John Ellsworth Brown

Obituary

Class of 1940 

Jan. 23, 1923 – Sept. 3, 2021

John Ellsworth Brown passed away on September 3, 2021 at his home in Auberry, California, at the age of 98. He was born January 23, 1923 in Weiser, Idaho to Scott B. and Edith Hill Brown. He was the fourth of eight children.

Ellsworth enlisted in the Army Air Corps in the fall of 1942 and served until 1945, having achieved the rank of 1st Lieutenant and having received the Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

He married Ruth Dayle Davis on February 19, 1945 in the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were married for 66 years and had six children: Scott Ellsworth, Mona Dee, Gordon Wayne, Howard Grant, Mark Davis, and Dean Richardson.

He worked as a soil scientist for 26 years for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service in Arizona, Washington D.C., and Oregon.

He served three missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first was to Nova Scotia, Canada in 1946 when he was 23 years old. The other two missions were to Guatemala with his wife, Dayle, after his retirement.

Ellsworth served in the Church as a Bishop, a Patriarch, and a temple ordinance worker. He served as a temple sealer in the Guatemala City, Portland, and Fresno Temples. He also served as a teacher, a High Councilor, Scoutmaster, and a counselor in a bishopric.

His interests included hunting, fishing, scouting, working around the yard, and reading. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

He was preceded in death by his wife in December 2011. He is survived by his six children, 29 grandchildren, and 69 great-grandchildren. He is very loved and will be greatly missed.

There will be a viewing from 7 to 8 pm on Friday, September 17, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 29711 Aubrey Road, Prather, California. Funeral services will be at 11 am Saturday, September 18, at the same location.

From Find a Grave