the early 1980s. She also worked for Owen Manufacturing and Master Package.

Bernie loved shooting pool on the women's pool league, spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, especially gardening with her great-granddaughter Sawyer.

Bernie is survived by her fiancé, best friend and companion, Larry Fagan of Withee; her children, Faith (Jim) Newell of Eau Claire, and Bill Jack (Kelly) Murks Jr. of Owen; four grandchildren, Selena Olson of Owen, Angela Olson of Withee, Jaclene and Derek Newell of Eau Claire; two great-grandchildren, Sawyer and Wesley Combs of Withee; one brother Bill (Debbie) Kara of Colby; many nieces and nephews, Dessie, Christine, Lisa, Shirley and Jason Campbell, Melissa, Amy and Erin Kara, and Sunam (Josh) Ellis.

Bernie was accepted and loved by the extended family of her companion, Larry Fagan.

Bernie welcomed everyone and her home always was open to anyone in need. She was preceded in death by her late husband, Roy Brown, and one sister Dessie Campbell.