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7:23 AM / Wednesday January 22, 2025

15 Oct 2016

Obituary: Annie Brown of Strawberry Mansion, 100

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October 15, 2016 Category: Local Posted by:

ABOVE PHOTO:  Funeral services for Annie Brown was held on Friday October 14th, 2016, at the Mt Airy Church of God and Christ, 6401 Ogontz Avenue. Viewing was from  9:00AM – 10:00 AM followed by the funeral at 10:00 AM.

Annie Brown was born to Idella Hemmingway and William McGee in Kingstree, SC on May 17, 1916. The oldest of two children sister (Janie Ford) predeceased. She was raised by John and Susan Nesmith with half siblings Johnny Nesmith and Willa Mae Davis in Williamsburg County. She attended school up to the 8th grade where she met her husband Arthur Brown and married in 1938; from this union ten children were born.

Annie and Arthur lived and worked in various factories for many years in Durham, NC before migrating to Philadelphia, Pa. in 1950. Here she became a domestic engineer for several prominent Jewish and Italian families where she raised her family and other people children while living in the Strawberry Mansion Neighborhood.

Aunt Annie, Mrs. Brown, and Mother Brown she was called as the reigning evangelist and missionary throughout her life’s journey. As an able-bodied senior herself, she was a supporter of other senior citizen by driving them to the doctors, taking them shopping and to church. She held the position as the Mother of former church Starlight Holiness in North Philly.

Since 2008, she met with some health challenges and became a resident of the Maplewood Nursing Facility in Germantown. She continued teaching, preaching, and sharing God’s Word to her nursing staff and became a stallworth figure to many. The staff joined us to celebrate her 100th birthday party this past June 2016.

Our mother was so loving and giving and understanding as well as comical. There was always an element of surprise with laughter. A devoted wife, mother, grandma, sister, auntie, friend, neighbor; a devout Christian woman true to her calling and her gifts (counseling and mentoring) will always reign in our lives as the royal queen she exhibited. She took care of her “village”: family, church and community. Her legacy leaves all of us with Jeramiah 1:5, songs “I Know It Was The Blood & “Ninety-Nine 1/2 Won’t Do” and so many more precious memories.

On Tuesday October 4, 2016 11:34 am Our Heavenly Father delightfully called her home to reign with Him. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Annie Brown is survived by her four daughters: Ann Washington (Del) Geneva Jones (PA), Beverly Campbell (NY), Delphine Tiller (GA.); three sons: Gabriel, Victor and Gunnell.  Three sons-in-law (Booker T, Eugene, Rodney) and daughter-in-law (Diane); her sister Willa Mae Davis (SC) and sister-in-law Janie Bell Canty (SC), 25 grandchildren, 28 great-grands, 8 great-great grands, 3 special nieces, a grand daughter-in-law and grand son-in-law, a host of cousins and other beloved family and friends.

Special thanks to: Rose Williams and Lynda Kyem (surrogate daughters) and especially to Theresa Hawkins her god-daughter.

(Submitted by the family of Annie Brown.)

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