RUSSELL - Billy F. Brown, 80, of Russell, died March 29 at Russell Regional Hospital. He was born Nov. 2, 1924, on a farm near Fairport in Russell County, the son of William and Geneva Mertle (McKinley) Brown. He married Vera Mae Ulrich at Natoma on Aug. 3, 1946. He grew up near Fairport and started school there before his family moved to a location south of Russell. He completed his education at Ikler Rural School south of Russell. He entered the U.S. Army during World War II and served during the Normandy Invasion. He was a lifelong Russell-area resident. He began working in the oilfields at age 14. He became a drilling-rig supervisor. He
retired June 1, 1989, as production superintendent, ending a 40-year career with Murfin Drilling Company. Brown was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Russell; a life member of Russell Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6240, and a member of The American Legion in Russell.

Survivors include his wife, Vera, of the home; four daughters, Connie Dumler and her husband Marty of Russell, Sheila Dreiling and her husband Jim of Pensacola, Fla., Judy Tilton and her husband Scott of Cleveland, Okla., and Stacy Brown of Hays; two sons, Dennis Brown and his wife Wanda and Todd Brown and his wife Stephanie, all of Russell; a brother, Chester Brown of Sherman, Texas; 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by eight brothers, including two infants, Harold, Carl, Lawrence, Calvin, Kenneth and Gene Brown; one sister, Mary Ellen Munsell; and one great-grandson, Joshua Bachar.

Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. John Lutheran Church, Russell, with the Rev. Henry J. Hartman officiating. Interment will follow in Russell City Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon to 9 p.m. today at Pohlman-Heise Mortuary in Russell. Memorial contributions may be made to St. John Lutheran Church or to Main Street Manor in care of Pohlman-Heise Mortuary, Russell, KS 67665.