Muhlenberg County Kentucky

Biographies B

Samuel Brown

Samuel Brown
Anzonetta Capps Brown
Photographs of Samuel and Anzonetta Capps Brown.
Contributed by Sue Heflin Woolsey

Brother Samuel Brown was born in Muhlenberg Co., Ky., on December 3, 1842, and was the son of W.T. and Elizabeth Brown. His father was a native of Virginia and was born about the year 1819. His mother was a native of Kentucky, and was born about the year 1824. Samuel Brown was their first of at least seven children - three sons and four daughters - according to the 1860 Muhlenberg Census. W.T. and Elizabeth were married about 1841.

Brother Brown was united in marriage to Anzonetta Capps, June 28, 1870 in Muhlenberg. They became the parents of eight children - three sons and five daughters, as follows:

The mother, Mrs. Anzonetta (Capps) Brown was born July 13, 1853, and departed this life on March 19, 1922, in her 68th year. Brother Brown went to be “with the Lord” on October 10, 1925. Their bodies, upon their respective deaths, were interred in the Cherry Hill Cemetery, to await that glorious resurrection at Christ's Return in Glory to claim His own.

In September 1887, Brother Samuel Brown, his wife Anzonetta, their son Alonzo “Lonnie” and daughters Lula and Fannie Brown became Charter Members of the new Cherry Hill United Baptist Church, upon promise of Letters of Recommendation from the Bethel Baptist Church. The Letters were granted on December 24, 1887. According to the Old Bethel Church Minutes, these five persons returned their membership by Letter to the Bethel Church, in May 1888; and, in 1890, when the Bethel Church sent Messengers to the Little Bethel Association, the messengers were Pastor W.H. Woodson and Brethren W.P. Henry and Samuel Brown. On December 30, 1892, being licensed to preach the Gospel by Bethel Church, Samuel Brown was ordained to the Baptist Ministry by the Cherry Hill Church with Brethren W.H. Woodson, Leander J. Stirsman, R.O.G. Walker, W.W. Woodson and L.D. Ragon the Prebytery.

Prior to this, three Brown children has married. Alonzo “Lonnie” Brown married Velotia Woodson, daughter of Pastor W.H. Woodson, on September 27, 1891, on a Muhlenberg County License. She, too, was a Charter Member of the Church, and had been born in Webster County on October 31, 1870. She died on April 13, 1959. Lonnie's & Velotia's remains lie buried in the Cherry Hill Cemetery.

The first daughter and second child, Lula Brown became the wife of Minister Thomas G. Woodson, one of three minister sons of W.H. Woodson, about 1891. She was the first of the Brown children to depart this life, and her remains were interred in the Old Bethel Church Cemetery.

The second daughter and third child, Fannie Brown married another minister son of W.H. Woodson, William Weaver Woodson on February 10, 1892 on a Muhlenberg license. She was his second wife, his first wife dying about 1890. William Weaver Woodson had returned home from Illinois, was living with his parents, and had united with the Cherry Hill Church by Letter in 1891. He was licensed to preach by the Church in 1892, his father performing the ceremony. On December 18, 1893, W.W. Woodson was ordained a minister. Fannie died on July 16, 1911, the second Brown child to do so, and Brother Woodson died on April 29, 1931, and their remains lie buried in the Cherry Hill Cemetery together with a little child.

Fannie Brown Woodson's twin, Ida Brown became a member of the Cherry Hill Church by Christian Experience and Baptism in 1893, being baptized by Pastor W.H. Woodson. She was united in marriage with Lucien H. Tyson, on a Muhlenberg County license, on November 7, 1906, and Brother W.H. Woodson performed the ceremony. She became the third Brown child to die, departing to be “with the Lord”, on May 18, 1918. Lucian H. Tyson was elected and ordained as a Deacon in August 1913. He later married a second time.

James Ecklas “Bud” Brown was the fifth child and second son. He was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Nofsinger on December 22, 1897 in Muhlenberg. She had become a member of the Church by Letter on December 1, 1926. A diligent search of the three Membership Roll Books of the church, by the writer, has failed to determine with certainty if and when Ecklas Brown held membership in the Church. Their remains lie buried in the Cherry Hill Cemetery. On their monument, his dates are given as August 27, 1878 to February 27, 1960, and her dates are September 28, 1879 to August 15, 1969.

