Margaret Katherine Harlan Brown Turner

Margaret Katherine Harlan Brown Turner, 87, passed away of natural causes on June 16, 2012. She was born December 5, 1924 in Holtville, CA. She was born in the Holtville Hospital which had been founded by her grandmother, Margaret Lucretia Josephine Stewart Phillips and later operated by her Aunt Flodie who was assisted by Margaret's mother Helen.
In the 1940's Margaret married Thomas Miles Brown and traveled to the east coast during WWII until Tom was sent over seas. Margaret returned to Holtville to raise her young child until Tom return home. They moved to the Coachella Valley in CA and resided there until the 1960's.
Margaret was a PTA president of Oasis Elementary School, the first PTA president of Coachella Valley High School, and the regional PTA president for the Coachella Valley Council. She attended several state PTA conventions in CA and was a representative to the Governor's Conference on Religion. Service came naturally to her, and she was awarded lifetime membership in the California PTA because of her of work. Margaret was outspoken about her beliefs and did not hesitate to fight for her principles, both in schools and in the community. As a result of this strength and willingness to stand her ground, she was well-respected by members of the community.
She served as a leader in both the Girl and Boy Scouting organizations and in Midget League Baseball. She started a Brownie troop for her only daughter Flodie Lucretia with her dear friend Mrs. Yoko Nishimoto which later became a Girl Scout Troop as the girls became older.
She was a youth teacher in the First Christian Church of Holtville, CA and in the First Christian Church of Coachella, CA. We remember her teaching the songs Do your ears hang low? or I'm in the Lord's Army and many other children's songs in Vacation Bible School. She was a soloist singer at the Oasis Baptist Church which we attended for a while. Her voice rang beautiful and clear as she sang The Holy City on Easter Sunday. Margaret's singing gave some of her children their choicest memories of their childhood days. Many songs were humorous such as My Pretty Little Indian Nappanee and others were very spiritual and indicative of her strong faith, such as In the Garden.
Margaret became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1968. In her later years, She devoted her time to researching family history. This was not a work of merely researching our past relatives. She sought out many living cousins and brought together family members that had not previously known each other through the internet and organizing family reunions. She was a bonding and enriching influence in the lives of her family members. As one such family member described her, she was a "gentle giant."
Her 4 children:
Thomas Eugene Brown & Nancy Batte (Shelbyville, TN)
Clarence Howard Brown (Southern CA) AKA Charlie Brown has been missing for several years.
Flodie Lucretia Brown Thayne & Richard Thayne (Elk Ridge, UT)
George Hale Brown (New York, NY)
Stepson
James W. Turner (formerly Walter Eugene Turner) & Heather Turner, (Eagle Mountain, UT)
1 Niece
Helen Josephine Harlan Rader & Melvin Rader (El Centro, CA)
6 Grandchildren:
Thomas Harlan Brown & Patricia Brown, (Cumming, GA)
Bryan Eugene Brown & Sheri Brown (Alpine, CA)
Kevin Gerrard Brown (deceased)
Ciera Thayne (Elk Ridge, UT)
Jeffery Thayne (Provo, UT)
Rebeca Thayne (Newdale, ID)
She also has 6 great grandchildren.
Funeral services and viewings will be held at at the LDS Elk Ridge 3rd Ward Chapel, 259 Alpine Drive, Elk Ridge, UT 84651. Viewings will be held at 6-8 pm on June 19, and at 9 am on June 20. Funeral Services begin at 10 am, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. The internment will be at the Orem City Cemetery beside her husband, Walter Earl Turner. The expected arrival at the cemetery is approximately 11:30 am.
In lieu of flowers a fund has been set up to continue the genealogy work that Margaret loved. Donations can be made at any UCCU branch to acct #1265397 Margaret Katherine Harlan Brown Turner Genealogy, or mailed to UCCU, 188 West River Park Dr, Provo, UT 84603-1900. The idea of setting up a fund to continue was discussed with our mother a few weeks ago. She thought it was an excellent idea and was excited to know that measures were being taken to ensure the work would continue.