Avril Brown, 86, of Scranton, ND, passed away on December 2, 2020 at the West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger, ND.

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Private family services will be held at Peace Lutheran Church on Saturday, December 12, 2020. There will be a public visitation for Avril on Friday, December 11, 2020 from 12:00 to 9:00 pm at the Krebsbach and Kulseth Funeral Home Chapel in Bowman.

Avril Idelle Brown has joined our Heavenly Father and our dearly missed dad. She was a cherished wife to Donald Brown for 65 years and a loving and devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who will be missed every day. There will be a little bit of Heaven in all of our homes this Christmas as Avril and Donald are reunited with Jesus.

Avril was born in Reeder, ND, on September 10, 1934, daughter of Frank and Helen ( Hedman ) Kalisiak . That day God knew she would be the perfect farmer's wife and mother. She embodied those roles by being stoic and tough in the hardest of times but could find the warmest of words to soften any sadness. Avril was the heart of her family who kept family ties strong and traditions alive. She instilled family values, which remind us of the blessings God has given us.

Avril graduated from Scranton Public School in1952. She continued her education at Concordia in Moorhead, MN for a year to study business. She returned to work at the ASC office in Bowman and married her high school sweetheart, Donald on February 13, 1955. She continued to work there until she decided to return to the farm and fulfill her most meaningful roles as wife and mother. She worked alongside her husband tirelessly for 60 years to build a prosperous farming and dairy operation. This achievement earned them the title of being a Centennial Farm by ND Department of Agriculture in 2016. Avril took great pride in this recognition as she and Donald had purchased the farm from her grandparents, Oscar and Ida Hedman , shortly after their marriage. During the busy seasons of planting and harvesting Avril found a way to balance milking the cows every night while preparing a homemade meal for the family. The work was long and hard, but she never complained.

While in high school Avril was noted for her athleticism and love of sports that lasted her entire life. While known for her hook shot in basketball, it was softball where she found her greatest success. Avril was a star pitcher for the "Whalen Blue Jays" softball team where her windmill pitch turned many games into no hitters. After basketball and softball, she found a new sport to conquer – bowling. And conquer she did by eventually bowling a perfect game. Her love of sports was passed on to all of her children and many of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, too. She traveled countless miles to watch her family compete in their competitions.  Even when she knew little about that sport, she relished her new role as super fan. There wasn't a time that she wasn't giving words of wisdom and encouragement.

Outside of the farm, Avril dedicated her life to the church. She was an active member of Peace Lutheran Church and the ELCA women's group. Here, Avril enjoyed attending Bible Study, serving with annual fall dinners, cleaning the church, and providing meals to support families during a loss of a loved one. Her character was rooted in her faith as she was selfless, loyal, and devoted to her family, friends, and neighbors.

Welcoming her to heaven with open arms is her husband Donald Brown, her parents, Frank and Helen Kalisiak ; mother and father-in-law; Edward and Marie Brown. She is survived by her sister LaRae Gayler Danville, CA; her sons Randy (Renee) of Scranton, ND; Jeff (Lynn) of Scranton, ND; Mike (Karen) of Bismarck, ND; one daughter, Lori (Adrian) Hafner of Highlands Ranch, CO; 12 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.