FORD, KANSAS - Alma E. Brown, 97, of Jefferson City, Missouri, died on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Columbia, Missouri.

She was born March 13, 1926, in Ford County, Kansas at the family farm, a daughter of Harry L. and Minnie Richardson Kreie. However, when she read her birth certificate years later, she realized it stated March 14, 1926, 12:05AM. Her mother explained that the doctor who delivered her was superstitious and did not want her born on the 13 ^th , hence the change in the birth certificate!

She was married on May 9, 1944, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Ford County to Leonard F. Dinkela, Jr. They celebrated 25 wonderful years together. He preceded her in death on August 30, 1969. She later married Roger W. Brown on June 5, 1988, in Dodge City, Kansas, who also preceded her in death on June 7, 2003.

Alma was a 1943 graduate of Ford High School in Ford. She was employed with Dodge City Community College as a Federal Accounts Bookkeeper, the Silver Spur as a desk clerk and finally with W.W. Manufacturing from where she retired at the age of 60.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Odessa, Texas and was a lifetime member of the VFW in Dodge City. She loved working in her garden and cooking meals for her family as well as traveling throughout the Midwest from Texas to Wisconsin with her second husband, Roger.

She is survived by one son, David L. Dinkela and Kay Pendergrass of Ruidoso, New Mexico; two daughters, Patricia F. Dinkela of Jefferson City, Missouri and Maurita K. Hauser and husband Richard of Ocala, Florida; one sister, Barbara Beck of Salina, Kansas; five grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, fifteen great-great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents; five brothers, Otto, Leonard, Leroy, Billy Dean and Jerry Kreie; four sisters, Mattie Patterson, Nela Luther, Irene "Renie" Lindblom and Donna Lou Kreie; one granddaughter, Laura Beth Hitt and one great-grandson, Derrick Dinkela.

Graveside services will be held on Monday, May 8, 2023 at 10:00 am at Ford Cemetery in Ford, with David Johnson officiating. There will be no public visitation, the casket will remain closed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to St. Jude Children's Hospital or the charity of your choice both in care of Ziegler Funeral Chapel, 1901 N. 14 ^th Ave., Dodge City, Kansas 67801.