825 West Euclid Draft
All works are currently unfinished
Gabe Walgram
Mr. Munn
p. 1
IU H 106
19 May 2008
Rough Draft
Dr. Brown and His 825 W. Euclid Ave. Residence
Dr. Robert M. Brown was born in Marion, Indiana on July 25, 1906 (Marion Death Index). He was the eldest son of George A. Brown and Mary Jane McDowell. George A. Brown was an emigrant from Swansea, Wales who became a cost accountant and resident of Marion (CHA). George married Bluffton, Indiana native, Mary Jane McDowell (CHA). Robert M. Brown, the subject of this documentary, graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine, M.D., in 1931, after which he served his internship at the Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis (CHA). After graduating, Brown was active in the United States military (CHA). He held the rank of Major and served as an Army doctor during World War II. During the war, he was involved with military tours in Africa and Italy (Chronicle). In 1932, he established his private practice in Marion, Indiana and served the community for 50 years (CHA). He had an individual office but also had a position at Marion General Hospital. Dr. Brown who was a Republican was a member of the following: American Medical Assn.; Indiana State Medical Assn.; Grant County Medical Society; Kappa Sigma, and Phi Rho Sigma; Lions Club; Marion Chapter of the Citizens History Assn.; and the Presbyterian Church (CHA). Brown was also a member of the Masonic Lodge of Marion and had earned his 32nd degree through the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite (Chronicle). One of his favorite hobbies was gardening (Mauk). He could often be found in one of his several gardens around the house; one of which was still intact until the 1990s.
On June 17, 1931, he married Elffie Gertrude Wysong, daughter of Reese and Elffie Avery Wysong (CHA). Dr. and Mrs. Brown are parents of two sons Robert Avery, born February 23, 1935 and Ronald McDowell, born December 20, 1938 (CHA). Dr. Brown first resided with his family in Marion at 804 Nelson Street (Grant Co. Directory). Several years into the marriage, along with their two sons, they constructed a new household located at 825 W. Euclid Avenue in 1936 (Parcel Rec. Info). He practiced medicine out of his medical office in the house on Euclid Avenue (Lutz). The house was convenient for the doctor because it was only a matter of blocks to the hospital. So Brown could easily report to patients who were hospitalized. His sons went through grade school within Marion community schools and graduated from Marion High (Mauk). The Brown’s were very family oriented; they took trips and did many activities together. The boys greatly enjoyed going to the lake in the summer where they took a liking to water skiing (Walgram). Another favorite hobby of Dr. Brown was woodworking (Lutz). He built most of the cabinetry in the house and built two chairs to be used by expectant mothers so that they would be more comfortable while waiting for he doctor (Walgram). He was known to have a very intelligent imaginative mind and a definite artistic talent. After their sons moved away from home, Dr. and Mrs. Brown continued living on Euclid until moving to Leesburg, Florida to settle down for retirement (Mauk).
Dr. Robert M. Brown died March 16, 1994 in Leesburg, Lake, Florida at the age of 87 years (Chronicle). He is survived through his second wife Margaret T., two sons Dr. Robert A. Brown of San Francisco, California and Ronald M. Brown of Carmel, Indiana and four grandchildren (Death Index). All people whom I have spoken with have nothing but fond memories of the doctor. One resident in particular, Jackie Mauk, was his neighbor and had the chance to have a couple of interact with him on a couple of instances. She recalled one instance where she was having trouble with bees at her house, across D Street from Dr. Brown’s house, and he kindly assisted her and resolved the problem.
The Euclid Avenue home is a one family dwelling on a platted lot. It is located in Spencer’s addition in Marion City-Center Township (Parcel Re. Info). Because of its location it is in the Marion Community Schools Corporation District. Before its construction there was a private golf course on the property (Mauk). The house is actually located where the sand bunkers of the course used to lie (Lutz). It was also the home course of Marion High School’s men’s golf team (Mauk). Dr. Brown was a model train fanatic. In the house he held his collection of electric trains in the basement where he had the tracks running throughout the rooms (Walgram). On the first floor of the house there was a bedroom added for the time when his wife became ill and needed her own quarters to be cared for by doctors and nurses (Walgram). His medical office was located on the southwest wing of the house, facing D Street and was connected to a two-car garage. Dr. Brown’s brother, Bonner Brown, bought the property directly behind the house on Euclid (Walgram). A. Bonner and his wife Vera scaled down the house for it to better suit the two of them (Mauk). The house has the same exterior style, having white siding with green shutters. Vera lived in this house until she sadly died early in the year of 2008.
My family has lived in the house from the time I was three years old with my mother, father, and grandmother. We are the second owners of the house. The house has been kept in its original form. One new addition is a large porch that was added in the year 1998. Also we have made a few landscaping modifications in the front of the house and in the backyard. Though in the backyard, Dr. Brown’s love for gardening is evident. He left a large compost pile to be used in the gardening and we still use two sheds where he kept all of his yard tools and other hardware (Walgram). My grandmother’s room is the room that was added for the doctor’s wife when she was ill. My mother and father used Dr. Brown’s old office in the house as their own offices for their work. In the upstairs of the house, my mother and father used the original master bedroom as their own, and I was placed in one of the boy’s rooms (Walgram). My father had a study in the other former bedroom of one of Dr. Brown’s sons.
Though Dr. Robert M. Brown has passed, he is still remembered by members of the community as a quality, old fashioned, family doctor and a good neighbor. The high standards he set for himself with his profession and way of life set a good example for those surrounding him. As long as his house stands, it will serve as a testimony to this man, his family, and a life well lived.
Works Cited
-Citizens Historical Association. "Robert M. Brown, Physician." 12 Oct. 1940.
-Lutz, Nancy C. Personal interview. 9 May 2008.
-Marion. Assessor's Office. Parcel Identification Information. 10 May 2008.
-Marion IN; Grant Co. Directory. 1938.
-Marion IN Death Index. 1994.
-Mauk, Jackie. Personal interview. 14 May 2008.
-"Obituaries." Chronicle-Tribune 7 Apr. 1994, sec. A: a-9.
-"Social Security Death Index." Ancestry Library Edition (2008). AncestryLibrary.Com. 10 May 2008.
-Walgram, Priscilla L. Telephone interview. 8 May 2008.
