DoraBelle "Brownie" Husted

She taught, loved and inspired.

Surrounded by loving family, 96 years old, DoraBelle "Brownie" Mitchell Browning Husted died peacefully at her Lake Monticello, Va., home Monday evening, Nov. 7, 2005, following a hemorrhagic stroke twelve days prior.

For over seventeen-years she had lived at Lake Monticello with her daughter, Angell Husted, son-in-law Harold Wright and four grandsons.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert, Husted of Pleasant Valley, N.Y.; her sister, Ruth Porter of Rock Hill, S.C.; her brother, "Jimmy" Mitchell of High Point, N.C.; and her grandson, Timo Husted Wright of Lake Monticello.

DoraBelle Mitchell was born Oct. 30, 1909, in Penvir, Va., the daughter of Gilbert Morgan Mitchell and Pearle Gold.

She was a 1926, graduate of Radford High School and received her teaching certificate from Radford College in 1927. In 1961, at the age of 51, she returned to college for ten years of nights, weekends and summers, while continuing to teach full-time in the Arlington N.Y., School System. In 1971, at the age of 61, she was awarded her BS degree from New York State Teachers College at New Paltz. She taught, loved and inspired countless students during her 43-year teaching career.

She was a one-room schoolhouse teacher in the mountains of Southwestern Va., from 1927-28; a librarian at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville from 1929-34; a Vassar College librarian in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., until 1947; homemaker/mom from 1948-54; an Arlington N.Y., Junior High School librarian from 195456; and the library teacher at Pleasant Valley N.Y., Grade School from 1956-1976.

She was a trustee of the Pleasant Valley N.Y., Free Library; member of the Pleasant Valley Historical Society (Dutchess County, N.Y.,); proprietor of her beloved registered nursery Wayside Garden; an avid ceramics painter; longtime member, Sunday school teacher and first-ever female deacon of the Pleasant Valley First Presbyterian Church; and a baptized member of Effort Church in Palmyra, Va.

She is survived by five children; JoBirta Feroe and her husband, Dick, of Smith Mountain Lake, Va., Paul Browning and his wife, Elly, of Indian Trail, N.C., Dr. Bob Browning and his wife, Sandy, of New Palestine, Ind., Angell Husted and her husband, Harold Wright, of Lake Monticello, Va., and Dr. Chet Husted and his wife, Dr. Linda, Maraya of Houlton, Maine; Her surviving 20 grandchildren include, Heather Grossnickle and her husband, Jamey, of Gibsonville, N.C., Dan Feroe and his wife, Carol, of High Point, N.C., Michelle Hill and her husband, Harold, of Burlington, N.C., Jeffrey Browning and his wife, Harri, of Sheridan, Wyo., Mary Davis and her husband, Dr. Charles, Davis of Conover, N.C., Kevin Browning of Redwood City, Calif., Eric Browning and his wife, Vivien, of La Dera Ranch, Calif., Becky Browning of Los Angeles, Calif., Nathaniel Browning of Minden, Nev., Shannon Browning of Livingston, Mont., Zabrina Rose Murphy and her husband, Ian, of Stoughton, Wis., Michael Wright of Boston, Mass., Jonathan Wright and his wife, Rachel, of Appleton, Wis., Mitchell Wright of San Diego, Calif., Matthew Wright of Charlottesville, Va., Andrew Wright of Lake Monticello, Va., Joe Husted of Clemson, S.C., Alice Husted of Medford, Mass; Her 19 great-grandchildren include: Ashley Stokes of Knightsdale, N.C., Brian Stokes of Boone, N.C., Ian Feroe of Raleigh, N.C., Grant Feroe of High Point, N.C., Harold Hill of Elon, N.C., Mia Hill of Raleigh, N.C., Zachary and Jessica Browning of Sheridan, Wyo., Sarah, Danny and Sophie Davis of Conover, N.C., Raelyn, Raiya and Evan Browning of La Dera Ranch, Calif., Tiffany Browning of Los Angeles, Calif., Ana and Silvia Wright of Appleton, Wis. She is further survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.

"Family Visitation Night" will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. this evening, at Effort Church in Fluvanna County, Va., "Brownie's Celebration of Life and Love" will be held at Noon Saturday, Nov. 12, 2005, at Effort Church, with Dr. David Clay and the Rev. June Clifford officiating.

Interment immediately follows at Monticello Memory Gardens.

Memorial contributions in "Brownie" Husted's name may be made to the Children's Services of the Pleasant Valley Library, 1584 Main Street, Pleasant Valley, NY 12569; or to the Fluvanna County Public Library, 8880 James Madison Highway, PO Box 548, Fork Union, VA 23055.

Hill & Wood Funeral home is in charge of arrangements