Geneva Gladys (Sidelinger) Brown, 88, of Easton, Mass., formerly of West Bridgewater, Mass., widow of Paul Revere Brown, died at the home of her nephew in Ballico, Cal. on July 8. Born in Nobleboro on March 2, 1918, Geneva was the third and last child of Henry Adniram Sidelinger and Hortense Ardelia Trask, both of Nobleboro. After attending local schools, she graduated from Lincoln Academy 70 years ago in the class of 1936. While at Lincoln, she played basketball and enjoyed attending local dances.
Following high school, she lived in Kentucky with her father for three years prior to returning to the Boston area. She cashiered at Waldorf’s and later worked as a waitress at Mitchell’s Restaurant on Commonwealth Ave. From 1944 to 1946, she served in the U.S. Navy as a specialist in supervision of personnel. Following boot camp in Hunter College in New York, she served out her career at the Oakland Naval Air Hospital where it was her job to supervise women who were technicians and nurses. Returning to Boston after the war, Geneva was hired as a bookkeeper by Montague Brown Co., a wholesale automotive paint and supply business. She opened the company’s Brockton store.
Geneva married Paul Revere Brown, son of the Brown partner of Montague-Brown, in 1953, and they purchased their first home in Weymouth, Mass. Following the death of Howard Brown, Paul and Geneva took over the business. They moved to West Bridgewater, Mass. in 1973 to the home of Paul’s grandfather, Paul Revere, the great-great grandson of the patriot. As a direct descendant, Paul Brown officially represented the Revere family over the years at the many ceremonies at The Old North Church.
In 1973, Paul and Geneva sold their business and for the next 18 years, they traveled to California to work from September through November in the business of nephew Jim Barstow. Geneva worked in the office and served as a weighmaster, often weighing up to 100 trucks a day bringing in almond hulls, a dairy feed commodity.
Geneva was the 13th generation descendant of Richard Warren, who arrived on the Mayflower. She and artist husband Paul loved the history of West Bridgewater, Mass., one of the first communities settled after Plymouth. Paul’s historic mural of West Bridgewater, Mass. hangs in the library there today. They were active members of The First Church of West Bridgewater, Mass. Geneva also belonged to KA, a local women’s organization formed during WWI.
In the fall of 2003, following the death of her husband of 50 years, Geneva sold the 165 year old, three-generation Revere-Brown home and moved to South Easton, Mass.
She was preceded in death by her sisters, Luella Barbieri of Florida and Faustina Barstow of California.
She is survived by five nieces and nephews, 18 great nieces and nephews, 30 great-great nieces and nephews and three great-great-great nieces and nephews in Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina and California for whom she has been the family mentor throughout her life. Geneva was the aunt and great aunt of Nobleboro residents, H.C. (Chester) Wright and Dale Wright and Jeaneen Carleton of Dresden.
Services 10 a.m., Sat., July 22 with visitation Fri., July 21 from 5-8 p.m. at Sampson and Hall Funerals, 309 Main St., Brockton, Mass. Burial will be at Melrose Cemetery, Brockton, Mass.
Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to The Organ Fund of the First Church of West Bridgewater, P.O. Box 361, West Bridgewater, MA 02375.
