Obituaries : Betty Rae (Underwood) Brown

Betty Rae (Underwood) Brown, 86, of Manchester, Michigan went to be with the Lord on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at ProMedica Toledo Hospital.

She was born at home on August 23, 1935 in La Porte City, Iowa to Ralph and Gertrude (Cooke) Underwood. At age 16, Betty Rae trusted Christ as her personal Lord and Savior which changed her life completely. Betty Rae graduated from Dysart High School in 1953 and went on to attend Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada.

On August 25, 1954 Betty Rae married Clarence E. Brown at the First Baptist Church in Vinton, Iowa and they have shared 67 years together. Over the years Betty Rae and Clarence have worked together as a team, raised their children and grown in faith.

Betty Rae was proud of her Scott-Irish heritage and the traditions that were passed on. As a young girl, she would drive a team of Belgian horses on the family farm when it was time to work in the fields. Her love for horses continued throughout life and she owned Belgian horses with Clarence. Betty Rae had a strong work ethic and was always busy in the vegetable garden, canning or freezing produce, or tending to the chickens and gathering eggs. She lived her faith and shared her talents of singing, playing instruments and leading Bible Clubs in after school programs. Betty Rae showed her family by example the importance of hard work, sharing your faith and having fun with those you love.

In addition to her husband, Clarence, she is survived by her children, Samuel E. (Sandra) Brown and Belva Rae (Stephen) Kotlarczyk; grandchildren, Jennifer (Phil) Strunk, Stephanie (William) Mejia, Elizabeth (Bogdan) Kotlarczyk, Lenora Rae (Edward) Hernandez, Caleb (Amanda) Kotlarczyk, Samuel Carl Brown, Sarah (Daisuke) Kai, Selena (Alex) Saenz De Viteri, Sasha Brown, Brianna Kotlarczyk, Sedona Brown and Starr Brown; 16 great-grandchildren; and siblings, Bruce (Bev) Underwood, Beverly Underwood and Billy Underwood. Betty Rae was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Arthur Underwood, Marian Kisling and Paul Underwood.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, May 23, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Wagley Funeral Home in Adrian with Rev. David Loewen from SEND International, retired missionary from Japan. Burial will follow at Lenawee Hills Memorial Gardens in Tecumseh. Visitation will take place on Sunday, May 22, 2022 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home and one hour prior to the start of the service on Monday.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Boys and Girls Clubs at http://www.bibleclubs.org, Far Eastern Broadcasting Company (FEBC), or SEND International-Okutama Bible Chalet Next

Generation for Christ. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.WagleyFuneralHomes.com.