Reverend Brown

Rev. Edward Brown

Reverend Edward Brown organized the First Congregational Church of De Smet on June 20, 1880, after falsely informing the townspeople that he had been sent by Rev. Alden for that purpose. The Ingalls family disliked Rev. Brown, but as Laura said, they could not leave the church, and so they had to endure his crude, loud style of preaching.

Edward Brown was born in Colebrook, Connecticut, on November 1, 1814. He married Eliza Jane Johnson in 1844 and had 4 children, none of whom survived. Following Eliza's death in 1864, Rev. Brown married Laura Jane Goodale on May 1, 1866. The couple adopted a daughter, Ida Wright, who became one of Laura's dearest friends. Rev. Brown officiated at Laura's and Almanzo's wedding in 1885.

Laura Brown died in 1889, and Edward in 1895. They are buried in the De Smet cemetery. Ida married Elmer McConnell, but further information on what became of the couple is not known.