Harold Dean Brown, 87, of Lincoln, passed away Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City. He was born on September 8, 1938, in Lincoln, Missouri, a son of Lawrence and Lula (Casto) Brown.
Harold grew up on a farm near Lincoln and attended Dillon School through the 8th grade. As a youth, he was baptized at Shady Grove Church near Warsaw. He helped on the family farm and would load gravel out of Cole Camp Creek into his dad’s dump truck using a #2 scoop shovel. They planted row crops in the creek bottoms at Cole Camp Creek with horse drawn implements and he helped build the dam at Junge’s Lake south of Cole Camp. Harold served his country honorably in the United States Army, serving a tour overseas.
On June 3, 1961, in Harrison, Arkansas, he was united in marriage to Martha Pearl Ridenour. This union was blessed with the gift of five children: Marilyn, Lisa, Wanda, Bobby, and Donnie.
Harold tackled many jobs during his life, having worked at Tomasetti Shoe Factory in Windsor, Parkhurst Truck Body’s in Sedalia, Riffle’s Green House in Clinton, as a machinist and welder at John Friedly in Ionia, as a welder for Peabody Coal Mine in Calhoun, as a custodian for Lincoln School District, refinishing antiques for Melville’s in Cole Camp, as a fabricator for Meyer’s Metal Craft, for Larry Woods’ Mobile Home Transferring, as well as, owning and operating his own repair shop, Brown’s Welding and Small Engine in Lincoln. Harold was a member of Black Oak Church near Lincoln. He enjoyed fishing, camping, hunting, telling stories, and working on his Model T and taking it for drives, but his passion was building guitars.
He is survived by his children, Marilyn Knox and Doug of Lincoln, Lisa Davis and Milburn of Cole Camp, Wanda Derendinger and Timothy of Boonville, Bobby Brown and Donna of Lincoln, and Donnie Brown and Amy of Cole Camp; his sister, Juanita Ferguson of Windsor; his brothers, Ben Brown and Judy of Lincoln and William George Brown and Joyce of Lincoln; his sister-in-law, Joyce Brown of Cole Camp; his grandchildren, Megan Hoehns, Austin Davis, Amber Scott, Katie Grissum, Kelly Derendinger, Joshua Derendinger, Timothy Derendinger, Robert Brown, Matthew Brown, Crystal Brown, Kimberly Brown, Tyler Marquess, and Lauren Brown; great-grandchildren, Tyler, Alexis, Sean, Landon, Emma, Brody, Veronica, Brittany, Trinity, Toby, Ellen, Lane, Addison, Emma, Sophie, Kathleen, and Marlene; and his great-great-granddaughter, Josephine.
Harold was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Lula Brown, wife, Martha Brown, brother, Elmer Brown, and brother-in-law, John Ferguson.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Fountain of Praise Mennonite Church, 23479 Highway H, Lincoln, with Pastor Truman Yoder officiating. Burial will be in Black Oak Cemetery near Lincoln with Pastor Lester Hogland officiating. Military honors are by the American Legion Post No. 305 of Cole Camp. Pallbearers will be his grandsons: Austin Davis, Joshua Derendinger, Timothy Derendinger, Robert Brown, Matthew Brown, and Tyler Marquess.
The family will receive friends beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at the church. Memorial contributions may be given to Black Oak Cemetery in care of the Fox Funeral Home, Cole Camp.
