Forrest David Brown

Forrest David Brown

September 11, 1941 – January 4, 2023

Memorial Service with Military Honors: Monday, January 9, 2023, 1:00 p.m., at West Center Chapel.

To view a live broadcast of the service, go to www.heafeyheafey.com and click the “View Live Cast” button.

Memorials will be directed by the family.

Forrest David Brown died at home on January 4, 2023. He was born on September 11, 1941, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Glen Brown & Ella Elizabeth (Haake) Brown. The family resided in Des Moines, IA, where Glen worked as a stone cutter.  The family moved in 1946 to Daykin, Nebraska, to the family farm Northeast of Daykin. Forrest was baptized at Saint John Lutheran Church in Daykin, NE, in January 1942 and confirmed in April 1955 at Saint John. Memory verse: James 4, 8: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

Forrest attended Daykin Public School and High School & was active in sports, drama, and music. He graduated from Daykin High in May 1959. After graduating, he worked as a carpenter from October 1960 – January 1962 for Jarvis Construction Co, Salina, KS. One of the buildings he helped build was the Fairbury school.  Mar 1962-Nov 1963, he worked as a station attendant at Farmers Union Co-op Oil Assn., Daykin, NE.

Forrest enlisted in the United States Air Force on November 13, 1963, and attended Technical School at Chanute AFB, ILL 1963 to July 1964, for Aerospace Ground Equipment repair.  He departed in August 1964 to Toul Rosieres AFB, France, to serve in a mobile communications unit. Countries, where he was TDY included Norway, Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Libya, Jordan, Ethiopia, Turkey, and Lebanon. Among the places visited were Troms, Norway, 200 miles North of the Arctic Circle.  His last 4 months of duty were at Andrews AFB, Washington, D.C., followed by an Honorable Discharge on Nov. 1967 as a Staff Sergeant.

He worked December 1967-December 1968 for Harlan Jordening of Daykin, NE as a truck driver and mechanic.  He graduated from Southeast Nebraska Vocational Technical Community College 1969 July 9, 1970, with an Associate of Applied Arts Degree in Electronics Technology.

Forrest married Betty on July 11, 1970, at the Lutheran Church in Bruning, Nebraska.  They had three children: Ahern, born in 1971; Austin, 1973; and Amanda, 1980. He has four grandchildren: 3 boys and 1 girl.

Forrest & Betty moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in September 1970, where he was employed at Western Electric Plant from August 1970 to March 1975 as an Engineering Associate testing telephone switching equipment.  He then worked for Western Sprinklers during the summer of 1975.  He worked at Iowa Power & Light, which later became Mid-American Energy, for 30 years (1976 to May 2006).  Starting as an Electric Technician at the Council Bluffs Work Center, then in November 1977, an Electronic & Instrument Mechanic position at the Council Bluffs Power Station near Lake Manawa.  He retired after 30 years in May 2006 as an Electronic Instrument Mechanic Foreman.

In retirement, he enjoyed family and grandchildren, gardening, hunting and fishing, and traveling. He became a “legend” on the Danny B boat in South Padre Island, TX, for his fishing skills.

He was preceded in death by his father & mother; sisters: Doris Morgan, Donna Casper, Shirley, Mammano; and brother Jerome.

He is survived by his wife, Betty; children: son, Ahern of Charlotte, NC, and grandson Hunter; son, Austin of Prairie City, IA and wife Jennifer and grandchildren: Carl, Amelia, and Joel; and daughter Amanda of Houston, TX; sister, Beverly; and brother, Jon.