Tamara "Tami" R. Brown

Tami Brown, a devoted wife, loving mother, and a beacon of Christian faith, left an indelible mark on all who knew her. Known affectionately as "Mama Brown" to many outside her family, she touched countless lives with her kindness, prayers, and bold confidence in God.

Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, August 16th, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at Emmanuel Christian  Center in Spring Lake Park, MN, with Pastor Nate Ruch officiating. Visitation will be one hour earlier on the same date, at the same location, starting at 12:00 noon. Dessert reception will follow the service, in the church lobby area. Burial will be at Champlin city cemetery, with family-only in attendance.

Tamara "Tami" Brown passed from this world to eternity on Thursday, August 8th at the age of 67. This  occurred during her final hospitalization at University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis, during  which time her husband and sons were at her side much of the time, and she received visits from loved  ones and friends. True to how she lived her life, she continued to express her love, encouragement and  prayers for those surrounding her, and sharing her amazing smile with us as long as she could. She was  singing audibly with her family a few days before she passed, to the words of an updated version of "It is  well with my soul …" (It Is Well (Live) by Bethel Music) and her head, toes and feet were moving to the  music as she sang.

Tami battled an aggressive cancer for about a year. Even so, after procedures and surgery earlier in this period, for the 6 months prior to her final month, she felt relatively well, and lived a more normal daily routine. At the same time, she and her husband knew that her body was battling this disease, and they  took more time to be together with each other and with family and friends. Her husband and family are  thankful for those good months, in addition to the many years they all had together. To the end, she made the most of her days in this world, seeking to honor God in everything she did.

Tami was born to Maxine (Smith) and Clarence Kron on July 23, 1957, in Morris, Minnesota. Tami is the  youngest of 4 children born to this couple, and she also had the privilege of having a beloved half-sister,  Roxanne, as the oldest sibling in the home. Tami grew up on the family farm and enjoyed being outdoors  and living a rural life in those early years, playing with her kittens in the barn and tagging along with her brothers on some of their adventures. There was always gardening, livestock and farm chores to help with. She became very active in 4H club, including sewing some of her own clothes, and showing pigs at both the county fair level and eventually the state fair once or twice. During high school she was active in band (flute), choir, volleyball, track, and various clubs. She graduated from Morris high school in 1975,  and afterward attended Willmar Area Vocational-Technical Institute (WAVTI) where she earned a diploma for secretarial training.

During high school, Tami met and eventually began a serious relationship with the love of her life, Mark Brown. They first spent some time together when Tami was 14 and Mark was 15, on a long walkathon, discovering a teenage attraction and holding hands by the end. Due to both not being old enough to drive, living in different towns, and the cost of telephone calls that were "long distance", their interest in each other didn't get very far immediately after that. Later, after several years, they rediscovered their mutual attraction and began dating. Eventually, the summer after Tami graduated from high school, they became engaged. After Tami finished her secretarial diploma, they were married on May 15, 1976. Yes, they were very young at the time. Tami was 18 and Mark was 19. They had been a serious couple already for 2 years by that time and went on to a marriage of deep love and commitment for 48 years, with the help of keeping Christ at the center of their marriage. During that time, they had 4 sons, Jonathan, Daniel, Matthew, and Timothy.

Tami spent much of her adult life with her number one role being mother and homemaker for her family. There was a lot of time spent going to games and driving her sons to church and school activities along with Mark, as well as being family manager for everything going on in a busy household with 4 sons. Along with that main assignment, she worked at various jobs at different times to add to the household income.  Before they started a family, Tami worked initially as a secretary in Willmar while Mark attended technical school. Then Tami focused solely on having children and taking care of them for several years. In the latter half of the1980's after all the children had been born, Tami worked for 2 years as a waitress for nights and weekends, to help the family fulfill a financial goal. Once that was done, she eventually started a residential cleaning business as a sole proprietor "one woman shop", which she operated on a mostly part time basis for approximately 15-20 years. Eventually as she got more involved in a different  family business started by Mark and her son Dan, her cleaning business was put aside, and Tami put her available time into the family business.

The last 20 years of her life, Tami helped Mark and Dan establish and operate the family business known as Reach Communications, Inc. This is a sound, video, lighting and staging company currently located in  Champlin, MN. Tami was a key part of making this into a successful and thriving enterprise. She loved the fact that this business provides high-quality services to a lot of churches, faith-based and non-profit organizations, and Christian-music events and artists, as well as others. Her efforts as well as her  prayers were invaluable in helping this business become what it is today. Her title of Executive Assistant was understated. Mark would sometimes say that she was also the company CMO (Chief Morale  Officer). She constantly encouraged and expressed appreciation for employees, took time to listen to them and pray with them, and prayed for them. She was a good friend and mentor to many of them.

