Obituary of Sarah Elizabeth Brown

Sarah Elizabeth Brown went home to Jesus on December 5, 2015, at age 67, while surrounded by her devoted husband and family, at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, KS. She was born in St. Louis, MO on August 3, 1948, to Ben S. and Elizabeth "Betty" Juletta Luhn Carter, and grew up with her sister Cathy in Brentwood, MO. Sarah graduated from Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She met her soulmate, Fred, on a blind date in college. Their loving relationship quickly grew into a marriage of a lifetime, and they were inseparable ever since. They were married on November 1, 1969. Sarah and Fred welcomed the first of four children in 1975. While continuing to raise their four children and being involved in their lives, she earned a Masters in Education from Pittsburg State University in 2000. In 2015, Sarah and Fred celebrated the birth of their seventh grandchild. Sarah's genuine love for people, especially children, altered how she saw the world and approached her life. She was a devoted mother and teacher with a generous, nurturing spirit that radiated throughout her home and classroom. Demonstrating an exceptional gift for working with children, Sarah had a long-lasting impact on her students, even into their adulthood. Known as a teacher at home and a mother in the classroom, she showed the difference a gentle word could make and how to love. She could command a room and fill it with laughter and joy, simply through her voice, her infectious smile, and vibrant eyes that brightened in the presence of those she loved. She always put her family ahead of herself, even in the most trying times. Sarah's trust in Christ's love for her and daily walk with God shaped her as a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. She and her husband shared a strong faith in their love of Christ, as it influenced their beautiful life and the people around them. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends and all who had the opportunity to cross paths with her. Sarah was forever grateful for her large, close-knit family, and is survived by her husband, Frederic "Fred" Milton Brown; her sister, Catherine "Cathy" Vaughan Hickel; her children, Sarah Jennette Berry, Patricia Elizabeth Bribiescas, Julie Rebecca Brown, and Frederic "Ric" Carter Brown; her grandchildren, Anastacia, Sofia and Ian Berry, and Cristian, Erik and Elizabeth Bribiescas. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ben S. and Elizabeth Juletta Luhn Carter; and her grandson, Isaac Lee Berry. Sarah was also a loving mother-in-law to Amos Berry, Octavio Bribiescas, and Spoorthi Tammareddi, who she cared for and loved as her own children. A funeral service is scheduled for Sarah Elizabeth Brown on Saturday, December 12, at 10 am at First United Methodist Church in Coffeyville, KS; Pastor Nicole Schwartz and Grace Fellowship Church Pastor Doug Mund will officiate. Flowers may be delivered to David W Barnes Funeral Home at 306 North Cline Road, Coffeyville, Kansas 67337. Memorial funds may be offered to Grace Fellowship Church or First United Methodist Church; contributions may be left with the David W. Barnes Funeral Home, 306 North Cline Road, Coffeyville, KS 67337. Friends may call on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the David W. Barnes Funeral Home. The family will receive friends on Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 304 West 10th St. in Coffeyville.