Mary Greenwood Brown was a beautiful soul whose love, spirit, and humor will be with us forever.  She grew up in Clarinda, IA and graduated high school in 1975.  She was active in theater and music and had the voice of an angel.  Upon moving to Indianola, she shared her vocal talents with the First United Methodist Church and forged some of the best friendships a person could have.  She has been described as "the nicest person on the planet," time and time again.  Handshakes were not a thing for Mary…it was always a hug…and a BIG ONE at that.  It didn't matter that she just met you…you were getting a hug.  She lived to serve others and see the good in all people. She had an incredible ability to see the positive in all situations and would sacrifice her own personal success or joy, for the opportunity to impact someone else who needed uplifting.

Mary battled Parkinson's Disease for 20 years with the last 12 years being extremely difficult both physically and mentally.  You would have never known the true challenges that she dealt with on a daily basis because it was never about her.  She loved telling her story of her Deep Brain Stimulation surgery that extended her life for 10+ years.  She was consistently there for others dealing with Parkinson's as someone to listen and inspire them to keep fighting.  Late in life, Mary rekindled her passion for sewing and started her own small business, Brown Family Sewing.  She was so proud of the work that she was able to do as a seamstress, knowing she was making a difference in the community she loved.

Her grandchildren were her life and all that she lived for.  She would consistently say, "I will ALWAYS love you more than ALL the stars in the sky!"  She taught her grandchildren some very important life lessons.  Do something nice for someone else just because…you don't know how much they may need it.  Find grace in your heart for that person that you have been battling with.  Leave your pain associated with the things you can't control where they belong, in the rearview mirror.  When you haven't been the best version of yourself, give yourself some grace and go live the best life you possibly can.  This is how Mary lived her life and we can't think of a better way to honor and remember her than by living our lives the way she lived hers.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Helen Greenwood and her loving companion Daisy.  She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Justin and Jenna (Staebell) Brown, grandchildren, Jack, Hanna, and Aly Brown.

Mary was born on October 3, 1957 and passed away Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at home and the age of 67.

A Celebration of Life Gathering will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m., Monday, April 28, 2025, at the Red Acre Barn, 4053 Kirkwood St, Prole, IA 50229, with a Celebration service at 6:30 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, memorials in memory of Mary may be given to Kiya Koda Sustainability Endowment.