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May 8, 1938 — March 28, 2020

Cheryl Lorraine Brown, 81, of Niles, wife, mother, grandmother, farmer, cook and “RVer” died peacefully at 8:18 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, 2020, at The Chalet of Niles following an extended illness.

She was born on May 8, 1938, in Winter, Wisconsin to John and Ethel (Agnew) Luke. She moved with her family to California, graduating from high school in San Francisco and coming to Niles in 1963.

She completed two years as a student at Southwestern Michigan College, and was employed in the dental clinic office of Dr. James Cross and his successor, Dr. Ellen Wyant. Her favorite longtime vocation was farming, raising horses, livestock, and berries on the small family farm on Leet Road.

Margaret was a longtime member of the former First Missionary Church in Niles (now Summit Church), but more recently had returned to Huntly Memorial Baptist Church. She was also a member of the Women of the Moose auxiliary of Elkhart Lodge #599, Loyal Order of Moose. At home, her specialty in the kitchen was chicken and noodles, which her sons continue to create. She enjoyed traveling with her husband, especially taking the RV to California for the winter. She also enjoyed writing short stories about her childhood, but her greatest joy  —  other than farming — was her family.

On March 19, 1959, in Mill Valley, California she married Darrell W. “Wayne” Brown with whom she celebrated the remarkable 60th anniversary of their wedding prior to his death last year on July 14, 2019. She was also preceded in death by her parents, and by siblings Esther Pemberton, Marchia Luke, and John Luke.

Surviving family includes her children, David Brown, of Niles, Kenneth (Beth) Brown, of Columbus, Ohio, and Arthur (Feyza) Brown, of Cassopolis; grandchildren, Greg Brown and Kristina Brown; Cheryl’s brother, Leo Luke, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Wayne’s brother, Gerald (Pearlie) Brown, of Mattawan, Michigan; and several nieces and nephews.

The memorial service for Cheryl Brown will be attended by her immediate family via Zoom Video Conferencing at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 3, 2020, at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 E. Main Street, in Niles, with Pastor Dale Welling of Huntly Memorial Baptist Church officiating.

Relatives and friends are invited to witness the ceremony via the livestreamed broadcast available on the Halbritter-Wickens Facebook page: facebook.com/halbritterwickensfuneralservices.

Contributions in memory of Cheryl may be made to Huntly Memorial Baptist Church, 1139 Huntly Road, Niles, MI, 49120. Online condolences may be left at: halbritterwickens.com.

Cheryl’s life was caring for others, at the clinic, at the farm, in the kitchen, and while traveling in the RV. Her caring nature was nurtured through her activity at church, fulfilling the scriptural direction to Love God and love people.