Francis Horatio BROWN

     Francis Horatio BROWN, son of Waymon Leggett BROWN and Fereby Jane CHISM, was born on 12 October 1872 in Bibb County, Alabama.¹ Francis also went by the name of Rasch.

Francis Horatio BROWN appeared on a census, enumerated 1 June 1880, in the household of his parents Waymon BROWN and Jane CHISM in Centreville, Bibb County, Alabama. He was recorded as son, Francis Brown, age 6, born Alabama.²

Francis was employed as a school teacher circa 1892 in Bibb County, Alabama. The school was located near the Bibb and Perry County border.³ He was next employed as a clerk and bookkeeper in Mahan's General Store circa 1900 in Randolph, Bibb County, Alabama. Randolph was a key railway shipping point for Bibb, Chilton and Perry counties. At that time, many people in the area were moving to Arkansas, Oklahoma or Texas. Rasch bought a number of small farms from them at very low prices, and in that way accumulated about 1200 acres. The land ran from the area near the present day Maplesville Airport over to Highway 191, very close to the Abney Plantation. Most of these small farms had houses on them and Rasch rented the land to tenant farmers. He also operated a small saw mill and gin shop near Randolph.⁴

Francis married Frances May ABNEY, daughter of Samuel ABNEY IV and Martha Anne WALKER, on 3 January 1906 at her parent's parlor in Maplesville, Chilton County, Alabama. They met while Rasch was working in Mahan's Store.⁵

Francis Horatio BROWN and Frances May ABNEY appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 15 April 1910 in Maplesville, Chilton County, Alabama. The household was listed as Francis H. Brown, age 36, farmer; wife Frances M., age 25; and daughter Frances D., age 3. The couple had been married four years and had one child. They lived in Maplesville on the Montgomery Road, two houses away from James D. Haggard.⁶

F. H. Brown moved to Maplesville, Chilton County, Alabama in 1919 and bought a little store from Jesse J. Hayes. He built a new store in 1920 in the block adjacent to the Maplesville Bank. There was a vacant lot between the store and the bank and someone had a flower garden there. The family lived in the town during the winter so that the children could go to school, and in the summer moved back to their farm north of Maplesville, near Randolph. Mr. Brown was in the mercantile business until about 1935.⁷ The Bank of Maplesville was chartered and opened its doors 19 Sep 1919. That same year Rasch was elected to its board of directors and served until 1926. He also served as the bank's Vice-President for a time.⁸ He was a charter member of the Maplesville Masonic Lodge #706 which was organized in in 1927.⁹

Francis Horatio BROWN and Frances May ABNEY appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 9 January 1920 in Macedonia, Chilton County, Alabama. The household was listed as Francis H. Brown, age 47, farmer; wife Francis M., age 37; daughter Francis D., age 13; son Thomas A., age 9; son John K., age 5; son Frank B., age 1 year 11 months; and father Waymon L. Brown, age 82, a widower.¹⁰

Francis Horatio BROWN and Frances May ABNEY appeared in a newspaper article 10 April 1930 in the The Union Banner, published in Clanton, Alabama. Abney was home visiting from the Univesity of Alabama. His parents drove him and Charlie Haggard to Montgomery on Sunday.

Francis Horatio BROWN and Frances May ABNEY appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 21 April 1930 in Maplesville, Chilton County, Alabama. The household was listed as F. H. Brown, 56-year-old merchant in a general merchandise store, and Mary [May?] F. Brown, his 47-year-old wife. He married at 32 and she at 28. They owned their home at 24 Clay Street which was valued at $4000 and they owned a radio. Also in the household were their children: Frances D., a 25-year-old widow and public school teacher; Abney T., 19; John K., 17, farmer; Frank B., 12, farmer; Horatio F., 12; and George K., 7. All of the boys were attending school.¹¹

Francis Horatio BROWN and Frances May ABNEY appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 21 April 1940 in Maplesville, Chilton County, Alabama. The household was listed as Francis H. Brown, age 66, no occupation; Frances Mae Brown, 58; Francis H. Brown, Jr., 19, attending first year of college; and George Brown, 17, attending 3rd year of high school. They lived on Brown Street. Maie Brown had one year of college.¹²

Francis Horatio BROWN died on 10 May 1957 in Maplesville, Chilton County, Alabama, at age 84. He was buried in Abney Cemetery.¹³

His obituary appeared 12 May 1957 in the Montgomery Advertiser, published in Montgomery, Alabama. Maplesville-- Francis H. Brown, 84, died here at home Friday. Funeral at Maplesvillle Methodist Church at 2 p.m. Sunday with burial in Abney cemetery near here. Survivors include widow, Mrs. Mary Abney Brown, daughter, Mrs. Frances Gulledge, Verbena; five sons, Thomas A., Frank B., Maplesville, John Kennedy, Fayette, F. H. Jr., Montgomery, George K., Birmingham; six grandchildren; brother, Anderson Brown, Montgomery; sister, Mrs. J. D. Haggard, Maplesville. Martin Funeral Home directing.

His obituary appeared 16 May 1957 in the The Union Banner, published in Clanton, Alabama. We extend our sympathy to the loved ones of Mr. F. H. Brown. Mr. Brown passed away last Friday night at his home at 6:00 o'clock. Funeral services at Maplesville Methodist Church at 3:00 p. m. Sunday, with burial in the Abney Cemetery, near the old home place. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mae Abney Brown; one daughter, Mrs. Frank Gulledge; five sons-- Abney, Frank, John, Rash and George; and six grandchildren. Mr. Brown was in the grocery and merchandise business here for a number of years, but has been in a failing health for the past 10 or more years.