Obituary of Judy L. Brown

Judith Lee Brown (73) of St. Maries died quietly with family at her side on December 30, 2012. She was a beloved mother, wife, sister & grandma to many. Judy was born January 13, 1939 to Roger Amos and Lucille (Blank) Vogel in St. Maries, ID. She was raised by her grandparents, Selma Blank (Heng) and William Belleau. Judy attended the St. Mary's Parish Academy prior to attending St. Maries High School. In High School, she was actively involved in FHA, Pee Vee, Chorus, Pep Club, & Drama. After graduating there with the Class of 1956, she worked as a paralegal for Carl Buell law office. It is in St. Maries that she met and fell in love with Philip W. Brown over 56 years ago. They were married January 16, 1957 in St. Maries. Her husband's Air Force career took them to many military bases in multiple cities in Germany, Washington, California, Illinois & Michigan. Following her husband's retirement in 1972, they returned to St. Maries where she was a homemaker and raised her 8 children. Judy loved spending time with her many children and grandchildren and her door was always open to them. She was well known for her extraordinary talent with sewing. For decades she sewed everything from clothing to costumes for the kids and quilts for all of her grand-babies. She will be especially remembered for her fabulous cooking skills. Her house was the one for traditional holiday meals - Nothing came out of a box at her house! Judy was also an avid reader, enjoying all types of literature. After her children were raised, she adopted her Bichon and Shih Tzu dogs which she adored: Mesha, Beau & Buttons. Judy also enjoyed keeping up with her friends. Along with this, she always looked forward to attending her class reunions. She had an amazing memory and even with her huge family, she always managed to remember and recognize all her family's anniversaries and birth dates. She knew how to make her family feel loved. Judy was a member of St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church of St. Maries and the St. Maries Eagles Auxiliary. She is survived by her husband Phil and her children; Philip L. Brown (Valerie) of Missoula, MT, Leonard Brown of Bonney Lake, WA, Susan Pomeroy (Charles) of Bellevue, WA, Jay Brown of Spokane, WA, Cindy Caswell (Barry) of Apache, AZ, Kelly Brown (Heather) of Spokane, WA, Jerry Brown of Post Falls, ID, Sally Pentland (Earl Plank) of Orofino, ID, and Brittany Odekirk (Joseph & Madison) of St. Maries, ID. Also survived by her siblings: Sally Hoppe (Ray) of Post Falls, ID and brother Roger J Vogel of Mesa, AZ, 24 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. A memorial Mass celebrating her life will be held on Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, (921 West Jefferson Ave, St. Maries) with Fr. Francisco Godinez celebrant. A gathering of family and friends will follow services at the Benedictine Hall. Her final resting place will be at Woodlawn Cemetery in St. Maries. Visit her online memorial and sign her guestbook at: Hodge Funeral Home - St. Maries, ID In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in her remembrance to Kootenai Humane Society and River City Hospice of Post Falls Read Judy Brown's Obituary and Guestbook on www.hodgefuneralhome.com.