Max M. Brown

Max M. Brown, age 100, of Yankton, South Dakota died on Saturday, June 15, 2024 at Avera Sister James Care Center in Yankton.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 AM, on Saturday, June 22, 2024 at Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton with Reverend Bob Lacey officiating. Burial of the cremated remains will be in the adjacent Garden of Memories Cemetery in Yankton. Immediately following, a light lunch will be provided, including Max’s favorite dessert, chocolate brownies and vanilla ice cream. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home.

Urnbearers will be his son, John, and daughter-in-law, John’s wife, Holly.

Max was born September 9, 1923, at Onawa, IA to Ira Grant Brown and Jessie Mae (Willy) Brown. He grew up in Decatur, Nebraska where he was a star athlete playing both basketball and football at Decatur High School. He married Madge Mae King in Tekamah, NE on July 14, 1942, and together moved to Los Angeles, CA where they lived during World War II. In 1944, they moved to Onawa, IA and in 1948 moved to Pickstown, SD where their son John Michael was born in 1950. In 1955, they moved to Yankton, SD where Max and Madge made their permanent home. Max retired in 1978 with over 37 years of public service with the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Max also fulfilled a life-long dream of farming in 1967 when purchasing land on the east side of Yankton. After Max’s retirement, he and Madge enjoyed spending time with family and friends and traveling to Europe, China, and South America.

Max’s memory is cherished by his son and daughter-in-law, John and Holly (Bradley) Brown of Yankton, SD; his nephew and wife, Robert Grant Brown and Sandra (Perkins) Brown of Blanding, UT and Gilbert, AZ; his cousin, Ethel Darlene (Book) Menard of Omaha, NE; and Robert Michael Austin and Amanda (Acree) Austin of Santa Rosa Beach, FL; and Max’s many friends in Yankton with whom he enjoyed wing shooting both pheasant and water fowl, fishing in the Missouri River and Lewis & Clark Lake, and morel mushroom hunting. Max was an excellent and reliable shot with his shotgun and rifle and his uncanny ability to find fish and mushrooms was widely recognized, admired and envied.

Because Max and Madge loved children and cherished all human life, memorials are directed to ZoeCare, 2007 Locust St, Yankton, SD 57078 or website, www.zoecarepregnancy.org.