Albert was a medium built man standing 5 feet 10 inches and weighing about 175 pounds. He was of sandy complexion with blue eyes and always sported a mustache. He was not a jovial man but when he did find something that amused him his merriment showed all over. The parents communicated with each other in their native Polish tongue. Their dialects were different as Albert spoke High German and Mary spoke Low German, but they could converse in both dialects.
The couple filed on a homestead at Cambridge and commenced to seek out their existance from the land. They built a sod home. It took a special kind of sod for building, then it was cut and laid like cinder brick. The children remember it as being very warm in winter and cool in summer. The first child Frank was born 8 th of July 1877. He was not long to bless this family for he died 27th of Feb 1879. A few months later on 13th of Aug 1879 their second child, Joseph was born. During one of those years there was a large prairie fire. Albert fearing for his family put Mary and baby on a horse and they had to jump through the fire to safety. In those days Indians were all around them and they constantly had to be on alert. Eventually eleven children came to bless this house. The two names before and Elizabeth agnes born 18th of November 1881, Julia Rosella born 10th of Febuary 1884, Michael Lawrence born 8th of September 1886, Thomas Joseph born 22nd of October 1888, Anna Frances born 29th of Augest 1891, and Anna born 29th of Augest 1891. It was thought by some members of the family that these were twins, but Elizabeth who was 10 years of age at the time the second was born, says that they were one year apart. The one child Anna, died a few days after birth. It is supposed that this one was born first probably in 1890 and since the next child was also a girl and she had lost her Anna, in 1891 she named her next child Anna Frances. Then came John Marcellious 5th of March 1894 and Frances Henry 26th of January 1897 and last Albert Anthony on the 16th of January 1900 and who died the 9th of October 1918.
Albert Gregory was a kind and loving father. Never a night went by but what he didn't make the rounds of his children, helping with their prayers, soothing feelings, and "tucking in". Times were hard and Cambridge didn't have a railroad and it was often necessary to go to Ogalalla for provisions and sometimes that meant carrying a sack of flour on your back and walking home. On October 5th 1880, Albert Brown appeared in district court at Beaver City and took oath of allegiance and was admitted to citizenship. He had previously applied for citizenship at Crawford County Wisconsin on the 25th of Augest 1873. The oath in Nebraska was witnessed by Frank Misterik and Vilonto Brown. It is assumed that these people were relatives.
In 1889 Albert built a new home, as he was a very handy carpenter. He built a basement cellarunderneath and rocked the floor and walls. Here they kept the milk, butter, cheese, large barrels of pickles, kraut, meant, fruits, and vegetables from their large garden and orchard. This home burnt down in_________. The home where Robert Brown now resides is built on the same site. Mother Brown was an excellent cook and raised doughnuts, bread, and molassed cookies were well remembered by her children. The door was always open to company and many people partook of their hospitality, especially on Sundays where often they served 20 to 30 people. The children were always the last to eat. The children said they were always served a sandwitch before the adults ate. Sometimes games were played, the girls often amused themselves making rag dolls, while the boys played yard games.
The first school was built of sod and located 1/2 block from the sod home of the Brown's. Elizabeth said "the seats were crude, but it was a school". She wasn't old enough to go but the mother and oldest son Joseph attended. Although the mother did read and write her native language she wished to do also with her newly adopted Country. Later another school was built about 3/4 mile from the home and called the Sunny Side School. Here most of the Brown children learn to read and write. Evening sessions were often held for the parents as so many of them immigrated from Europe and were unable to read and write. Thomas said he taught the father to write his name but the father didn't like to do it and usually just made a mark when his signature was required.
He was a devout Catholic and was ever mindful that all his children had the proper religious training. He had a mathmatical mind and none ever got the best of him. He was a staunch Democrat and took an active part on the political affairs of his country. While he liked disipline and prudence in his children, neverless, they were allowed pleasures and so a team and buggy was always available to go to town when they wished. He felt that when they reached the age of 16 they should start shouldering responsibility, for their own actions as well as helping to maintain themselves. He was aggectionate to his wife and always wanted to give her the best of everything. There may have been differences of opinions but none of the children remembers of them quarreling outwardly. As he reached middle age his hard work and thriftiness paid off. Gradually he had accumilated land and cattle, he bought if he had the money. When he died he owned 1700 acres and 80 head of cattle and none of it ever had a mortgage. He was generous and when they built the Catholic church in Cambridge he was one of the largest contributores. In addition to the homestead, father Brown took a timber claim and had to plant trees and this grove of trees is still standing.
As his children married, to each he gave a cow as dowry. Joseph married Clara Emma Karash the 11th of November 1903; Elizabeth married Clifford Melvin Reed the 20th of April 1904 and moved first to Denver then to Bancroft, Idaho; Julia married Henry Frank Rhodes the 24th of November 1908; Michael married Emma Mary Buckley the 25th of April 1911; Thomas married Anna Kaveny the 2nd of May 1922; Anna married Howard Wright the 3rd of May 1910 and moved to Denver; John married Anna Inez Haggarty the 12th of October 1916; and Francis married (1) Geraldine Bernice Yaple the 16th of Febuary 1918 and (2) Velma__________. With the exception fo the two mentioned all stayed in their native state of Nebraska.
At the age of 60 he was stacking hay. They were using a two-way stacker and the
poles tipped backward and forward to get the hay on the stack. One rope or cable came
untied and stacker fell on the stack and on Father Brown. He was killed instantly on the
29th of Augest 1912 and thus ended the life of an honest, patriotic, hardworking husband
and father. Mary Frances was not left to morn long for she also died on the 11th of
November 1912. And thus the year 1912 ened the life of two of Cambridge's lustrous
citizens.