Martha Gaynelle “Nell” Hallum Brown, 91, of Cleveland, TN, passed away Friday, June 28, 2013 in a Chattanooga hospital.
Mrs. Brown was the daughter of the late Sydney Mari Mitchell Hallum and Jesse James Hallum; and was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Robert Burl Brown; her brother, Jesse James “Jay” Hallum; her brother-in-law, Darce “Frank” Sullivan; and her nephew, Max Hallum.
In addition to being a wonderful homemaker, Mrs. Brown and her late husband Burl owned one of the first commercial egg farms in Bradley County. They provided eggs to many restaurants, grocery stores and individuals in Cleveland and Chattanooga. She was a wonderful seamstress and quilter. She loved to dance and enjoyed all types of music. She also loved to cook and garden and adopted and lovingly cared for many stray pets. She loved to read and was an avid patron of the Cleveland Public Library. Mrs. Brown was a member of the Flint Springs Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include her children, Robert Bruce Brown and his wife Susan of Sugarland, TX and Kenneth Dale Brown and his wife Brenda of Cleveland; her grandchildren, Austen Brown, Kathleen Brown and her fiancé, Will Ingraham, Lindsay Arnold and her husband Brandon, Lacy Rackley and her husband Wes; her great-grandchildren, Eli and Imri Arnold, Brynne Rackley and Brynne’s sibling to be born in December; her sister, Johnnye Sullivan of Cleveland; her niece, Deborah Sullivan Drake of Cleveland; and her nephew, Mark Hallum Sullivan of Garden Grove, CA.
The Remembrance of Life Service will be conducted at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 3, from the North Ocoee Chapel of the Jim Rush Funeral Homes with Pastor Herb Conley officiating. Graveside services and interment will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the U. S. National Cemetery in Chattanooga with Austen Brown, Mark Sullivan, Will Ingraham, Wes Rackley, Brandon Arnold and Kevin Drake serving as pallbearers.
The family request that memorials be made to The Foundation for the Cleveland Bradley County Public Library, c/o Cleveland Public Library 795 Church St. N. E. Cleveland, Tennessee 37311.
The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 2 at the North Ocoee Chapel of the Jim Rush Funeral Homes who has charge of the arrangements.