Mary Belle – Duke City Roots

Joseph Edward Browne (September 2, 1913-January 6, 2000) and Reba Maureen Newland Browne (June 26 1913-July 5, 2005) were both born in Texas – Joe in Houston and Reba in Groveton in Trinity County.

They married in Houston in 1930 and had two children, Joseph Edward Jr. (1931-2012), and Mary Ann (1943-)

Joe was the son of Joseph Edward Browne and Irene Rickert. His father died of appendicitis at the age of forty when young Joe was nearly two, and his mother remarried William McShan (who was in the grocery business) in 1920. His siblings were Emma, John T., Catherine, Irene, and Mickey (half-sister).

Joe entered into the pharmacy profession and started the Joe E. Browne Pharmacy in Albuquerque. He worked as a pharmacist his whole life – over 60 years. He enjoyed gardening and working in the yard as well.

Joe Browne, Mr. Miller, unknown, Don Roberson at Joe E. Browne Pharmacy in the 1950s.

Reba’s parents were Frank Newland (1892-1922) and Mary Belle Davis Newland (1896-1984). Reba’s father died on December 27, 1922, when she was only nine. His lumber truck went off the road, and it seems they tried to transport him to Houston on a freight train, but he was too badly injured and didn’t make it. Reba and her mother were on their own until her mother (Mary) married Herbert Bigham in 1928 when Reba was fifteen. Some of Reba’s memories of her childhood included everyone running for cover when an airplane would fly overhead for fear that it might be the “Kaiser.” (Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany). Also she remembered her family and the town being hit hard by the Spanish Flu.

Reba and Joe moved to Albuquerque in the 1930s and lived there for the rest of their lives, first at 610 Richmond, and later at 3104 Lykes.

Mary and Reba about 1948

They had nine grandchildren (Mary’s children – Melanie, Lisa, Michelle, Reba and John; and Joe’s children – Colleen, Suky, Buddy and Steve).

Reba was a gracious, kind person. When Joe’s older sister Emmy developed the disease ALS, Reba was the one who took care of her. She always dressed very fashionably, and had lots of high heels that her granddaughters liked to try on. They belonged to St. Charles Catholic Church and she was active in the women’s auxiliaries – always worked at the State Fair booth for example.