Darin Ray Brown, 38, of Acton, MT went to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday April 6, 2013 as he was flying home from the Wolf Point farm. He was born on July 2, 1974 to Dennis and Evonne Brown in Wolf Point.
Darin grew up on the family farm as the second of three boys and lived life with the motto of working hard and playing just as hard. He loved to build and create which resulted in many learning experiences, many of which ended him up in the ER and on the prayer chain. Darin loved farm life, riding motorcycles, driving fast, basketball and especially the cattle and animals. He fell in love with flying and at age 16, earned his pilot’s license. In spite of his adventuresome spirit, he had a tender heart especially towards the Lord and asked Jesus to take away his sins at the age of four.
He graduated from Lustre Christian High School in 1992 as valedictorian and went on to Montana State where he majored in Ag Tech. and minored in computers. At college, he fell in love with his future farm girl, Sarah Kelm, and they were married on Nov. 23, 1996. After graduation, he took her home to continue farming with his brothers and dad, with his main area being cattle. There, he started the bull sales for Brown Angus Ranch. Darin was especially skilled in mechanics, welding, building, family relations and jobs that were high and dangerous. In 2007, Darin left the cattle and made the transition to farming in Acton, MT where he enjoyed more time working along side his dad.
Darin was blessed with his five kids and loved to include them in his everyday work, especially working with and training his boys in farm responsibilities and in being young men of Godly character. Darin was always ready for wrestling with his kids, games, playing ball and snuggling with his girls. He loved reading, days on the lake skiing, visiting with friends, skiing, a good debate and anything competitive. Sarah and his kids were blessed first hand by his integrity, deep love for them and his joy in life.
Aside from farming, Darin loved the Lord deeply which motivated him as he enjoyed many years of challenging kids in his Lustre Sunday School class and entertaining them with many stories of his adventures, accidents and scars. From high school on, he spent many years teaching Awana kids, counseling at Beacon Bible Camp, leading a small group at church and was in his second term on the kids’ school board in Broadview.
Darin left behind his wife Sarah and their five children Michael, Zachary, Joshua, Grace and Hannah as well as his parents Dennis and Evonne, his brothers Robert (Yvonne)Brown, Jason (Stephanie) Brown, 21 nieces and nephews including two he loved but hadn’t met yet from Haiti, his grandparents Norbert and Alice Unger and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Darin’s passion for Heaven was made real and there he was reunited with his grandparents, Les and Helen Brown.
Celebrations of Darin’s life will be on Thursday April 11, 2013 at 2 pm at Faith Evangelical Church in Billings. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 12, 2013 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point. Funeral services will be held in Lustre on Saturday April 13, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. and his burial will be held at the Mennonite Brethren Church Cemetery following the service. Memorial gifts can be given to Lustre Christian High School (294 Lustre Rd., Lustre, MT 59225) and/or Mission Aviation Fellowship (P.O. Box 47, Nampa, ID 83653).
Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point and Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home of Miles City have been entrusted with the arrangements. Condolences may be sent to the family using the form below.