Kenneth Brown

Mr. Kenneth Merrit Brown, 68, passed away at home with his wife at his side Dec. 8 in Palmer. He was born July 21, 1940 in Colfax, Wash., to Warren M. and Audrey (Knapp) Brown.

Kenneth worked for the Job Corps for over a decade. He also drove school bus for the Palmer School District. It was not an uncommon event to have his riders run up and give him a hug when they saw “their bus driver” in town. He was an accomplished steel guitar player, having played from a young age. Over the years he played country-western and country-gospel music. When Kenneth was playing he said, “It felt like he was playing for the Lord.” One of the many ways he served his Lord was by playing in the worship band at his church.

Ken and his wife Gloria lived their faith through their faithfulness in the prison ministry at the Palmer Correctional Facility in Sutton and a street ministry in Anchorage and also in the Valley.

Kenneth came into the lives of his sons and became a loving and caring father. He took the time to teach the boys skills they use today. They would go camping, fishing, canoeing and snow skiing and would return home having learned something new each time. He seemed to care about what they were doing and go the extra mile to help them. Ken’s favorite daughter, Tonya, enjoyed the summers she would spend with her father in California. Ken set an example for the kids in how he took care of Gloria showed them the importance of hard work and putting others first. While living in Anchorage, one winter Ken taught his kids how to build an igloo and a picture of this ended up in the newspaper.

Kenneth M. Brown is survived by his wife, Gloria (Gibson) Brown, of Palmer; daughter Tonya of Montana; sons Jerry of Kansas, Martin of Alaska, Dwight of California, Ronald, Michael and Matthew all of Alaska, 16 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Warren and Audrey Brown and a younger brother.

A memorial will be held Saturday at 2 p.m., at the Family Christian Center in Palmer.

The family is asking that in lieu of flowers that contributions be made to help offset the cost of expenses.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Valley Funeral Home of Palmer.