Dorothy L. Brown (Tulia)

Tulia, Texas-Dorothy Lou Brown, 87, passed away Thursday, April 4, 2019 at Lavender Springs Residential Assisted Living in Dripping Springs, Texas, surrounded by her family.  Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at the First Baptist Church of Tulia, with Reverend Charles Davenport, former pastor, officiating.  Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery under the direction of Kornerstone Funeral Directors of Tulia. Dorothy was born on September 7, 1931 in Tulia, Texas, the middle child of Dr. Roy Franklin and Irene Zeeck McCasland.  Dorothy attended Tulia public schools and graduated valedictorian of her high school class in 1949 (“The ’49ers”).  Thereafter, she enrolled in West Texas State College, majoring in Home Economics, a passion she would follow with all her heart for the rest of her life.  In 1951 at a campus social event she met a fellow student named Bobby Brown, and it was love at first sight for both.  The couple married in the First Baptist Church, Tulia, on Christmas Eve 1953 and two weeks later, Bobby shipped out for basic training, and then on to South Korea to serve in the U.S. Army.  Dorothy finished her studies at W.T. where she was selected into several academic honor societies and campus leadership organizations.  She graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Science degree and began working at Southwestern Public Service Company (Amarillo) as a home economist.  This was a period of rapid expansion for the company, given the area’s significant population growth following the end of World War II and mainstream popularity of electric home appliances (especially the “new” electric water heater) (today, Boomers and their parents might even remember the name of their “Reddy Kilowatt” dealer).  She also worked extensively for SPS throughout the Panhandle and eastern New Mexico demonstrating the inner-workings of electric appliances and promoting their benefits through classroom seminars to area home economics students, as well as local civic groups.     In 1958, after Bobby left the service, the couple moved to Tulia and started farming.  They joined the First Baptist Church where they made many of their closest, life-long friendships.  Soon thereafter, Dorothy started her life’s passion, teaching junior high school home economics in her hometown.  She genuinely loved each of her students, and they loved her back.  If you were one of her students, you knew a lot was expected of you, and you also knew she cared about you very deeply.  She made it a point to stay in touch with “her girls” as they went on to high school and beyond.  A common refrain around the Brown household for each of her 24 years in the classroom was “I love my girls!”   Some of her most cherished friendships were with her students, their parents, siblings, and other family members.  Many of these friendships lasted Dorothy’s entire lifetime, and she was enriched by and eternally grateful for them.     While teaching and helping Bob with the family farm, Dorothy and Bob raised two boys.  She was a loving and devoted mother who encouraged her sons to follow their dreams with steadfast support “no matter what.”   She never missed a rodeo, stock show, sports competition, or band concert.  One of her biggest thrills in life was getting to become a grandmother, and then really getting to know each of her four grandchildren, individually.  Despite being a woman of few words, she always had the right thing to say, at the right time, to help celebrate their successes and ameliorate their disappointments – which occasions would often include some of her famous cakes, pies, fudge squares, or tea rings!       Dorothy was humble, kindhearted, and found it easy to make friends with people from all walks of life.  She also was a follower of Jesus Christ, and showered her family with total devotion and endless love.  Dorothy is survived by her son, Steve and his wife Gail, of Dripping Springs, Texas, nieces Camille Redding and her husband Ken, of Grand Junction, Colorado, and Suzanne McClure and her husband Mike, of Goodland, Kansas, several cousins, many nieces and nephews of the Brown family, grandsons Logan Brown of Shreveport, Louisiana, Luke Brown of Austin, Texas, and Kyle Brown of Dripping Springs, Texas, granddaughter Mallory Brantly and her husband Hunter, of Shreveport, Louisiana, and a great granddaughter, Amelia Brantly, and a great grandson, Williams Brantly, both of Shreveport, Louisiana.    Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Helen Rose Simpson, her brother Dr. Roy Allen McCasland, her husband Bob, her infant daughter Carolyn, and her son Paul. Gone from a physical presence but not from our minds. Gone From My Sight   I am standing along the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.   Then, someone at my side says, “There, she is gone.”   Gone where?   Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast, Hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me – not in her.   And, just at the moment when someone says, “There, she is gone.” There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices Ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes!”   And that is dying…                                                   ---Henry Van Dyke In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church of Tulia, or to any charity of your choice.   Online condolences may be made to kornerstonefunerals.com.