Obituaries

A.R. Brown

Photo of A.R. Brown
God's faithful servant, Dr. A.R. Brown, went to be with his Lord forever on January 24, 2011. He lived a full and blessed life in the Lord all his days and he blessed the life of everyone he met. Dr. Brown was small in stature, but spiritually a giant. His life's work was dedicated to healing both body and soul. He served his Lord, his family, his country, and his community in all his works. He has left a legacy of faith, hope and love for his family and all who knew him as he has joined the host of witnesses in heaven. Arnold Robert Brown was born in Davenport, Neb., June 16, 1916, to William Leslie and Addie Mae Brown. He spent most of his youth in what is known today as Zambia, Africa, where his parents were missionaries. He returned to the United States in 1937 to study medicine. While attending the University Of Tennessee School Of Medicine, he met his beloved wife, Ruth. They were married in 1943. When he completed his internship in Tulsa, Okla., Robert, Ruth and their young daughter, Ruth Anne, temporarily moved to Searcy to work with Dr. Martin Hawkins at the Hawkins Clinic Hospital. To fulfill his dream of returning to Africa to do medical mission work the family spent two years in current day Zimbabwe, Africa. In 1949, the Brown family returned to Searcy where Dr. Brown committed his life to serving the community through his medical practice and his work for the Lord. In 1952 Robert and Ruth added another daughter, Carol Ann, to their family. Dr. Brown was honored to work with many fine physicians and was instrumental in beginning the Searcy Medical Center and White County Medical Center. In reflecting on his career he was quoted as saying: "I was privileged to practice when I did….I have fond memories of getting acquainted with families in their homes. We didn't have today's technological advances, but because of good personal relations with our patients and knowledge of their medical histories, we could practice good basic medicine." Dr. Brown was known for his exceptional ability to diagnose patients in physical and mental health. He was a good listener and a fine Christian counselor. Although his plans to work as a medical missionary in Africa did not turn out as he had hoped, he has been a strong Christian influence in Searcy. His love for studying God's Word made him an excellent Bible class teacher. He loved to teach from the Letter to the Romans and grace was his favorite theme. His prayers compelled you to come into the presence of God. He served two congregations as an elder: Downtown and Westside churches of Christ. During their later years, Robert and Ruth enjoyed spending time together and working on their farm outside Searcy. In their "second childhood" they also worked to build a replica to scale of the Old Testament tabernacle, a model train layout and a beautiful, fully decorated Victorian dollhouse. His parents; his loving wife of 63 years, Ruth; two brothers, Bill and Allen; and two sisters, Ardath Bratten and Arleta Brown preceded him in death. Dr. Brown is survived by his daughters: Ruth Anne and J. Ray Toland of Heber Springs, Ark., and Carol Ann and Rob Daniel of Springfield, Mo. "Granddaddy" is also survived by five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren: Tamara and James Bellcock and their children, Drew, Lauren, Aaron and Nate, of Little Rock, Ark.; Teresa and Jeremy Davis and their children, Lindley and Caroline, of Winter Garden, Fla.; Alisha and Baty Todd and their daughter, Anna, of Springfield, Mo.; Rob and Summer Daniel and their children, Creed, River and Rixt, of Aurora, Ill.; Rebecca and Jake Jones of Daegu, South Korea. Also surviving is his sister, Betty Wetton of Russellville, Ky.; two brothers: David and Colleen Brown of Russellville, Ky. and Bernard and Christine Brown of Louisville, Ky.; many nieces and nephews; his faithful caregiver, Doris Rapp; and an abundance of friends. All of whom he prayed for and dearly loved. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to White County Medical Foundation, African Christian Hospitals and International Health Care Foundation, or Searcy Children's Home. A visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 27, 2011 at the Chapel of Westside Church of Christ. A celebration of life service will be 2 p.m., Friday, January 28, 2011 in the main auditorium of Westside Church of Christ with a visitation time one hour prior to service. Interment will follow at White County Memorial Gardens in Searcy. Arrangements are by Roller-Daniel Funeral Home, Searcy, Ark. For online guestbook, please visit www.rollerfuneralhomes.com or call 501-268-3546.

Published January 26, 2011

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