In the 1980's and 1990's, Tami and Mark attended Maple Grove Assembly of God (MGAG) and still count  many friends from that time. From the early 2000's they attended Emmanuel Christian Center (ECC) in Spring Lake Park, MN. Eventually MGAG joined with ECC and became one of the campuses of this multi campus church. After that time, while normally attending the main campus in Spring Lake Park, Tami and  Mark would often visit the Maple Grove campus to catch up on how it was doing and visit with friends.

While their four sons attended school for grades K-8, they were all enrolled at Medicine Lake Lutheran  Academy (now Heritage Christian Academy). Tami and Mark count many friends from that time as well.

Tami and Mark resided most recently in Champlin, MN, since 2014 to present. Prior to that, they lived  from 1982 – 2014 in Corcoran, MN. Earlier they lived in the Willmar area and in Hutchinson, MN.

In more recent years, Tami and Mark enjoyed summer weekends and other times at their lake home near Annandale on Lake Sylvia, along with family and friends. In the winter they enjoyed vacations in Florida, most recently on Sanibel Island, where this past winter they stayed several times. During this past year  when she was feeling well, she and Mark took many long walks wherever they were and enjoyed these special times together tremendously. Usually, they held hands along the way, something they never got  tired of doing.

Tami's life was about so much more than doing a job to earn money or taking care of the daily routine. While important, those were incidental to her main missions in life. Relaxing and vacationing was more  about recharging so that she could take care of her top priorities. Topmost was her commitment to  serving Christ. Part of that was serving and thoroughly loving her family, including spending time with her grandkids and making sure they knew they were special. And then there were the many areas of ministry  that she was involved with throughout her adult life. There was youth group and young adult ministries at  church that she helped with at various times. In later years she and Mark led a Connect Group for church. And she was a frequent participant in various scheduled prayer times at church and with para church groups that focused on prayer, as well as spending a lot of personal private time in prayer. And no  matter where she found herself, when talking with someone who needed prayer, she usually stopped to  pray with them on the spot. She had a contagious smile and engaging eyes, anointed with a Christ-filled  peace, and she made instant friends wherever she went. She constantly pointed everyone she talked  with to Christ.

Anywhere God was moving, Tami wanted to be there. She loved to be in His presence. Now she's  celebrating at the throne of Christ, with her smiling countenance never again dimmed by earthly troubles. Someday we'll join her there and rejoice together!

Tami leaves behind her husband Mark of 48 years; her 4 sons Jon (Janet) Brown of Paddock Lake, WI (near  Kenosha), Dan (Sara) Brown of Ramsey, MN, Matt (Michelle) Brown of Brooklyn Park, MN, and Tim (Bea)  Brown of North Oaks, MN; and 13 grandchildren all with last name Brown: Brianna, Bella, Brooklyn,  Amos, Emelia, Analia, Elliott, Caden, Jordan, Everly, Bennett, Landon, and June. Tami is also survived by  3 siblings, Roxanne "Rocky" (John) Wells of Thomaston, ME, Tom Kron of Anchorage, AK, Peter Kron of  Eastport, ME; and various sister and brother in laws, Wendy Sather of Evanston, WY, Natalie (Joel)  Hanson of Bloomington, MN, Carrie (John) Hanson of Evansville, MN, and Gary (Clare) Brown of St. Paul,  MN, and a plethora of nieces and nephews, family and friends.

Tami is preceded in death by her father, Clarence Kron; mother Maxine; infant brother, Patrick; sister-in law Mary Kron; brother-in-law Michael Sather; mother-in-law Ruth Brown; and father-in-law Wendell  Brown.

Tami's legacy of love, confident faith, dedication to prayer and service to others will continue to inspire  those who are blessed to have known her and been touched by her. Her memory and influence will  forever live on in the hearts of her family and friends.

Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Home in Anoka, MN is in care of arrangements for Tami.

Instead of flowers, the family requests a donation to MN Adult and Teen Challenge. You can give online: https://www.mntc.org/tribute-gift

Also, there will be a gift box near the guest book where you can leave a donation. Write checks to: MN  Adult & Teen Challenge.