James “Jellie” Clayton Brown Sr.

A beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, James C. "Jellie" Brown, 87, passed away Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at his home. He retired from the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office in 2006 due to declining health. Born and reared in Baton Rouge, he served in the military during World War II and then was employed with Ethyl Corp. After maintaining a longtime residence in Plaquemine, he later moved to Thibodaux. Intrigued by law enforcement, he got a part-time job with the Terrebonne Sheriff's Office in 1981 and began working full-time in 1987. It was the kind of work that he enjoyed. He earned awards that ranged from commendations from the Terrebonne Parish Council for his long and dedicated service to recognition as America's oldest law enforcement officer to awards from the Terrebonne Council on Aging, Knights of Columbus, the Houma Elks, Drug Free Schools, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and even a service award from then-Gov. Edwin Edwards. The Terrebonne Council on Aging named him the winner of its 1995 "Older Worker of the Year" award. He represented Terrebonne Parish in the 1997-98 Silver-Haired Legislature. He also served five terms as president of the Terrebonne Deputy's Association. He earned the unofficial title of "Grand-daddy of drug education" in Terrebonne Parish, kept senior citizens advised about fraud awareness as well as hurricane preparation, and trained more than 20,000 local hunters of all ages about firearm safety. He became nationally known as "America's Oldest Cop" in 2003; but he also took much satisfaction in being the most popular cop in south Louisiana. He accomplished all this after joining the Sheriff's Office when he was already 61 years old. He was proud of his many professional awards, but admitted his greatest satisfaction came from being appreciated and respected by the citizens of the community he served. Services for "Jellie" will begin at 9 a.m. until a Mass of Christian Burial at noon at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, Chacahoula, on Monday, Feb. 11. Interment will be in St. Lawrence Cemetery. He is survived by his wife, Margie Bergeron Brown; three sons, J.C. "Chuck" and wife Connie, Richard "Ricky" and wife Lynn and James "Jamie" and wife Cathy; two daughters, Deborah Hebert and husband Tommy and Corliss Smith and husband John "Sandy"; three girls that he raised, Michelle, Roxanne and Mandy; nine grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren; and sister, Marion Guy. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Mary Clouatre Brown; brother, William "Buddy"; and two sisters, Mary "Bebe" Beveridge and Audrey Roth. Pallbearers will be his sons and grandsons, Chuck, Ricky, Jamie, Jeff and Cade Brown and Ryan Smith. For those of us whose lives he has touched, his family, his friends and co-workers, we shall miss him.