EVELYN HOLDERFIELD BROWN

Evelyn Holderfield Brown, 84, died of natural causes on February 11, 2016. Born on July 27, 1931, in Fairfield Highlands, Alabama, to Ruby Grace Holderfield of Perote, Alabama and Thomas G. Holderfield, Sr. of Fredonia, Alabama, Evelyn was the youngest of five children that included Miriam, Eloise, Virginia, and Thomas Holderfield. She married Bury G. Brown, Jr. of Andalusia, Alabama who, after a tour in the Navy during World War II, left the service and subsequently enlisted in the United States Army. Together Evelyn and Bury began their two and a half decade Army life of adventures and travels in the United States and Europe. Upon the death of her husband, Colonel Bury G. Brown, Jr, from a heart attack in 1972, Evelyn permanently returned home to her life in Alabama. In spite of having young children still at home, Evelyn had a burning desire to pursue her education that had been interrupted by the rigors of military life and raising five children. At the age of 45, she enrolled at Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM or little Auburn as she liked to call to it). Older than all the other students and many of her professors, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English. Upon graduation Evelyn stated it was one of the proudest moments of her life. Evelyn was extremely proud that her five children earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from West Point, Georgia Tech, Auburn University, the University of Alabama, Georgia State University, the University of Texas, Harvard University, and George Washington University. At one point, she had all of these universities’ decals on her car’s back window at the same time. Evelyn was college football’s most ardent fan. Following his death in 1972, Evelyn developed Bury’s beloved weekly family college football pool into a storied institution now steeped in family tradition. She added her weekly college football and family newsletter, which just celebrated its 43rd Anniversary during the 2015 season. She took it from the dark ages of postal snail mail with days and weeks of waiting for results to the computer age of email, excel spread sheets and instantaneous results after Saturday’s games. The weekly newsletter with pool winners and family news became everyone’s most anticipated e-mail of the week. She knew more about college football than many of the sports announcers we saw on TV. She was crazy about Alabama football and the SEC. She loved her family, her church (Fairfield Highlands), her friends…and Bear Bryant, Nick Saban, and Shug Jordan, probably in that order. She was preceded in death by her husband, Col. Bury G. Brown, Jr; her daughter, Linda Carol Brown Pontius; her parents, Tom and Ruby Holderfield; sisters, brother and brothers-in-law, Miriam and Harry Green, Virginia and Jimmy Golden, Tom and Nann Holderfield; and grandson, Justin Brown. She is survived by her four sons Dr. David Brown (Susan) of Dallas, TX; Glenn Brown of Chicago, IL; Neil Brown (Karen) of Atlanta, GA; Richard Brown (Kathy) of McKinney, TX; her son-in-law, Bill Pontius of Bessemer, AL; her sister, Eloise Holderfield, Bessemer, AL; her grandchildren Kevin Brown (Jennie), Brooklyn, NY, Karin Shoffner (Mark), Dallas, TX, Christine Klayman (Gregg), New York City, Katherine Brown, McKinney, TX, Madison Wetmore (Garrison), Auburn, AL, Melissa Pontius, Bessemer, AL, Samantha and Stephanie Brown, Bartlett, IL; her step grandchildren Mark Danuser (Christine), Dallas, TX, Katie Hobbs (Ryan), Frisco, TX; as well as four great-grandchildren, five step great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Family and friends will gather to visit, tell stories, and share memories and anecdotes, on Thursday evening, Feb. 18th at 6:00 pm until 7:30 at Peoples Chapel Funeral Home, 195 Brooklane Dr. in Hueytown, AL. On Friday morning, February 19th, a processional will depart at 10:40 from Peoples Chapel Funeral Home to Highland Memorial Gardens Cemetery where a graveside service will take place at 11:00 am. A memorial service will be held at 12:00 pm at her beloved Fairfield Highlands Presbyterian Church where Evelyn was a member for more than eight decades. A lunch reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any memorial gifts be made to Fairfield Highlands Presbyterian Church, 907 11th Ave, Midfield, AL or to The Foundation for Cardiovascular Education Research and Training (FACET) at The Heart Hospital Baylor at 1100 Allied Drive, Plano, TX 75093.