[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 12, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E29]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





           HONORING THE LIFE OF OHIO STATE SENATOR EDNA BROWN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 12, 2022

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to pay 
tribute to distinguished Ohio Senator Edna Brown, a trailblazer who 
recently passed away.
  Edna Brown was a remarkable public servant from Toledo, Ohio, who 
dedicated her life and her three decades of service to improving the 
well-being and future of our community.
  As the first and only African American to represent Lucas County in 
the Ohio Senate, she blazed a trail for many to follow at the highest 
level of elected office in Ohio.
  She was a warm, inviting, and immensely kind person whose focus was 
always on public service and bettering the lives of the people she 
served, the people she truly loved.
  Northwest Ohio lost a great champion. Her family lost a great mother 
and grandmother. America needs more people like Edna Brown in public 
service.
  Her memory will live with us, and I know her legacy will inspire the 
next generation of Ohio's leaders, including women leaders.
  I include in the Record her life story and obituary as a tribute to 
her persevering accomplishments for our Nation's betterment. Godspeed, 
Edna Brown. May the angels carry her very high, and may she rest in her 
peace. .


                      Senator Edna Brown Biography

       Edna Brown was elected to serve Ohio's 11th Senate District 
     in November, 2010. She came from the Ohio House of 
     Representatives, where she served Ohio's 48th House District. 
     The Toledo native was a public school graduate who attended 
     the University of Toledo and Mary Manse College. Her 
     dedication to public service led to a 32-year career as an 
     employee with the city of Toledo, followed by a six-year 
     tenure on Toledo City Council.
       She moved to the Statehouse in January 2002 to fill the 
     House seat of then newly-elected Toledo mayor Jack Ford. 
     Since her arrival, she worked tirelessly on issues of voting 
     rights, health, violence against women and economic 
     development.
       Her idea to bring ``no excuse'' absentee voting to Ohio was 
     incorporated into a bill that became state law in January 
     2006. For her efforts, the Ohio Association of Election 
     Officials and the Ohio Secretary of State honored her with 
     the Jack Wolfe Memorial Award as one of two ``Legislators of 
     the Year.'' In 2007, Brown introduced a bill to immunize 
     young women from the human papilloma virus, and a bill 
     addressing violence in teen dating relationships.
       Senator Brown served as a member of the House Finance & 
     Appropriations Committee and as Chair of the Human Services 
     Subcommittee. She also served on the House Commerce and Labor 
     Committee, the Elections and Ethics Committee, and the 
     Commerce and Labor Committee. Senator Brown sat on the Ohio 
     Commission on Minority Health Board and served as Chair of 
     the Ohio Children's Trust Fund. She was a member of the House 
     Cancer Caucus.
       Senator Brown was the First Vice President of the Ohio 
     Legislative Black Caucus, and served on the Executive 
     Committee the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. She 
     also worked as state director for WILL/WAND, a non-partisan 
     national organization for women legislators.
       Senator Brown was very active in her hometown. She was 
     instrumental in founding the Greater Toledo Urban League and 
     sat on the Board of Directors. She was a past chair of the 
     Administration Board for Braden United Methodist Church, and 
     was a charter member of the Executive Women's Golf 
     Association.
       All of her efforts garnered Senator Brown numerous awards. 
     She won an inaugural ``ROSA'' Award from the Toledo Board of 
     Community Relations for living a life parallel to the example 
     set by civil rights leader Rosa Parks. The Toledo YWCA also 
     honored Brown as a 2007 Milestone Award recipient for her 
     contributions and achievements and WILL/WAND honored her with 
     a Pacesetter Award the same year.


                      SENATOR EDNA BROWN OBITUARY

        Senator Edna R. Brown, a Servant to Toledo, Mentor to many 
     and Friend to all, passed away peacefully in her home, 
     Saturday, January 1, 2022.
       She was born in Tuscaloosa Alabama, April 4, 1940, the 
     oldest of ten children, to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Charlie 
     and Pauline Hutton. She relocated to Toledo in 1952, attended 
     The Jesup W. High Scott her freshman year in 1954 and 
     graduated from The Harriett E. Whitney Vocational High School 
     in 1958 and attended what was known as Mary Manse College and 
     the University of Toledo. While at the University of Toledo, 
     she accepted a position with the City of Toledo, which led to 
     a 32-year career serving the Toledo Communities.
       After retirement from the City of Toledo, Senator Brown 
     began her career as an elected official. She was sworn into 
     office January 3, 1994, to serve on Toledo City Council. When 
     the late Jack Ford resigned from The Ohio House of 
     Representatives to become Mayor of Toledo, Edna was appointed 
     to serve the remainder of his term. Representative Brown was 
     elected to a full term in 2002 and was re-elected four times. 
     In 2010 Senator Brown won the Ohio State Senator seat, where 
     she served as the Minority Whip and represented the 11th 
     Senate District from 2011 until her retirement, December 31, 
     2018.
       During her political career, Senator Brown sponsored and or 
     co-sponsored legislation to benefit Veterans and their 
     Families, Women, Children, and the Elderly. She was the 
     original sponsor of the ``NO EXCUSE'' absentee voting for 
     Ohio in 2005 and was the primary sponsor of HB 10 which 
     addressed violence in teen dating. She proudly sponsored a 
     bill to create Special License Plates for members of the Ohio 
     Grand Lodge of Prince Hall Masons.
       Senator Brown was preceded in death by parents; husband of 
     40 years Willie Brown; daughter, Carol Lewis; brothers, 
     Charlie Hutton, Jr. and Joseph D. Hutton. She leaves to 
     cherish her loving memory: daughters, Linda Armstrong, 
     Christine Brown Daniels (Dayton OH) and Kathy (Johnado) 
     Dadzie; thirteen grand and great-grandchildren; sisters 
     Imogene Lott, Lula (Ruben) Aldridge and Essie Powell (Dayton, 
     OH); brothers, Johnny Hutton and Dr. Thomas (Lucille) Hutton. 
     Services of Remembrance for Senator Brown will be Private. 
     The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to 
     The Braden United Methodist Church.
       ``I have always strived to improve the lives of others, and 
     find solace in knowing that I gave my all to the people of 
     Lucas County,'' Senator Edna Brown.

                          ____________________