Evan Blaine Brown

Evan Blaine Brown was born in a little, two-room house in BEAUTIFUL Star Valley, Wyoming on September 30,1927. He was the 10th, and last, child of James Fredrick Brown and Frances Elizabeth Pead. He had a great love for his mom, dad, and siblings. He often spoke about how wonderful it was to be part of a big family.

Blaine attended elementary school in Fairview, and later graduated from Star Valley High School in Afton, Wyoming, where he excelled in football and basketball. After high school, he joined the Navy, where he served in the Pacific Theater at the close of World War II. He was a landing craft pilot on the USS Bottineau, a troop ship.

Blaine met Ruth Nadine Schaerrer, at Star Valley High School and they were married after the war. They raised two boys, Ed, and John, who were two years apart.

Blaine attended Utah State Agricultural College, now called Utah State University, where he studied animal husbandry. He was an excellent horseman and knew how to work cattle. He was hired by the Nate family of Montpelier, Idaho to run their large cattle ranch in Sage Valley, Idaho.

Things were hopping in Southern California after the war. Blaine took his older brother Keith’s advice and soon followed Keith’s path to California, where they worked for Sav-on Drugs, a new self-service pharmacy and sundries chain begun by members of the Call family of Star Valley. He worked for Sav-on for almost 40 years, eventually becoming a general manager of two very productive stores, one in South Gate, California, and the other in Cerritos, California.

Blaine was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Blaine and Ruth were sealed in the Los Angeles Temple. He served in several church positions, including financial clerk, stake clerk, elder’s quorum president, and finally, bishop of the La Habra 2nd Ward. After Blaine retired, he and Ruth served a mission to Hong Kong.

After his mission to Hong Kong, Blaine achieved his lifelong dream of owning a ranch, 322 acres in Auburn, Wyoming. Despite being in his seventies, Blaine thoroughly loved ranching. He loved fencing, building corrals, branding, and rounding up cattle. Blaine kept that ranch ship shape even after he was ninety. Blaine had a few parts that broke and were replaced but, like the Energizer Bunny, he just kept on ticking.

Last year, Blaine was honored with other veterans at the World War II memorial in Washington DC. He was immensely proud of his service and was grateful for this Honor Flight recognition.

He is survived by sons, Ed (Diane) Brown and John (Vicki) Brown, seven grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews who considered Blaine as a favorite uncle and many friends in Star Valley, California, Hong Kong, and Draper Utah. Dad was preceded in death by Ruth, his sweetheart of 65 years, his parents, nine siblings, a great grandson, and a great-great grandson.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, March 2, 2024, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel, 1272 East Walden Lane, Draper Utah 84020. A viewing will be from 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. with the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Interment at Fairview Cemetery, Fairview Wyoming. Funeral Services under the direction of Larkin Sunset Gardens 1950 E 10600 S, Sandy, UT 84092.

Virtual services are available via zoom (a free zoom account is required to participate virtually): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85780887966