Margaret H. Brownell Lorenzen was welcomed by her precious Lord on June 7, 2013, after a brief illness. She was born on October 9, 1924, in Hornell, NY, one of three daughters (sisters Jane Elizabeth Strong and Catherine W. Smith, predeceased) born to Rollin & Mattie Clark Thacher (predeceased).
Margaret H. Brownell Lorenzen was welcomed by her precious Lord on June 7, 2013, after a brief illness. She was born on October 9, 1924, in Hornell, NY, one of three daughters (sisters Jane Elizabeth Strong and Catherine W. Smith, predeceased) born to Rollin & Mattie Clark Thacher (predeceased).
She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, predeceased by two husbands, Neil Brownell (November 22, 1983) and Robert Lorenzen (December 4, 2011). Margaret is survived by her three children, daughter Kathlene (Dave) Gross and sons Gary (Judi) and William Brownell. She was the proud grandmother of eight; Kathlene’s children Kevin (Kathryn), Benjamin (Sara), David (Elizabeth), and Gretchen Gross; Gary’s children Conor (Jocelyn) and Cody (Jamie) Brownell; and William’s children Nathaniel (Peggy) and Joshua. She also had four great-grandchildren; Alora (Nathaniel and Peggy), Geoffrey (Kevin and Kathryn), Rowan (Benjamin and Sara), and Colin (Cody and Jamie). Also many extended family members.
Margaret attended Stevens College in Columbia, Missouri, before marrying Neil Brownell (November 18, 1944). After years as a mother and homemaker, she graduated from Nursing School and then worked at the Cortland Hospital. She also provided occupational therapy to residents of the Odd Fellows home, and earned a degree independently through Empire State College.
During the decade between the death of her first husband, Neil, and her remarriage to Robert Lorenzen in 1993, her home became Spruce Haven B & B where she welcomed travelers from around the world. She was 78 years old when she authored the first in a trilogy of children’s books: Slinky Slithertail (2002), followed by Slinky Slithertail and the Talent Show (2004), and Petunia Patch Pockets and the Golden Locket (2005). Margaret did readings of her books in local schools, and looked forward to using puppets and music to make her stories even more memorable. Her last publication, A Life to Remember (2007), was a biography of Robert Lorenzen. At a time of her death she was working on her life’s story.
Margaret loved to square-dance (where she met Robert Lorenzen), garden, give care to others, and participate in community life. She was a volunteer and supporter of many causes including the Boy Scouts of America and the Dryden Community Café. She was an active, 60-year member of the Dryden Presbyterian Church where she was ordained as Deacon and Elder. She will be deeply missed by family, friends, and community members.
Funeral services will be held at 10 AM, Thursday, June 13, 2013 in The First Presbyterian Church of Dryden with Rev. David C. Robinson officiating. Burial will follow in Green Hills Cemetery, Dryden. Friends are invited to call from 4 to 7 PM, Wednesday at the Perkins Funeral Home, 55 West Main Street, Dryden, NY.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: The 1st Presbyterian Church Endowment Fund, P.O. 42, Dryden, NY 13053 or to: Camp Barton Museum / Camp-master Building Fund, Baden Powell Council, BSA, 1250 N.Y.S. Route 12, Binghamton, NY 13901. www.perkinsfuneralhome.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Margaret H. Brownell Lorenzen, please visit our flower store.