Herbert Lee & Florence Marie (Wilding) Brown

Neillsville, Clark Co., Wisconsin

Florence (Wilding) Brown, ca. 1914.

Florence Marie was the only child to Myron and Elizabeth (Rundel) Wilding of Loyal, Wisconsin.  Her birthday was, December 21, 1890.  Her father was elected County Treasurer in 1908 and served two terms.  Myron was the son of George and Maria Wilding.

Oct. 8th, 1913, Florence was married to Herbert Lee Brown in Neillsville by Rev. Risser and Daisy
Glass sang "Oh Promise Me" as the wedding party descended down the stairs.  The happy couple spent their honeymoon traveling through the Dakotas, Minnesota and Missouri and afterward, made their home in Neillsville, Wisconsin.  

Florence won the good will of the Neillsville community and was well educated in the local schools and business college.  She was a stenographer at the Clark County Courthouse and was known for her tact and skill.  During World War II, she served as one of the instructor-inspectors for the insurance of the Red Cross standards for the bandages made by area volunteers.  About 275 women were enrolled to help, with about 18 working each shift.  The local women gathered in the Kiwanis room of the old Neillsville Bank to make dressings from 2 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday afternoons.  The Quota due was 34,650 by March 12th, 1953.

Herbert was born April 19, 1888 and died in March of 1971.  He was raised in Neillsville, Clark Co., Wisconsin where he attended the public schools and business college.  From boyhood he was highly respected.  For many years, he served as the City Clerk of Neillsville. He also served as county coroner.  In January of 1939, he was installed as the vice president of the Neillsville Kiwanis club.

In 1911, H. L. (Herbert Lee) Brown's chicken won First Prize at the Clark Co., WI Fair.

October 6, 1934, they celebrated their twenty-first wedding anniversary at their cottage on Lake Arbutus along with Herbert's brother, Forest and his wife who had married twenty-seven years earlier.  Herbert's aunt and uncle, Joseph and Catherine (Brown) Buss were also there to celebrate their fifty-fourth anniversary.

This couple had two sons, Walter and Wayne who was better known as "Buster Brown".

Both Florence and Herbert are buried in the Neillsville City Cemetery, Clark Co., Wisconsin.

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Contributors

Janet Schwarze