Memorial
Carroll Dale Brown was born July 1, 1934, in St Anthony’s Hospital in Carroll, Iowa to the family of Dale Louis Brown and Mabel Nair Brown. He grew up on farms near Scranton, Guthrie Center, Glidden, Lanesboro and Ogden Iowa and graduated from Ogden High School in 1952. He passed away on Thursday, May 16, 2024.
He farmed with his father until serving in the US Army from December 1953 to September 1955. During his last two years of college, he farmed 350 acres near Ogden, while attending college full time. He graduated from Iowa State College in 1959 with a BS in Farm Operation, and from Drew University School of Theology in 1963.
He was ordained a deacon in 1961 and an elder in 1963 in the Methodist church.
He was united in marriage to Gladys Grahan in Staten Island, New York in 1962 and divorced in 1969.
He was united in marriage to Martha Ann Dalton Thomasson in 1970 and divorced in 1977. They had one son, David Carroll Brown, born October 28, 1971, at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines.
He was united in marriage to Arlene Menning Blunck on December 30th, 1978. On May 10, 1979, he adopted Arlene’s youngest son, Paul Wesley.
Carroll served as youth pastor at Bethel United Methodist Church in Staten Island, New York while in seminary, and then served pastorates in the Iowa Annual Conference at Van Wert & Weldon, St Mark’s and Hazel Dell in Council Bluffs, the Mitchellville Community parish in Mitchellville, Pocahontas, Monona & Giard, Oelwein, and Salem in Cedar Rapids. While in Oelwein, he also served as chaplain with the Iowa State Patrol. He took retired status in 1999 and served for 8-1/2 years as a ½ time retired pastor at St Mark’s in Cedar Rapids, fully retiring at the end of 2007 after 48 years of ministry.
Carroll took piano lessons from the 3rd grade until he was in the 8th grade. During his army and college days, he developed the gift of also playing by ear. Since about 1980, he has shared the gift God gave him in the many Care Centers, and in his semi-retirement days, he played for an hour in 17 care centers every month.
You also couldn’t get the ‘farm’ out of him. He loved those times when he could help on the farm, or help Justus Kammerer with his park in Monona, or cut down trees and cut up firewood for the fireplace. When possible, he usually had a big garden, as he enjoyed having enough that he could give away.
Carroll was a man who tried to help others and be a positive influence on all he met. He was willing to give of himself even though the effort came at great personal cost. Carroll was more concerned with others than himself. His life was truly a ministry to others.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Arlene Brown, son’s Paul Brown and Jeff Blunck, grandson Adam Blunck, and brother-in-law, Ken Fineran.
Those left to cherish Carroll’s memory are his sisters, Regina Fineran and Sharon Brown, both of Northfield Minnesota; sons, David Brown of Cedar Rapids, and Rod Blunck and wife Jan of Pella, Iowa; daughter, Denise Matthews and husband Rod of Dubuque, Iowa; 8 grandchildren, Megan Blunck Boerema and husband Peter of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Nathan Blunck of Pella, Iowa, Amy Blunck Olsen of Pella, Iowa, Ian Matthews and wife Stephanie of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Joy Matthews Byard and husband Zack of Burlington, Iowa, Paul Matthews of Chicago, Illinois, Travis Blunck and wife Kimberly currently serving the US Army stationed in Hawaii, Kyle Blunck and wife Brianna of Columbus, Nebraska; 12 great grandchildren, Anna, Ashleigh and James Boerema, Adaline Blunck, Betsy and Everett Matthews, Emma Byard, Kaylee and Parker Blunck, Annabelle, Charlotte and Barrett Blunck.
Visitation: 9:30 – 11:00 AM, Thursday, May 23, at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids. Memorial Service: 11:00 AM, Thursday, May 23, at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids. A livestream of the memorial service may be accessed on the church Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stmarkscedarrapids. Private Inurnment with military rites: Woodlawn Cemetery in Oelwein. Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home is assisting the family.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in his name to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 4700 Johnson Ave NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405.