April 11, 1936 – May 21, 2026
Funeral services for Veneda Brown, 90, of Brownfield will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, May 25, 2026, at Welch Church of Christ with Kalith Brown officiating and Nick Shock and Daniel Reese assisting. Interment will follow to Dawson County Cemetery. Arrangements are under the care of Branon Funeral Home. Visitation will be held Sunday, May 24, 2026 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Branon Funeral Home.
Veneda Fern Young was born in the home of her grandparents in Quail, Texas on April 11, 1936. Her parents, Clovis Young and Ethel Ogletree Young both grew up in Quail, Texas and they moved to Dawson County in 1938. Clovis worked on the farm in the Klondike community for B.F. Painter and later for Jack Pelham. Veneda attended school at Klondike through grade school and Jr. High. During her high school years, Clovis and Ethel ran a small grocery store on the South edge of Lamesa and Veneda attended and graduated High School in Lamesa. She loved playing basketball in Jr. High at Klondike and evidently was quite the player! She regretted having to move to Lamesa for High School because at the time Lamesa did not have a girls’ basketball team.
Veneda graduated from Lamesa High School in May of 1954 in the top 10 of her class. Her best friend was Joan Addison. They met two Welch boys on the square in Lamesa and decided they would start going to the Welch basketball games. The Welch boys were Bill Gray and Otha Brown. Veneda was 16 and Otha was 17 when they first met. Veneda graduated in May and they were married June 18th of 1954. Otha and Veneda lived South of Welch and worked for Alvin Riley on the farm in 1955. From 1956-1960 Otha worked as a sheet metal specialist and they traveled from job to job building gas plants and construction in refineries all over Texas and New Mexico.
In 1961 they bought a house in Lamesa and Otha went in partnership with his brother Wayne Brown in Brown Roofing and Sheet Metal. In 1965 Otha and Veneda moved to the farm in the Wellman community when Arnold Baldwin gave them the opportunity to do what they had dreamed of. In 1971 they bought land and built the house they lived in for the rest of their lives. Otha passed away on July 21st of 2018. Veneda passed away on May 21st of 2026. They were married 64 years 1month and 3 days! Veneda was a master seamstress in her younger years. She could whip out fabulous dresses for her granddaughters and those she considered like granddaughters. She worked on the farm with Otha and knew the business as well as he did! She would let you know if the rows were not straight or if there were weeds that needed hoed! She was a bookkeeping wizard and handled all the loan applications and tax preparation.
Veneda loved Jesus first and foremost and she loved people well. Her selfless service to her family, church and community will not be forgotten. She was a member of Welch Church of Christ for 60 plus years, where she also worked for 21 years.
Veneda is survived by her sister, Lavonda Cave of Lamesa, children, Rhnea Brown, Kalith Brown and wife Vaughn, Jalene and husband Larry Young, and Ed Martin, grandchildren Nick Jolley and wife Misty, DeAun and husband Kyle Hipsher, Jada and husband Nick Shock, Kyla and husband Alan Muns, Sena and husband Daniel Reese, Kanyon Brown and wife Erika, Landon Brown and wife Bailey, Daresa and husband David Melton, Derek Young and wife Lyndi, Colt Martin, Jordan and husband Cutter Glover, 37 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Veneda was preceded in death by her parents Clovis and Ethel Young, husband Otha Brown, grandson Colby Jolley, great grandson Colson Glover.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Kenya Children’s Home c/o Welch Church of Christ.
To send condolences online, please visit www.branonfuneralhome.com.
