James Brown Jr.

James Albert Brown Jr., age 65 years, of rural Hillsboro, passed away on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at the Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

He was born on April 15, 1944 to James A. and Luthera (Bailand) Brown Sr. at Rice Lake, Wisconsin.  He grew to adulthood at Rice Lake and worked at the Holsum Bakery in Rice Lake as a teenager.  He was united in marriage to Joanne Sadowski on November 3, 1962, after going together since he was 11 years old.

They moved to Rockford, Illinois, where James worked at Cotta Transmission until he saved enough money up to buy a dairy farm near Yuba, Wisconsin.  This is where they raised their four children since 1976.  He kept the family farm going through the hard times for 33 years.  He always had a dream and a money making scheme.  Jim and Mike Cannel started the Ocooch Grazing Network.  He wrote a book on grazing; the Department of Agriculture bought the rights to his book and distributes it at grazing meetings.  Browns were also one of the first 13 families to belong to Organic Valley (CROPP) in LaFarge.

He could fix anything for Now.  If there was ever a problem, he would have the answer to fix it.  He bought and owned his own Semi.  He also worked at Grede Foundry in Reedsburg, while maintaining and running the family farm.  He has helped many family members through hard times, whether it was money or welcoming them into his home to stay.  He liked working with computers, he enjoyed gardening, with a goal to grow a 5 pound tomato, he enjoyed willow trees and his beat up old farm truck.

Survivors include his wife, Joanne; children, James Albert (Lori) Brown III of Cambridge, Todd (Amber) Brown, Candace Brown, and Kim (Richard) Heal, all of the Hillsboro area; grandchildren, Isabel, Michael, Michelle, Taylor, Alex James, Connor, Macy, Shelby, Mia James, Brittany, Nicholas, Brooke, and Vince; sisters, Janet Boldon (Clifford Boldon) of Hillsboro and Bev Frasier of Chetek; a brother, Russell Brown of Balsam Lake; and best friend, Marian Domanski of Rockford.  He was preceded in death by his Parents and sister, Madeline Johnson.

The family would like to invite friends to their farm near Yuba, S4890 Pine Avenue for a memorial gathering of visitation beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 23, 2009, and with a time of remembrance at 2:00 p.m.  The Picha Funeral Home in Hillsboro assisted the family.