Mrs. Sue Ellen Brown

Mrs. Sue Ellen Wynn Brown, 69, of Columbus, Indiana passed from this life on January 2, 2026. Born August 16, 1956, in Madison, Indiana, she was the loving daughter of the late Vernon L. and Betty Jane Smith Wynn. She married Glen P. Brown on May 26, 1979 at Trinity Unity Methodist Church in Madison. Their happy union was blessed with twins, Daniel and Rachel.
Sue Ellen was a 1974 graduate of Madison Consolidated High School. Growing up on her family farm in Deputy, she was a 10 year member of 4-H, showing champion steers and taking many projects on to the Indiana State Fair.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hanover College in 1978. While at Hanover, she was a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, serving as House President for two years and making friendships that lasted throughout her lifetime. She then received her Master's in Public Administration from Indiana University in 1982.
Sue Ellen was an active member of the Methodist Church for her entire life, first as a member of the Deputy United Methodist Church and then Columbus FUMC. She served in multiple roles, including Trustee, Missions Committee, Ecumenical Assembly, Staff Parish, and Council on Finance and Administration for the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. Later, Sue Ellen became Director of Learning Tree Preschool at FUMC, where she finished her professional career.
Another of Sue Ellen's passions was politics. She worked for the Indiana State Republican Committee and on the staff of the Senator Dan Quayle. She served as a state and national delegate to Republican Conventions and received the Sagamore of the Wabash from Governor Robert Orr.
Sue Ellen contributed extensively to the Columbus community, serving as BCSC's Gifted and Talented Coordinator and testing administrator from 1993 to 2005. She later transitioned to the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center, where she managed a workforce readiness program and events at Yes Cinema.
Beyond her professional life, Sue Ellen's greatest priority was her family; she was a devoted wife and mother who found her deepest purpose in supporting her husband and raising her children. This dedication extended to the sidelines, where she spent 40 years as a fixture in the stands. She found immense joy in cheering for her husband's teams and remained a constant, proud supporter of Columbus East Athletics as a whole.
Sue Ellen will be missed by her children, Rachel Kimmel and her husband Konnor, Daniel Brown and his wife, Joan; brothers, Larry (Gale) Wynn and Mark (Melissa) Wynn of Madison, IN; sister-in-law, Anne-Marie (Lloyd) Chatham of Lafayette, IN; and several nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Sue Ellen was preceded in death by her parents Vernon and Betty Wynn and her husband Glen Brown.
The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, January 9, 2026, at Barkes, Weaver & Glick Funeral Home on Washington Street; the Reverends Howard Boles and Chris Lantz will officiate. A live stream of the funeral service will be available at barkesweaverglick.com.
Family and friends may gather for visitation from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Thursday and from 10:00 a.m. until service time Friday at the funeral home.
Sue Ellen will be laid to rest next to Glen at the Garland Brook Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Glen Brown Memorial Student Athlete Scholarship through the Bartholomew Consolidated School Foundation or to the American Brain Tumor Association.
Condolences and special memories may be shared with the family and a video tribute may be viewed at barkesweaverglick.com.