Daphyn Lucille Brown

Daphyn was born to a young itinerant, farming couple, Donald and Minnie Graham on November 11, 1925, in Beattie, KS. She was the first born of their five daughters. They were a close-knit family. The girls would remain fast friends, supporting each other through life's joys and sorrows. Until 2009, they gathered annually for their "Sister's Weekend," where they would cook good food, drink a little good wine and play Pinochle into the wee hours of the morning. In 1988, they also organized the Graham Family Reunion, where they gathered their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Sometimes, there were over 100 people attending. These five sisters taught us all about the strength of family. In 1940, Grandpa and Grandma Graham moved their young family out of the dust bowl of the Midwest to Wapato, in the Yakima Valley. There, they all worked to keep the family fed and clothed, those being the Depression years. Daphyn often shared the story of coming home after working a long day in the onion fields and trying to get rid of the smell of onions. She would bathe with fragrant soap and use lots of powder, getting ready for her date with a special young man to go dancing at the local Grange Hall. It seems, as the night wore on, the onion smell would always return. Daphyn and her beau, Fred Floyd, would marry on May 12, 1943, while Fred was on a short furlough from the Army. He immediately left to fight in Europe and wouldn't return home until the end of the War, two years later. While Fred was gone, Daphyn lived with her mother, father and sisters while she worked at Dilly's Dime Store. She saved her money and waited for her new husband to come home. The picture that we've shared, here in the paper, is the one that Fred carried in his wallet throughout the War. Fred returned to the Yakima Valley in March of 1946, and the first of their three children, Louana Fay, was born that year. Edward Ray was born in 1950, followed by Howard Lee in 1952. Fred passed away in 1956. Daphyn then moved her family to Chelan, WA to be near her supportive, church family at the Lake Chelan Lutheran Church. She spent the next ten years raising her children alone - no easy task with three hooligans. In 1965, she met a young mechanic, Clyde Brown, at Jones Pontiac, a Wenatchee Auto Dealer, where she was having her old Renault repaired. They had a whirlwind romance, marrying in 1965. They moved from Chelan to Wenatchee to be close to Clyde's work. Clyde's daughter, Linda Lou, joined the family that year - Daphyn's ready-made daughter. As the children began leaving home to get married, go to college or join the Navy, Daphyn took a job at Central Washington Hospital as a nurse's aid. Daphyn enjoyed her work, very much. Daphyn retired in 1984, after working 12 years for Central Washington Hospital. During Daphyn and Clyde's wonderful retirement years, they had a huge garden and kept everyone they knew supplied with tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini. Every winter, Clyde would set up Daphyn's quilting frame in front of their picture window, where she would lovingly make quilts for her children, grandchildren and eventually, her great-grandchildren. In the summer months, they would hook onto their travel trailer and go fishing. Oh! - the fish fries were wonderful! All of Daphyn's kids loved going home for birthday parties or summer BBQ's and especially, the Holidays. Clyde would cook the turkey and Daphyn made the apple pies and cookies and her world-renowned fudge and popcorn balls. Clyde died suddenly in 1994, and Daphyn kept the home place until Alzheimer's dementia became evident. After Daphyn lost her ability to live alone, she and Linda became roommates for three years. The Alzheimer's worsened and she moved to Blossom Creek and then Wellington House Family Home. Daphyn lost her battle with this difficult disease on November 22, 2010. Daphyn's family wants to give special thanks to the staff at Wellington House, and especially Adrian, Tiffany and Jennifer, who lovingly protected and cared for Daphyn. The family would also like to thank the Central Washington Hospital Hospice, especially Daphyn's nurse, Debbie. Thanks too, to Scott Longager for guiding us through these times. He showed the family the peace Daphyn felt when we recited the Lord's Prayer to her. He reminded us that Daphyn had lived 85 years as a robust, vibrant and God loving woman and that her home in Heaven was prepared and waiting for her. Goodbye Daphyn. We love you so and our pain is eased knowing that you are spending Christmas with Jesus this year. Daphyn was preceded in death by her parents, Don and Minnie Graham; two husbands, Fred Floyd and Clyde Brown; and one grandson, Douglas Floyd. She is survived by four sisters, Donna Mae (Homer) Dalton, LaVon Kreinke and Juanita Green, all of Yakima, WA and Bettie (Ed) Schubert of Pasco, WA; her children, Louana (Allan) Wall, Linda Nickel, Howard (Candice) Floyd, all of Wenatchee and Edward (Becky) Floyd of Eatonville, WA and daughter-in-law, Donna Floyd of Kent, WA. She also leaves seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a slew of nieces and nephews. Daphyn was active in the Faith Lutheran Church/Missouri Synod, Wenatchee Senior Citizen's and Veteran's of Foreign Wars Auxilliary in East Wenatchee. Funeral Services will be held at Telford's Chapel of the Valley on Monday, November 29, 2010, at 10 a.m. The Service will conclude at the Chapel with Private Interment following at Evergreen Memorial Park. Those who wish, may make memorials to Central Washington Hospital Hospice Care. Arrangements are by Telford's Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee, WA.

Daphyn Lucille Brown

November 11, 1925 - November 22, 2010