Corinne Helen Brown, 78, of rural Paxton, passed away peacefully at 4:05 a.m. on Thursday, May 28, 2020, at her home.

She was born in Kankakee, Illinois, on November 14, 1941. She was the youngest child of Albert H. Sr. and Helen (Hertz) Werner. The Werner family moved to Paxton in 1947, and she graduated from Paxton High School in 1959. She graduated from Illinois Commercial College in Chicago in 1960, and became a caseworker for the Illinois Department of Public Aid that same year. She progressed in the organization and worked as an administrator for many years before retiring in 1999.

She is survived by her husband, Lewis Brown Jr., of 57 years, her son Lewis (Kathy) Brown, III, and daughter Laurel (Jason) Emmert. She was a loving grandmother to five grandchildren: Anna and Eva Brown, and Abigail, Nathan, and Jared Emmert, and is also survived by multiple nieces and nephews.

Her greatest joys included attending her grandchildren's school programs, concerts, art exhibits, and sporting events, having coffee with friends, and serving as navigator during road trips with her husband.

Corinne believed in a life of service, and was an avid volunteer in numerous organizations. She served in many capacities for the Paxton Church of Christ and the church's Women's Council, and was active in the Paxton Service Club and the Paxton PTA, serving as President for both organizations. She was a founding member of the Paxton Share and Care Center, and was active in the Paxton Senior Citizen Foundation. She was a member of the Moffett Club, associated with the Moffett Country School, and President and Treasurer of the Ford County Cancer Society. She was President of the University of Illinois Mothers Association and a member of the Sauk Trail Button Club, and was a 4-H parent volunteer. In 1987 she became the first female elected to the Ford County Fair Board and served many of those years as Secretary and Treasurer. She retired from the board in January, 2020.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Albert H. Werner, Jr., and Charles F. Werner.

A private service will be held, and she will be laid to rest at Glen Cemetery in Paxton. Baier Family Funeral Services, Paxton is assisting the family with arrangements.

Condolences may be shared at www.baierfuneralservices.com . In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Prairie States Christian Service Camps (checks may be sent to P.O. Box 363, Watseka, IL 60970), or Illini Christian Ministries (checks may be sent to 3 Henson PL. Suite 1, Champaign, IL 61820 or donate online at https://www.icmfamily.org/donate/ ).