This morning in Vancouver at the Charles Brown House we were thrilled to have a few of Charles Brown’s descendants visit us and share old stories and photographs.

Charles Wilson (94) who lives in Corvallis is Charles Brown’s last surviving grandchild and grew up right here in the house from ages 8-21. His mother was Charles’ daughter, Frances. He hadn’t been back to the house since 1935! The highlight was Charles “Chuck” seeing his old bedroom again for the first time in 72 years.

Chuck was joined by his cousin Anne and her son Rick, who are Brown descendants as well. It was a great time.

Charles S. Wilson was born January 7, 1913 in Raymond, Washington to Charles E. and Frances Brown Wilson. His father died when he was three years old, leaving his mother to raise young Charles alone. Unfortunately, this did not last long. Tragedy struck again when his mother died under mysterious circumstances while the two were living in Laguna Beach, California. Orphaned by the age of seven, Charles’ aunt Floy DuBois drove to California from Vancouver to pick him up and bring him back with her. Charles lived with his aunt, uncle and two cousins for about a year until family friend Alice Hubbard offered to take him in. Coincidentally, Alice rented part of the house Charles’ mother Frances grew up in, now the Charles Brown House, named for his grandfather. Ed Brown, brother of Charles Brown, owned and lived in the house as well with his wife Ada. Shortly thereafter Alice purchased the house and Ed and Ada Brown moved to Pasadena, California. Charles graduated from Vancouver High School in 1930 and went on to attend the University of Washington and Harvard Business School. As a teenager in Vancouver he met Marjorie Warren. The two were married in 1937.
The couple moved to Corvallis, Oregon in 1940 and acquired the Ford dealership, Wilson Motors, where Charles continues to work today. Charles was very active socially in Corvallis as a member of the Corvallis Country Club and also the Badminton Club.
Sadly, Charles’ wife Marjorie passed away in February 2007. The couple has three children, Richard, Kathryn, and Carol, and four grandchildren.

Liza Wilson, daughter in law of Charles Wilson, sent us a thank you card for a donation we made to the Clark County Genealogical Society on behalf of her mother in law Marjorie who passed away last month. Charles Wilson is the grandson of Charles Brown and grew up right here in the Brown House.

Throughout my research, pictures of Frances and Rebecca Brown have been quite elusive. Nonetheless, it is very exciting to find one of them together. Frances is on the left. The realtives who gave me this photo don’t know where or when this was taken, but knowing the dates of birth for each of the women, and estimating their ages in the photo, I would say it was taken around the turn of the century.

Frances Renewed Brown was the middle daughter of Charles and Rebecca Brown born in October of 1876 here in Vancouver, Washington. She was raised and attended school in Vancouver, graduating from high school in 1895. On April 23, 1910 she married Charles Everett Wilson and together they had one son, Charles S., who is 93 years old and currently resides in Corvallis, Oregon. Little is known about Frances, even to her own son and the rest of the Brown descendants. Her son Charles was an orphan by the age of seven. Charles was subsequently raised by his Aunt Floy DuBois for a short period of time and he ultimately settled in and was permanently raised by Alice Hubbard, a family friend, here in the Brown House. Charles Wilson has only ever seen two photographs of his mother. According to Charles Wilson’s daughter in law Liza Tharp-Wilson, when Frances died most of her belongings, including photographs, went to her sisters Floy and Harriet and were lost to her own branch of the family. Frances died April 4, 1920 in Los Angeles, California and is buried in Raymond, Washington.

Vancouver High School Class of 1895. Charles and Rebecca Brown’s daughter Frances is in the front row, second from the left. Her future brother in law, William B. DuBois, is standing directly behind her in the back row.