Person:Alden Brown (1)

His father, Andrew, was born in Scotland, his mother, Hannah, in Ohio.

The Stockbridge Brief of 30 July 1896 said "Alden Brown is spending a two weeks vacation at his home in Brown City. An ad in a later edition of the paper says "Found: On the floor of our store a sum of money. Owner may have same by calling me at our store. A.W. Brown Co.

From a news clipping

He joined the Republican Party as a young man. He served several years as local township chairman and in 1941 he was elected president of the Zach Chandler Republican Club of Ingham County.

Brown and his friends spent days driving around the township in an early model Ford touring car campaigning at each farm.

Brown was born on a farm in Lapeer County near Brown City on April 22, 1876. He was an apprentice in a Brown City drug store before entering Ferris Institute.

He became the first graduate of Ferris Institute "Pharmacy Course" to be given a registered pharmacists' certificate by the Michigan State Board of Pharmacy.

Borrowing $10 for train fare, Brown came to Stockbridge and started working in the village drug store. [On the 1900 census, he was boarding in George Lord's house] In 1910 he bought out the owner, Casper Depuy and ran the store himself until 1930.

During these years he married and had a son, Robert, who is a doctor in Battle Creek. In 1954 Mrs. Brown died and in 1957 Brown sold the store to John Willmore. Today, Willmore and Clifton Bollman operate the A.W. Brown Co. drug store.

Brown served on the village council for three terms, is a member of the Stockbridge Methodist Church and the Masonic Lodge F.& A.M. #130. He likes to garden.

In 1955 the Jackson County Pharmacy Ass. presented him with a plaque for completing 60 years as a registered pharmacist in Michigan.

In 1956 he was named among the initial members of the Society of the Golden Eagles, a group of distinguished Ferris graduates. Mr. Brown recently established a loan fund at the college.

From the 1916 - 1921 Rural Directory For Ingham County, Michigan

Brown, A.W. druggist Stockbridge

From A Corner of Ingham

... the A.W. Brown Co. (100 S. Clinton St.)... A.W. Brown came to Stockbridge in the 1890's as a young drug clerk in the C.E. DePuy store. He later became owner of the store, and at the time of his retirement in 1958 is said to have kept store on the same floor for more years than any other man in Michigan.

A death notice and obituary from the Stockbridge newspaper

Alden W. Brown - Alden W. Brown, age 92, died Sunday afternoon, April 6, 1969, at the Spring Hill nursing home in Battle Creek. He was born April 21, 1876, in Burnside Township, Lapeer County, Michigan. His parents were Andrew H. and Anna Glazier Brown.

He attended the Ferris Institute School of Pharmacy at Big Rapids and was the first graduate from the school in 1895. He married Sylvia Willmore in 1910. She died in 1954.

Mr. Brown as a Life Member and Past Master of F.& A.M. Lodge 130. Survived by one son, Dr. Robert Brown of Battle Creek; one grandson, Robert W. Brown, Jr. of Chicago.

Funderal services will be at Caskey funeral home Wednesday, April 9, at 2 p.m. with Rev. William Frayer officiating. Interment will be in Oaklawn Cemetery, Stockbridge.

Death Take Pharmacist - Way back in 1895, a 19 year old youth came to Stockbridge to take a job as pharmacist in the local drug store.

After 62 years of service to the community and 12 years of retirement, Alden W. Brown died Saturday at a Battle Creek nursing home. He would have been 93 April 23.

Brown came here right after graduation from the Ferris Institute school of pharmacy. He had the distinction of having been the first such student there.

He worked for Casper DePuy for 15 years before buying the store in 1910. He took in a partner in 19__ and sold the store to him in 1957.

Brown saw many changes in Stockbridge during his years in business here. There were no sidewalks or paved streets in the village when he came here and he backed a movement for these improvements. He also saw the installation of the water system in 1913.

Brown served 3 terms on the Village Council in the late 1930's.

In 1945 he received a citation from Ferris Institute on the golden anniversary of his commencement. Ten years later he was honored by the Jackson County Pharmacy association for having completed 60 years as a registered pharmacist in Michigan. He also received a certificate from the Michigan Pharmacutical association after 50 years in the profession.

Several years ago Brown capitalized a loan fund at Ferris State College which would assist a student faced by financial problems to complete a program.

He married Miss Sylvia Willmore in 1910 and they had one son, Robert, who is now a physician in Battle Creek. Mrs. Brown died in 1954.