Doris Jean (Gross) Browne

Doris Jean Browne, age 88, of Sumner, passed away Sunday, February 11, 2018, at Warwick Living Center in Alma.

Doris Jean was born September 22, 1929, in Ithaca, the daughter of Lee and Grace (Hill) Gross.  She graduated from Ithaca High School in 1947.  On September 29, 1947, she married Garold Browne in Ithaca.  They celebrated 70 years together last September.

In addition to being a farmer’s wife, Doris Jean worked at Wolverine World Wide, first in the factory and later in the Little Red Shoe House in Ithaca.  Later she served as the site manager for Food for Friends in Sumner.  She enjoyed Square dancing, playing cards with her friends, playing Scrabble and Uno with her grandchildren, and having her family home at the farm, grilling hamburgers and making homemade ice cream.

Doris Jean is survived by her husband, Garold; four children, David (Vicky) Browne of Alma, Dianne Beard of Ithaca, Michael (Marci) Browne of Sumner, and Connie Roslund (Clay Hill) of Sumner; 8 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; 5 great great grandchildren; two brothers-in-law, Rockford Browne and Ois Browne, Jr; and many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Kenneth Gross, Ronald Gross, and Raymie Gross; her sisters, Donna Ferrari and Belma Barnes; and several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.

A celebration of Doris Jean’s life will be held at 12 noon on Saturday, February 17, at the Ithaca Senior Activity Building, with Jo Jones officiating.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Ithaca Senior Activity Building or to Gratiot Commission on Aging.  The Browne family is being served by the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca.  Condolences may be left for the family online at www.bardenfuneralhome.com..