Barbara Brown
Barbara Brown
Barbara Lee Graves Brown, 84, passed on into the arms of her Holy Lord on March 12, 2025 at her home in Youngsville, PA. Barbara, born Dec. 31, 1940, in Louisville, KY, was the daughter of Henry Victor Graves and Mary Ann Weir Graves. She was predeceased by her husband, Lawrence Woodhull Brown, in 2023, whom she married in 1959. She is survived by two daughters, Laura Lee Brown and Catherine Graves Brown of Youngsville, PA; a son, Dr. William Woodhull Brown and his wife Tetiana, daughter Daria, and son Hleb of Miller Place, Long Island, NY; a brother, James (Lucy) E. Graves of Louisville; a cousin, Heath (Courtney) Ball, Goshen, Ky, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Barbara led a fruitful and exciting life focused on her family, friends, and animals, especially her beloved horses. As a result of WW2, her early childhood years she lived at her grandparents home, known as Waveland, a farm along the Ohio River. As a young teen she joined the local Pony Club with her first horse, Bucephalus. She then trained in saddle seat riding with Helen Crabtree, a renowned American Saddlebred breeder and instructor, and showed at Rock Creek Saddle Club. She also helped her uncle Buddy Weir with his polo ponies, and fox-hunted with her grandmother over the rolling bluegrass hills.
Barbara graduated from Louisville Collegiate earning both National Merit and Rhodes Scholar honors. After graduating, she married the love of her life, Larry Brown, and they moved to Moscow, Idaho where he was earning a degree in forestry, and she studied animal husbandry.
After her husband’s graduation, they moved to Maine, where Barbara acquired her first Morgan mare, and began raising Morgan Horses. The family moved twice more: to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and then Youngsville, PA, where Larry worked for the Us Forest Service, on the Allegheny National Forest. On their family farm on Allegheny Springs Road, Barbara continued breeding and showing Morgans in the tri-state area.
In the early 1980s, Barbara helped found the Silver Cup Horse Show at the Warren County Fair. She also helped form the first ever local Pony Club, and was a 4H leader for many years. She loved the Warren County Fair, and one particular highlight was competing in the “Open” horse pull competition with her little home-bred Morgan “Fancy’ against the big draft horses, and won!
For a career, she became a freelance writer and photojournalist, writing for The Valley Echo, a bi-weekly tabloid in Warren County. For 30-plus years, she wrote a popular weekly column, By the Brokenstraw, which reflected her views on local, national, and international history, local areas of interest, and travel adventures. She also wrote for the monthly Penn Lines Magazine, as a human-interest columnist.
Barbara’s second love was dogs, and she raised Labradors and then Cardigan Welsh Corgis. She developed a successful breeding program, and enjoyed showing her dogs across the country. One dog, “Gabby’ won at the National Corgi Show several times. She trained some of her Corgis in agility, and also had some dogs certified as search-and-rescue animals, working with the local chapter (Warren). She also enjoyed taking dogs to the Rouse Home as therapy animals for residents.
She loved Warren and Youngsville, and took pride in being part of the community. She was a founding board member of the Travel Northern Allegheny Tourism Council. She was a member of YABA (Youngsville Area Business Association) ROY (Revitalization of Youngsville) and Allegheny Artistry, a co-op ran, local art gallery promoting the Arts and Crafts in Warren County. Barbara was a long-time member of St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Youngsville, and was on the Vestry board. With the church she volunteered for many years at the annual Pleasures & Treasures Craft Show. Basically, if there was something going on, she wanted to be apart of it!
In her spare time, she was an avid reader, wrote poetry, amateur photographer, enjoyed numerous outdoor activities, including sailing, skiing, and canoeing. She was a graduate of the Toastmasters program, and a member of the Warren Antique Club. She loved music, especially folk-rock, with Bob Dylan and Peter Paul and Mary, being top favorites, and also opera. More than anything, she really just loved spending time with friends and family and having a good time anywhere! Her broad smile and joyous laughter will be missed!
A private burial will be held at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, KY. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, online at stjude.org, the Ukraine Animal Rescue, Four Paws, online at donate.four-paws.org or to Hospice of Warren County at 1 Main Ave., Warren, PA 16365.
“To thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the night the day. Thou canst not then be false to any man.” – William Shakespeare.
The Nelson Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 314 N. Main St., Youngsville, PA 16371, have been entrusted with all arrangements. Condolences to the family may be made at nelsonfuneralhome.net.