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Photo Title : Ambrose Washington Brown

Grandfather of Irma Neita Brown, father of Alfred Walter Brown. He was born 11 Dec 1843 in Green Oak Twp, Livingston County. He served in Company G, 3rd MI Cavalry, from 22 Feb 1864 - 1 July 1865. He settled in North Star shortly after his discharge. On 11 Nov 1869, he married Mary Jane Iles in North Star. They lived in a house built by Mary Jane's father, George Washington Iles. He had moved his family to North Star (from Knox Co, OH) around 1864 when Mary Jane was 16. According to another family historian, as of 1979 that house built by George Washington Iles was still being used as a residence in North Star, although it has been remodeled numerous times. Unfortunately, I have no idea where it is. Ambrose had a brother, Giles, who was also a Civil War vet and, I believe, later served as a MI state rep from the Gratiot Co area. He had another brother, Alanson James Brown, who also settled in North Star. ( I have more on the ancestry of Ambrose if you want it.) The following was written by Mabel Brown Hosch, granddaughter of Ambrose by his son, George Washington Brown. She attributed the info to her father and her aunt, Augusta Marian Brown Adamek: "A farmer, and determined that all his sons would follow in his footsteps. He scorned education, saying,

"If a man knows how to read, write, cipher and spell, that's all he needs to know to be a farmer."

He had only contempt for his older brother Giles, who was a scholar, poet, lawyer, politician, school superintendent and state senator (1 term), but "couldn't plow a straight furrow." Hated Catholics and would have no dealings with them because of a settlement of Irish Catholics that developed when he was a kid near his home in Green Oak Township. All the English-American settlers were so afraid of the Irish Catholics that they slept with their axes by their beds at night. He was also a staunch Republican and one of his sons said, "If my father could know that any of his children ever voted anything but a straight Republican ticket, he would turn over in his grave." He was a "loving and indulgent" parent to his younger children, but expected his oldest son and daughter to share in the responsibility of raising the family. " Ambrose died 29 Aug 1895 & is buried in the North Star cemetery.

Submitted by: Martha Watson

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