Washington, UT
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Charilla Browning Brown was born on a cold wintery day of December 21, 1932, at the Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah. She was the second child of Henry Vernal Browning and Anna Thelma Smirl Browning.
Charilla was born a "blue baby" which is usually caused by a heart defect. The doctor thought that she would not live, but her father gave her a special blessing when he blessed her with her name and she lived.
Charilla loved her early years getting to stay out on the farm and help her dad in the hay field raking hay. She could hardly reach the trip on the rake at the time. The hay rake was pulled by her favorite horse "Smokey". Smokey also served as Charilla's riding horse and they had a lot of good times together. She and Smokey would herd the cows in the pasture and keep them within a certain area. Charilla loved to lie on her back and gaze at the big white fluffy clouds in the sky; she'd imagine all kinds of things out of the cloud shapes. Gazing at clouds and looking for four-leaf clovers were hobbies that she had throughout her life.
Charilla's parents sacrificed for her to have piano lessons and she loved to practice and play the piano. She was called as primary organist when she was 9 years old and was organist for most organizations of the church at different times. She also served in church callings throughout her life including Primary President, Cub Scout Leader and Stake Relief Society Counselor.
Charilla's parents moved to Vale, Oregon in 1946, where she met her future husband Boyd H. Brown. She waited for him while he served on a two-year LDS church mission and they were married on February 6, 1953 in the Logan LDS Temple. They lived in Vale and Nyssa, Oregon; Twin Falls, Idaho; Logan, Utah; Quartzsite, Arizona; and finally in Washington, Utah.
Boyd and Charilla were blessed with four boys: Steven (Kaylene), Dennis (Janice), Harvey (Kristina), and Ralph (Jerilyn). They lost their youngest son, Ralph, in 2014 to pancreatic cancer.
Charilla loved life and had a wonderful one. Charilla passed away on Monday, November 27, 2017 in Saint George, Utah. She was 84 years old. She is survived by her husband, Boyd; three sons: Steven, Dennis and Harvey; a sister, Peggy Schultz, 17 grandchildren, and 33 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her sister, Wilma Lichfield; her brother, Gary Browning; and parents, Henry Vernal Browning and Anna Thelma Smirl Browning.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the Washington 10th Branch, Sienna Hills Chapel, 1500 Ridge View Drive, Washington, Utah. A visitation will be held prior to services, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment will be in the Washington City Cemetery, Expansion #3.
