Joseph Rowan Brown, lover of Christmas, was due on Christmas Day but arrived 11 days late as the seventh child of Jacob and Natalya (Skousen) Brown to their home in Rapid City, SD. During his lifetime, his mother uttered his birthdate (1-5-17) to medical professionals probably googol times. (Joseph's favorite number. His second favorite number was googolplex.)

Joseph was a miracle of prayer and modern medicine. He was born with two deadly medical conditions that were apparently unrelated (though he was found to have a rare genetic mutation called MECOM). The first condition led to bone marrow failure as an infant. The second, more chronic, condition was pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a progressive disease of the lungs that leads to heart failure. Both conditions served to pull the Brown family closer to each other and to the Lord Jesus Christ in miraculous ways.

The bone marrow failure was cured in the Children's Colorado Hospital in Denver with a successful bone marrow transplant, which was accomplished through much work, sacrifice and prayers. The PAH was treated for a while in Denver; however, it was determined that the elevation was not good for him, so the family pulled up roots and moved to sea level in the Houston Texas area, where Texas Children's Hospital was reputed to have an excellent PAH program. The reputation holds true; despite the severity of his condition, Joseph lived four more years, to the grand total of 7 and 1/2.

Joseph loved his six older siblings, Hyrum, Lucy, Heber, Benjamin, Nathaniel and Elijah. He was bored when they weren't around. He loved watching movies with them, playing card games with them, playing video games with them, making home videos with them, and going on walks/jogs with them. (He was pushed in a jogging stroller during the walks.) He imitated their lingo, loved their music, and on occasion annoyed them.

Despite his PAH he tried to be as active as possible. He couldn't ride his bike enough. He dragged his oxygen tank out to play with the neighbors. He ran back and forth in the hallway at home until someone would tell him to stop.

Joseph was able to attend kindergarten and first grade at Holleman Elementary school. We are so grateful for the school's accomodations to help him fulfill that part of his life. We are beyond thankful for teachers and staff who loved him and watched out for him.

Toward the end of his life, his big sister taught him how to do cat's cradle games and how to play some songs on his ukulele.

Joseph is survived by his siblings, his parents, his grandparents Hugh Brown, Marilyn Heward Brown, Daniel Skousen, and Brenda Forbes Skousen, and his great-grandmother Donna Rowan Forbes, as well as 19 aunts and uncles and 45 first cousins. The family are faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We know Joseph will always be part of our family. Because of our Savior Jesus Christ he will live again in a resurrected body that will be able to run and breathe without limits!

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Brent's Place (medical housing that we stayed in during the bone marrow transplant), the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, Holleman Elementary PTO, or the Houston Area Live Steamers.

https://www.brentsplace.org/

https://phassociation.org/

https://www.facebook.com/PTOHolleman/

https://hals.org/

The funeral services will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 2325 Mayer-Waller Rd, Waller, TX on Saturday, October 26.

The viewing is at 8:30 am, the funeral at 10 am, followed by a potluck luncheon.

Katy Songster is coordinating the luncheon. Please contact her if you want to help. 281-415-0097.