Audrey Irene (Kellie) Brown was born August 20, 1938 at Wauneta, NE. She was the oldest child of James Henry Kellie and Audrey Marie (Matson) Kellie. She departed this life to be with her Lord April 30, 2018 at Great Plains Health at the age of 79 years. She lived nearly all her life in Nebraska except for the years she and her husband pastored in Colorado.
Audrey attended elementary school in various country schools in rural Nebraska. She attended High School three years in Imperial, NE and graduated from Sutherland High School in 1956. She also attended Lakewood Commercial College in Lakewood, CO and Mid Plains Voc-Tech College in North Platte, NE.
Audrey attended The Pilgrim Holiness Church in Imperial and then Sutherland. She gave her heart to the Lord on Sunday afternoon, October 2, 1954 at The Pilgrim Holiness Church in Imperial, NE. Rev. R.G. Flexon was the evangelist at that revival. She joined The Pilgrim Holiness Church in Sutherland on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1956. On June 23, 1956, she dedicated her life to Christ for full time service at Camp Bethel at Sutherland, NE. She was sanctified on May 15, 1960 at The Pilgrim Holiness Church at Arthur, NE.
Audrey was united in marriage to Melvin Laverne Brown at Lodgepole, NE on February 14, 1958, celebrating 60 years together this year. To this union were born three daughters and one son; Sandra JoAnn, Sylvia Diane, Laverne Dale, and Karla Ann. She loved her family very much and showed it in many ways. She enjoyed making quilts and handmade items for them. Each of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren received a quilt she had quilted. She said, “Each quilt covers them with my prayers.”
Audrey was a bookkeeper all of her adult life. Following the tragic deaths of her family, she wrote a book entitled, “Alive…But Alone” and took great satisfaction in public speaking and presenting her story of how she survived. Two highlights of this part of her life was when she appeared on the Sally Jessy Raphael show in New York, New York and when she presented seminars at the Governor’s Conference on Crime in Omaha, NE. All who knew her know of the great pain and suffering she endured at the deaths of her family, but she was amazingly strong through it all. She demonstrated the fact that the grace of God does work even in our darkest hours. Audrey was a faithful helper to her husband in his ministry. She especially loved doing Women’s Ministries. She was a past President of the North Platte After Five Christian Women’s Club in North Platte, NE. At the time of her passing she attended Bethel Evangelical Free Church until failing health made attending impossible.
She leaves to mourn her beloved husband, Melvin; children, Sandra (Thomas) Hazen of Spring Hill, KS, Sylvia (Eddie) Hansen, Laverne (Gegetta) Brown, Karla (Charles) Downey all of North Platte, ten grandchildren, Mitchall (Jessica) Hazen, Brent (Lisa) Hazen and Ryan (Heather) Hazen all of Olathe, KS, Brandon Hansen of North Platte, Brady (Maria) Hansen of Lincoln, Kaitlyn Hansen , Ashlee Brown both of North Platte, Travis Brown of Windsor, CO, Emma and Ella Downey of North Platte; seven great grandchildren, Kayla, McKenzie and Cooper Hazen, Kimberlynne and Camden Hazen, Jesse and Jason Hazen all of Olathe, KS.
Audrey was preceded in death by her parents, James Henry and Audrey Marie Kellie; brother, David Kellie; sister, Jennie Rowley; nieces, Florence and Deanna; nephew, Daniel Kellie; two grandchildren who were called back to heaven before they were born, one child of Laverne and Gegetta Brown (un-named) and Erin Regan Downey, child of Karla and Charles Downey. These precious babies await us in heaven.
Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with family receiving friends from 6 to 8 Thursday at Carpenter Memorial Chapel. Services will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, May 4, 2018 at Bethel Evangelical Free Church. Burial will be at Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens. Carpenter Memorial Chapel is in care of arrangements.