Thetford Center, VT – Bertha C. Brown, 96, died at home, in Thetford Center, on Wednesday January 17, 2024.

She was born at home in Norwich, VT on January 21, 1927, a daughter of Comery and Mattie (Richardson) Cook. Bertha attended grade school in Norwich and graduated from Hanover High School. She then attended Keene State for two years before transferring to the University of Vermont where she received her bachelor's degree in education. Following in her mother's footsteps, she began a career as a teacher, teaching in Johnson, VT for several years. She later returned to school, earning a master's degree in Christian Education from the Hartford Seminary Foundation in Connecticut. Bertha taught religious education at several large churches including in Arlington, VA and Barrington, RI where the youth programs contained 200 and 500 children, respectively. She moved to Concord, NH to become the Director of Religious Education for the New Hampshire Conference of the United Church of Christ, which contained over 180 churches at the time.

In 1964 Bertha put her career on hold when she married Elmer C. Brown and adopted his three-year-old twin boys, Kevin, and Kirk. The family settled in Fairfield, CT and Bertha stayed at home caring for the family. In 1967, the family moved to Thetford Center and began E.C. Browns' Nursery where the entire family was involved in operating the business, including Bertha's role as bookkeeper.

When the boys were older, Bertha followed her calling to help seniors and was involved in the development of the White River Council on Aging. She served as chairman of the board of the council for eight years and oversaw the completion of the Bugbee Senior Center, expanded services, and developed services in outlying communities. In Thetford they began the Meals on Wheels program, initially linking it to the elementary school lunch program. She also served as the Thetford representative to the Southeast Council on Aging, serving as chairman of this board for three years in the early 1990's.

Bertha continued her church calling throughout the years as a supply preacher in local churches and in 1994 was appointed by the Bishop of the Troy Conference to serve as pastor of the Timothy Frost Methodist Church in Thetford Center. She retired from Timothy Frost in 2004, but got another call and served as pastor of the Union Village Church until her passing.

When she wasn't spending time caring for her family, working at the nursery, or volunteering to help others, Bertha enjoyed bird watching, doing jigsaw puzzles and word puzzles.

She was predeceased by her husband of 55 years, Elmer, in 2019 as well as three brothers, Gordon, Howard and Leonard Cook.

She leaves her sons Kevin Brown and wife Robin of East Thetford, VT and Kirk Brown and wife Karen of Ellicott City, MD; grandchildren Rachael Lawrence, Lily, Connor, Patrick, and Adam Brown and two great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Dora Spaulding of Norwich, VT, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life service will be held Saturday January 27th at 1PM at the Union Village Church in Norwich, VT.

Condolences to Bertha's family may be made in an online guestbook at knightfuneralhomes.com.