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Merle Franklin Brown (May 20, 1914 – June 30, 2008)

Biography
He was born the 7th child of nine to James Franklin and Sirildia Catherine (Kittie C) Arnold Brown May 20, 1914 on the family farm near Duncan, Floyd County, Indiana. Merle enjoyed a lifelong love of God, nature and travel. With his wife, Lorena, he traveled greatly across the United States and saw many of this country’s greatest natural treasures. At nineteen, he married Lorena Ellen Klinger, on June 17, 1933, and they moved across the Ohio River to Louisville where he found work during the Depression in a furniture manufacturing factory. Shortly after, he was accepted as a Fireman with the Louisville Fire Department. Hardworking and dutiful, he was promoted through the ranks to the Arson Squad. During his time with the arson squad, he was trained in photography and cinematography and became an avid photographer as well as making movies for the Fire Prevention Bureau. Merle rose through the ranks to become the Fire Marshal for the City of Louisville, retiring in 1976 after 34 years of service.

In 1976, He and Lorena fulfilled a life-long dream when they retired and moved to Holiday, Florida in the Tampa Bay area. He and Lorena settled into retirement and continued to enjoy nature and traveling. He was a cherished member of his church, First Baptist Church of Holiday (Florida). He and Lorena were also devoted members of the Son Coast Bible Study in Tarpon Springs, Florida.