Artis Lillian (Fox, Bruce) Brown was born on April 28,1928 in Amery Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Stanley and Edna Fox. After high school she married Don Bruce and over their 46 years together they raised three children and lived in Wisconsin, Wyoming, Minnesota and Florida. After Don passed away in 1993 Artis moved back to Wisconsin to be near family. In 1997 she and John Brown (high school classmates) reconnected and they were married that year. When John passed away January 2014, Artis continued to live in their home in St Croix Falls, Wisconsin with the love and support of both her family and John's family. In October 2014 her health began to decline. Her children moved her to Lino Lakes Assisted Living facility in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. Artis loved gardening, baking, decorating the homes she lived in and she spent many hours painting using oil paint as her preferred medium. She was active in church and community, and thoroughly enjoyed all of her family and was never known to turn down a game of cards! She was well known for her quick wit and sense of humor. Artis died at her residence in Lino Lakes on Tuesday evening, September 15, 2015 at the age of 87.

She is preceded in death by husbands Don Bruce and John Brown, parents Stanley and Edna Fox, siblings Clyde, Virgil, Norma and Howard, and grandson Ryan. Surviving are her children: Donald (Ana Luisa) Bruce, Lee (Sherry) Bruce, Norma (Morris) Engler and John's children Dave (Wanda) Brown, Sue (Joe) Goetz and Nancy (Bob) Wittman. From these two families came a total of 11 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. She also leaves her siblings Lyle (Bernice) Fox, George Fox, Barbara (Norman) Johnson, Betty (Charlie) Hanson, Merlin (Nan) Fox, MaryAnn (Dan) Gathje, Sisters-in-Law Katie Fox and Marietta Nickleby, and many nieces, nephews and friends. Artis will be dearly missed by all!


Funeral services will be held on Monday, September 21, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. from Redeemer Lutheran Church in Amery. There will be a visitation at the funeral home on Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m. and for the hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at the Fox Family Cemetery in rural Amery.