Richard Walter Brown

Richard Brown, age 78, of Elizabeth, Illinois, passed away Monday, December 30 2019, at University of Iowa Hospital, Iowa City. Private family services will be held at a later date. Family and friends are invited to share in Richard’s life at www.lawjonesfuneralhome.com .
Richard (“Dick”) Walter Brown was born on September 9, 1941 in Iowa City. His stepfather, Guy A. Brown, adopted him in 1944, however, he spent many of his earlier years in Waukon, IA living with his beloved Grandpa Julius, Grandma Moen and at the homes of their four other daughters. Dick was never clear as to the actual year he was moved to Savanna, IL and then to Hanover, IL by his mother Lillian and stepfather, Guy. He would spend his remaining childhood and part of his earlier adult life in Hanover.
As a child, Dick loved going to Grandpa Brown’s farm as well as his Aunt Vi’s farm to help with the milking during the summer months. At Aunt Vi’s farm, he heard Elvis on the radio for the first time. His love of Elvis, like many of us, changed his world. He always said the cows milked better when an Elvis song came on the radio.
Dick loved his Grandpa Julius Moen and his Grandma Caroline Hagen-Moen. He described his Grandma Caroline as having coal black hair, which she taught him to braid. He described working in his grandparent’s large vegetable garden one day. His Grandma Caroline came to a dead stop, told Dick she couldn’t move…there was a rattlesnake next to her foot. She said to him, “I have a rattler next to me. Get the shotgun, and don’t miss”. He didn’t miss.
Dick graduated from Hanover High School on May 27, 1960. He enlisted in the Army at age 18 and served overseas as a Field Maintenance, Wheel & Track Specialist. He was honorably discharged in June of 1963 and was in the reserves until 1966.
Dick was an expert horseman. The last of the real cowboys in Jo Daviess County. He was known, as his good friend and fellow horseman, Horst Haenert put it…”the best horse-shoer I’ve ever seen and the best this county has ever known”. He could look at a horse’s worn down hoof and was able to tell exactly what type of shoe was needed to correct any problem. His corrections were always right. He was proud to have received a farrier’s license for one of the large, now defunct race track in the Chicago area. (He chose to stay in Jo Daviess County, rather than move to Chicago.) That was just one of his many jobs, and I might add, he was good at them all.
He was also an excellent carpenter, both framing and finish carpentry. When a housebuilding contractor told Dick it was impossible to raise the roof of our little house in the country, over the existing roof and then tear out the old roof under it, Dick said thank you..no, I won’t be needing you. He figured it out himself and with a couple of helpers, got the job done. It turned out perfect! He also spent many years raising beef cows and driving semis. One of his hauling jobs was for a company that provided telephone poles to the tri-states. His expertise in operating a “boom” truck crane was something to behold. He told the story of how he picked a pack of cigarettes with the teeth of the boom crane from a co-worker’s hand while the co-worker was standing on the ground.
Dick married Barbara on May 1, 1997 in Galena, IL. Together they celebrated 22 years of marriage and 24 years together.
Dick retired at age 72. Not by choice. He was not happy to retire. He enjoyed having a job and his work ethic was extraordinary. He suffered many medical problems after retirement, including many skin cancers and throat cancer. He fought hard and was able to recover. Unfortunately, when he fractured his arm 4 yrs ago, after four surgeries, he was never able to use his arm very much and was in constant pain. He is in pain no longer.
In 2017, Dick was able, through Ancestry.com, to find his biological father’s family. The Peyton family, from Waukon, IA. There were 6 children born to Terrence Peyton. Unbeknownst to Terrence, or anyone in that family, Dick was the 7th child. Thanks to his second double-cousin (her father and her mother turned out to be first cousins of Dick’s), Crystal Pladsen-Coder, who was able to piece together all the details, Dick finally knew who his real father was. Unfortunately, his father had passed away in 1999. The Peyton family welcomed Dick with open arms. There are only four out of the six children still living. They all came to Dubuque to meet him. It was a great day for him and them. They all said he had the mannerisms of their father and a lot of the same interests. Everyone agreed, he looked like a Peyton. We are all so grateful he was able to get to the Peyton family picnic in Waukon this last September.
Dick was a humble man, who never knew just how intelligent, handsome and talented he really was. Those that really knew him, loved him. Although difficult for him to express, those he loved, he loved deeply with his heart and soul and would go to the ends of the earth for us. He was an incredibly good story teller, and would keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end of the story because you didn’t want to miss a single word. There isn’t enough room on this page to talk about the goodness of this man and all that he did for those in need and for those of us who survive him. He will be terribly missed.
Dick is survived by his wife Barb, who will love him eternally, his children, Boyd W. Brown, Kerry Brown-Wild, Ashley Brown-Spahn, blended family members Abbey Rickman and Justin Rickman (who loved him as their own father and he loved them as his own, as well) and Bryce Herrington. He is also survived by his new found sisters, Pat Peyton-Stillwell, Jenny Peyton-Givens, Linda Peyton-Skogland and one brother Bob Peyton and 10 grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his mother Lillian Moen-Brown, adopted father, Guy A. Brown, biological father, Terrance Peyton, a brother, Jack Peyton and a sister, Diane Peyton.
The family would like to thank Dr. Gregory Vandigo for all his wonderful care he gave Dick throughout the years. They had a mutual bond of total enjoyment of each other’s company over the years. “Doc” was very special in Dick’s life.