It is with deep love and sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, Melvina Brown, who passed away peacefully at The Village in Indianola, Iowa, on May 19, 2025 at the age of 89.

Born on July 16, 1935, in Mullen, Nebraska, Melvina Marie Hawk was the eldest of six children born to Elmer Hawk and Violet Bailey (Hawk). She grew up surrounded by the wide-open skies of Nebraska, where she cultivated a love for nature that would follow her throughout her life. She graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1953. On April 24, 1953, she married her high school sweetheart, Jim Brown, in Broken Bow, Nebraska; then in 1958 they adopted their daughter Deborah "Debbie", and together they shared 58 wonderful years of marriage.

A woman of deep faith and endless generosity, Melvina was a proud member of the Daughters of the Nile since 1965, serving as Past Queen in 1990. She was a longtime member of Linn Grove Church, where she served in the United Methodist Women's group, and a member of the Bevington Garden Club.

She was most at home in her garden, tending to her flowers, or in the kitchen, where she was an exceptional cook and baker. Her ham and beans were her brother's favorite, and her famous salsa, jams, and Christmas goodie boxes brought joy to countless family and friends. Every Christmas Eve, she made chili and oyster stew, and no Thanksgiving was complete without her homemade oyster dressing. Her gold loafers, love of the color blue, and angel collection were just a few of her charming trademarks.

She spent countless happy hours crocheting, cross-stitching, and playing Scrabble with her sister. Her infectious smile lit up every room she entered. She was truly the heart of our family — the glue that held us together — and her warmth, laughter, and unwavering love will be deeply missed.

We were blessed to call her ours. Her legacy of love, strength, and homemade goodness will live on in all of us.

Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Debbie Hutchison of Martensdale, Iowa; her granddaughter, Emily Hutchison of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; sisters Francis Scherff of Aurora, Nebraska, and Deanna (Wayne) Cheek of Republic, Missouri; brother Frank (Sharon) Hawk of Norwalk, Iowa; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great great-nieces, great great-nephews and a great great great-nephew.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer Hawk and Violet (Hawk) Wilcox; her beloved husband, Jim; her sister, Ellen Swanson; her brother, Jim Hawk; great nieces Casie Gibbs and Lindsay Swanson; and her dearest friends, Connie Anneberg and Kathy Heiken.

With Melvina's love of blue, the family requests everyone in attendance wear blue to honor her memory.

Services will be held 11 a.m., Saturday, May 24, 2025 at Linn Grove United Methodist Church with burial following in the Linn Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be held prior to services from 9:30 to 11 a.m., at the church.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in her memory to Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Jude Children's Hospital or the Martensdale Firefighters Association.

The service for Melvina will be livestreamed using the below connection. If the wifi is not strong enough, it will be recorded and placed on the website following services.