Barbara Brown

1934 - 2025

Barbara Ann (Thaller) Brown, 91, of Madison, Wisconsin passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on November 25, 2025, at St. Mary's Hospital. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, on May 23, 1934, she was the daughter of Hans and Elfriede (Wachs) Thaller. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Frederick Gramm Brown, in 2021.

She was the much-loved mother of Jeffrey (Gretchen) of Riverbank, California, Kirk (Lori DiPrete) of Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin, and Daniel of Redmond, Washington. She brought great joy to the lives of her six grandchildren – Nathaniel, Tyler, Evan, Lindsay, Elise and Kristen. Nothing gave her more pleasure than visits from her grandchildren or hearing updates about their lives. She leaves with them a legacy of the importance of a loving family, and the enjoyment of learning, travel, the arts, and literature. She also passed on to her grandchildren the ability to make her cinnamon rolls, pinwheel cookies, and lefse.

Barbara attended Randall School and graduated from West High School in 1952 and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1956, majoring in Art Education. One month later she married Fred and they relocated to Minneapolis/St. Paul where she taught junior high art while he completed his PhD at the University of Minnesota. Soon motherhood took precedence over art as at that time teachers could not be pregnant. They then moved to Columbia, Missouri, where Barbara helped establish a thriving community art program and she became a mother of a second son. Barbara and Fred moved to Ames, Iowa in 1961 when he was hired to teach Psychology at Iowa State University. Except also for sabbaticals in Palo Alto, California and Princeton New Jersey (which they enjoyed tremendously), Ames was their home for almost all their married life.

With the birth of a third son in Ames, Barbara continued to find time for art and to teach adult education acrylic painting classes as she raised her three boys. She also helped manage the ISU chapter of her college sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. After her sons left for college, Barbara embarked on a second career as a librarian and worked at the Parks Library at Iowa State University for sixteen years.

Barbara and Fred shared a love of travel, music and books. They traveled extensively in retirement, especially fond of the American West, France, Italy and Switzerland. They both developed a passion for opera later in life, becoming fans and supporters of the Des Moines Metro Opera and active members of the Ames Opera Guild. They volunteered often in the Ames Public Library, both in leadership roles and helping with the annual book sale, and both participated in book clubs. They rarely missed ISU football and basketball games (both men's and women's).

Barbara was also an avid gardener, and her backyard was always beautifully in bloom in the spring and summer. She was active in ISU garden and nature organizations and enjoyed taking her family and friends to visit Reiman Gardens in Ames, and Olbrich Gardens in Madison (especially the Birch Walk which reminded her of family trips to the Northwoods in her youth). Barbara and Fred were also members of Bethesda Lutheran Church throughout their years in Ames.

In early 2024 Barbara returned to Madison, Wisconsin to be closer to family. She enjoyed rediscovering the city of her youth, attending concerts and events at the University of Wisconsin, and continuing her life-long interest in art, including taking up fused glass at the art studio in her assisted living facility.

Barbara will be buried at the Iowa State University Cemetery alongside her husband Fred.

The family would like to thank the residents and staff at Attic Angel for the friendship and care they provided Barbara over the past two years.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts to the Madison Symphony Orchestra's Heartstrings program that brings the love of music to those unable to attend concerts would be greatly appreciated.