Obituary of Ralph L. Brown

Ralph LeRoy Brown, 94, of Tiffin, IA, died of cancer, Wednesday, February 17, 2016, at his home, surrounded by family. Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, February 20, 2016, at Grace United Methodist Church, in Tiffin. Burial with military honors will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Tiffin. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., Friday, February 19, 2016, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City. In lieu of flowers memorials donations can be made in Ralph's memory to Tiffin Fire Department, Grace United Methodist Church, or Iowa City Hospice. Online condolences may be sent to his family through the web at www.gayandciha.com. Ralph was born August 22, 1921, in Tiffin, the son of Everett and Mamie Pearl (Shepardson) Brown. He was a 1941 graduate of Tiffin High School. On May 1, 1943, he married Louise "Cissy" Chapman in Lincoln, NE, while he was serving in the Medical Corps of the US Army from 1941-45. After WWII, Ralph worked for Johnson County Roads, ran Spiveys Saloon with Cissy, and drove stock and grain trucks to Chicago. During this time he also graduated from Barber School. Afterwards, he worked at Strand Barber Shop in Iowa City, and also as a barber in Oxford and Fayette. He then built his own home in 1961, with Brown's Barber Shop attached. He ran that for 41 years, and closed it in 2001. Besides barbering, Ralph worked at University of Iowa Hospitals as a Pharmacy Tech. He then worked as Tiffin's Wastewater Manager until his retirement. His family includes four children, Dennis Brown of Tiffin, Christine (Richard) Lauderbaugh, of York, NE, Pamela Kinney of Iowa City, and Connie Brown of Tiffin; 8 grandchildren, David (Dyan) Brown, Ryan Brown, Tammy (Joe) Brever, Michael Lauderbaugh, Susan Lauderbaugh, James (Marit) Kinney, TJ (Renae) Kinney, and Stacy Kinney; 10 great-grandchildren, Jordan, Matthew, and Tyler Brown, Devin and Danielle Brown, Aiden Kinney, Katelyn, Nicholas, and Michaela Kinney, and Brecken Kinney; sister-in-law, June Brown, of Chesapeake, VA; cousins, Doris and Dick Schroeder, and Barb Brown of Idaho; as well as extended family, Betty Madden, Roger Janssen, Pam Brown, Tom Kinney, Harley Stapes, Gary Kee, Duane Albin, and Cody Albin. Ralph was preceded in death by his wife, Cissy, parents, siblings, Darrell Brown, Lawrence Brown, Leonard Brown, Evelyn Hill Lightfoot, and cousins, Gladys Stephens and Verle Brown.