Mary Brown

Mary Elizabeth (Blackburn) Brown,

93, passed away on January 15, 2015, in Assisted Living at Frostburg Village Nursing Care Center, Frostburg, MD, where she had been a resident since October of 2011.

She was born October 29, 1921, in Harrison, WV to Charles F. and Viola (Hill) Blackburn.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband Dr. Melvin L. Brown.  They were married August 29, 1953 and resided their entire married life in Cumberland, MD. Also preceding her in death is her sister Twila B. Sprague.

Mary is survived by her sister-in-law, Glenola “Blondie” Wilson of Kitzmiller, MD; one niece, Diana V. Cropp and husband Richard of Kitzmiller, MD; one great nephew, Aaron D. Cropp and wife Christine of Ashburn, VA; one great niece, Tamara S. Fridley and husband Chad and their children, Alexis, Wyatt and Samantha Fridley of Mt. Storm, WV.

Mary attended Potomac State College and graduated from Fairmont State Teachers College with a Master’s Degree in education.  Her teaching career began at Kitzmiller High School, where she met a young science teacher named Melvin Brown who later became her husband.  The majority of her teaching career was at her beloved Mt. Savage High School where she taught history from 1952 to 1979.

During those years, she maintained her classroom like her castle and put together hundreds of bulletin boards, decorated for dances and proms, and nurtured both students and new teachers.  Whether known as Mary, Libby, Aunt Mary, Mimmi, Mary “B” or Mrs. Brown, she will always hold a special place in the lives of her family, friends, neighbors and students.