Blanche Brown, born October 24, 1883 in Muhlenberg, the fourth daughter and sixth child, was united in marriage to James P. Underwood on April 5, 1906, on a Muhlenberg License. She became a member of the Cherry Hill Baptist Church by Christian Experience and Baptism in 1894, being baptized by Pastor W.W. Woodson, her brother-in-law. James P. Underwood was born September 20, 1869 and died March 5, 1920. Both he and Blanche were buried in the East Union Church Cemetery.

At about the same time, Brother Samuel Brown and Mrs. Anzonetta Brown, her brother and his wife, and Alonzo and Velotia Woodson Brown, after being in the Bethel Church for some time, returned their membership by Letter, and became charter members of the Cherry Hill Baptist Church. All of them would remain therein throughout the remainder of their earthly lives; and, as previously noted, upon their respective deaths, would be buried in the church cemetery.

Elizabeth “Betty” Brown, the fifth daughter and youngest child, was married to J. Luther Patterson in October of 1913. They had seven children, two babies being buried in Cherry Hill Cemetery. She became a member of the Church by Christian Experience and baptism in 1902.

Charles Brown, the third son and seventh of eight children, was born July 21, 1887 in Muhlenberg. At the time this article was written, he had celebrated his 100th birthday, an unusual feat, at the Belle Meade Nursing Home in Greenville. He became a member of the Cherry Hill Baptist Church in 1903 by means of Christian Experience and Believer's Immersion, being baptized by Pastor W.H. Woodson. He is still a member and has been in the Church fellowship for 84 years.

On August 31, 1935, the Church passed the following:

“We the Members and Pastor of Cherry Hill Church, feeling that God has called our beloved brother Charlie Brown into the Gospel Ministry, desire to ordain him to the full work.”

The above was passed unanimously and the date of Sunday, October 6, 1935, was set as the time for it to be done. Therefore, on the appointed day, Baptist Ministers S.A. Kittinger, O.P. Bush, C.H. Warren, W.C. Harrell and J.B. Wise, together with Deacons Joe Peveler, Sol West, Josh Powell, C.L. Benton, Jim Richey, William P. Woodson, Andrew B. Stirsman, Lonnie Stirsman and J. Luther Patterson formed a Presbytery at the request of the Church and proceeded with the ordination. Pastor S.A. Kittinger served as Moderator and Lonnie Stirsman served as Clerk. Pastor O.P. Bush questioned the Candidate, and Pastor C.H. Warren preached the Ordination Sermon. Pastor W.C. Harrell gave the Charge to the Church, and Pastor J.B. Wise presented the Bible to the new Minister. Deacon Jim Richey led in the Ordination Prayer, after which the Presbytery followed the rite of the Laying On Of The Hands of the Council. Brother Charlie Brown dismissed the Congregation with prayer, after which the entire group present extended the hand of Christian fellowship to Brother Brown and his wife.

Brother Brown was married, first, to Miss Bernice Millard on a Muhlenberg License on March 12, 1911. She was born in 1889 and died in June 1937 in her 48th year. They became parents of five children, one daughter dying in infancy in 1917. One daughter, Bernadine (Brown) Steele became a member by Christian Experience and Baptism on August 17, 1924, and later served as the W.M.U. President. Charlie Avaline (Brown) Wiggins did the same in October 1932, and Earl Millard Brown became a member in the same manner in July 1934;. Margie (Brown) McDonald became a member on August 18, 1927.

Brother Brown's second wife was Eva Conway, whom he married in 1938. She died in 1979.

Although Brother Brown was never active in the pastorate, he has officiated at the marriage of 320 couples.

Brother Samuel Brown's services as a Pastor were to the following churches: Pleasant Hill (1901, 1907-1915); Concord (1903); Oakland (1905); Mt. Pisgah (1906-1907); and Woodson (1920-1921). As early as 1890 and continuing through 1893, he attended the Little Bethel Association as a Messenger from the Bethel Church. He also attended the 1896, 1899, 1901-1902, 1904, 1906-1907 sessions of the same Association as a Messenger from the Cherry Hill Church. In 1907, he was one of the three Messengers who represented the Church at the organization of the Muhlenberg County Association. He and Pastor W.W. Woodson attended again in 1908, which was his last time to attend as a Messenger. From then on, he attended as an Ordained Minister and was listed as such in the Associational Minutes through 1924.

(William Weaver Woodson was the first person to be licensed and ordained by the Cherry Hill Church to the Gospel Ministry. These events took place in 1892 and 1893 respectively.)

Source: “Brown-Capps.” Muhlenberg County Kentucky. Paducah, KY: Turner, 1996. Pages 89-90.

Updated July 6, 2018