Cotton Brown's Obituary
Earnest M. Brown aka Cotton was born November 1, 1932 and passed July 14, 2022 at the age of io. He was the 3rd child of seven born to Everett and Mable Brown of Lebonan Missouri. The family relocated to Avant Oklahoma in 1942, where he graduated high school in 1950. During the Cuban Missle Crisis in the late 50s and early 60s. He became a pipe welder and was the only one out of 1200 welders to pass the test. It qualified him to weld on the piping of the numerous underground missile sites the U.S. government were building as a defense system against Cuba. They would fly him to the various sites to make a certain type weld. He went to work for Johnson Control Systems where he became a control specialist, specializing in fabricating and installing of instrumentation panels. For controlling commercial grade heating and cooling systems in various single and high rise office building. He worked for Johnson Controls for 18 years. His boss and he had a, let's say, a disagreement and he left the company.
This actually worked out better for him because a lot of Johnson Controls' customers started calling him to do their control work.
This was when Brown Mechanical Services began around 1978. This involved the installation, all the process piping and start up on commercial grade heating and air conditioning systems through out Oklahoma. He added the plumbing of waste water plants and commercial buildings, as well. Brown Mechanical was very well know around Northeast Oklahoma. He would often have out of state contractors contact him to do a job for them. They were low bidder but, he couldn't do the job because of the expense it would take to come from out of state to do it.
He was in business for 41 years before having to close the doors in 2019 at the age of 87. Wayne, his youngest boy worked for him for 38 years.
Cotton loved to hunt especially quail back when there was an abundance of them. Whether it was dove, pheasant, deer or a chance to go elk hunting, he was in. He also, loved to fish. He often talked about an Alaska trip that he and his wife, Beth took. They rented a motor home that had everything you needed. They traveled throughout Alaska and stopped at various streams and caught their dinner. Whether it was trout, salmon or fresh flounder, a guy gave them, they would cook it up fresh in the motor home.
Cotton is preceded in death by his Dad Everett, his Mom Mable, his oldest brother Glen, his oldest sister Letha and his younger sister Jewel.
Cotton is survived by his wife Beth of 30 years. They married November 26, 1991. Cotton loved and adored Beth and she did him the same. He is also, survived by his three brothers Vern Brown of Owasso, Oklahoma, Floyd Brown and wife Donna of Ramona, and Mark Brown and wife Judy of Arkansas; two sons J.R. Brown and wife Christy of Collinsville, Oklahoma, and Wayne Brown and wife Julie of Barnsdall, Oklahoma; three grandkids Whitney Brown and Raymond, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Little J.R. Brown and wife Megan of Ochelata, Oklahoma and John Brown and Malorie of Barnsdall, Oklahoma; six great-grandkids Chandler, Chassity, and Carson of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Chanley, Jason and one on the way of Ochelata, Oklahoma, and Ayla of Barnsdall, Oklahoma; Stepdaughter Gwen Jones, her three daughters Kimberley, Kate, and Julie and husband Chris; adopted son James and his wife Gina; numerous grandchildren and great -grandchildren.
Visitation will be held 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Thursday, July 28, 2022 at the Floral Haven Visitation Suites, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
A Celebration Life Ceremony will be held 10:00 AM, Friday, July 29, 2022, at the Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
For the ones who are unable to attend, they are able to watch the service by following the link below:
https://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/76240/hash:5FB2DA08DFE343E3
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