Ronald E. 'Ronnie' Brown

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Ronald E. "Ronnie" Brown, 64, Equality, died 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009, at John Cochran V.A. Medical Center.

Services will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at Gaskins Funeral Home in Harrisburg with the Rev. Bob Meyer officiating. Burial will be in Cottage Grove Cemetery. Visitation is 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, at the funeral home.

He was born Nov. 24, 1944, in Equality to Albert E. and Lodema (Payne) Brown, who survive in Eldorado. On March 6, 2007, he married the former Wilma Riggs, who survives.

He was a member of the Catholic Church, Equality American Legion and VFW. He was a Vietnam veteran and a retired coal miner for Peabody Eagle No. 2.

In addition to his parents and wife, he is survived by a son, Jason (Terri) Brown of Carterville; a stepson, Chris Cantrell of Springfield, Mo.; four grandsons, Dylan and Dawson Brown of Mt. Carmel and Caleb Hayes and Nicholas Brown of Carterville; two sisters, Sue (Dearld) Justice of Decatur and Brenda (Dan) Ramsey of Eldorado; a brother, Gary (Kathy) Brown of Chatham; and many nieces and nephews.