Joan Katherine (Pritzlaff) Brown, who with her husband served as co-owner of the Oconomowoc Enterprise, died Friday, Nov. 20, at her home in Oconomowoc. She was 89.
Born July 31, 1931, to Waldemar and Florence (Merrill) Pritzlaff in Milwaukee, she was one of seven children growing up in the village of Summit. She graduated from Oconomowoc High School in 1949 and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in biology from what was then known as Carroll College.
She married Bruce Conner Brown on Nov. 20, 1954. Together they had five children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Bruce Brown’s father, C.W. Brown, bought the Oconomowoc Enterprise in 1936. It remained in the family until 1990, when the newspaper was sold to Conley Publishing.
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During their time as co-owners, Bruce Brown led the newspaper’s commercial printing operations, while Joan Brown wrote a column for the newspaper called “I Must Be Nuts.” Bart Brown, Bruce’s brother, served as editor of the newspaper.
Brown also was well-known in the community for her philanthropic efforts. She was a co-founder of the Oconomowoc Area Foundation, was involved in the Oconomowoc Rotary, and was instrumental in getting the YMCA at Pabst Farms built.
No funeral services have been announced at this time. In lieu of flowers, the family requests charitable donations be made to one of Brown’s favorite organizations: YMCA, Lake Area Free Clinic, Oconomowoc Area Foundation, and the Oconomowoc Scholarship Fund.
