Joseph “Joe” Martin Brown

Joseph “Joe” Martin Brown

Springville

Joseph “Joe” Martin Brown, 82, lifelong resident of Springville, Iowa, passed away on Friday, July 8, 2022, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Family will greet friends and family from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, at Murdoch Funeral Home in Marion. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 14, at Springville United Methodist Church, located at 169 Broadway St., in Springville, with the Rev. Guillermo Bongolan officiating. Burial will follow at Springville Cemetery, with military honors.

Joe was born on Dec. 7, 1939, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the son of Loren Bassett and Virginia Louise (Rigotti) Brown. He was a 1957 graduate of Springville High School. Joe went on to enlist in the U.S. Army Reserves. On Oct. 30, 1959, he was united in marriage to Karen Kay Byam. Joe worked for Collins Radio and Martin Marietta. He later worked as a Sales Manufacturing Representative for many years, retiring from REP Associates Corporation in 1998. Joe was a member of the Springville United Methodist Church, American Legion Post #331, and the Springville Lions Club. He was also a loyal member of the Wapsipincon “Wapsi” Country Club in Anamosa, where he thoroughly loved golfing, dining and tending to his flowers.

In his earlier years, Joe had fun refinishing antique furniture with his Mortgage Hill Corporation buddies. Following his retirement, Joe and Karen enjoyed spending their winters in Texas for nearly 20 years. He enjoyed gardening, yard work, and woodworking, especially making birdhouses. Joe looked forward to “happy hour” with his friends and family at 4 p.m. on the porch; he was a “box wine connoisseur.” Joe also enjoyed spending time with the men at Lyle’s garage. He also looked forward to spending time with his high school classmates occasionally throughout the year. Joe will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Joe is survived and lovingly remembered by his wife of 62 years, Karen Brown of Springville; daughter, Kim (Al) Wittenburg of Springville; son, Curt (Angela) Brown of Brighton, Mich.; three grandchildren, Zach (Lauren) Wittenburg of Springville, Kalli Wittenburg (fiancé, Alex Griffith) of Adel, Iowa, and Lauren Brown of Ann Arbor, Mich.; two great-grandchildren, Finley and Boone Wittenburg; one brother, Fred (Barb) Brown of Decorah, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Joe’s memory may be made to Springville United Methodist Church or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

Please share a memory of Joe at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.