A Mass of Christian Burial for Shirley Brown will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at the Chapel of the Resurrection in Whiteville with Rev. Vincent Thanaraj officiating.  Burial will follow in the St. Peter's Catholic Mausoleum in Morrow.  Arrangements are under the direction of Hixson-Ducote Funeral Home of Bunkie.

Mrs. Shirley, age 87, passed away peacefully from this life on Thursday, January 11, 2024 at The Hessmer Nursing Home in Hessmer.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, J.D. Brown; one grandson, Scott Anthony Brown; her parents, John and Irene Smith Wright; her sisters, Verla Benoit Wright and Leota Wright Francois; and brothers, Audrey Wright, Garland "Catu" Wright and James Wright.

She is survived by her four children; Dennis Brown and wife Nelta of Pine Prairie, Phyllis Fell and her husband Chann of Hillsboro, TX, Jude Brown and his wife Angie of Garland and Liz Hubbard and her husband Pat of Bayou Jack; ten grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Shirley was born Mary Shirley Belle Wright on January 27, 1936 to John and Irene Wright in Church Point.  She lived there with her parents till in her early teens when the family moved to Morrow where her father worked as a rice farmer.  She often told stories of her daddy getting her to haul the rice harvest to the mill in Rayne.  She would laugh at the thought of having no driver's license and him heading her out in that big truck.

She later met J.D. Brown and they married in 1951 and made their home in Morrow where they raised their children.  After being a stay-at-home mom for several years, she worked different jobs including a clerk at the local grocery and at another time an aide for the special education department at the community elementary school.  Later she worked for an insurance company on a debit route where she met and became friends with many of her customers.  They would always look forward to her driving up each month to collect their premium but more so to visit.  She grew to love so many of them.

Honored to serve as pallbearers will be her grandsons; Michael Brown, Daniel Fell, Brian Fell, Nicholas Brown, Tyler Brown and Adam Hubbard.

The family wishes to express much appreciation to the doctors and staff of The Hessmer Nursing Home and All Saints Hospice for the care of Mrs. Shirley.  She truly loved her caretakers.