Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana Archives

Rev. Fortune Charles Brown

The Rev. Fortune C. Brown was born in Brookfield, New York, on 30 July 1813, the son of Oliver and Desire (Butler) Brown. He married (1) 0n 8 July 1840 in Philadelphia, Mellisent Gaylord Clarke. He married (2) Sarah C. Lewis in Avon, New York, between 1860 and 1870. Fortune was ordained about 1840 and served as rector of Grace Church, Waterville, New York, from 1840 to 1845. He then moved west to Indiana and played an instrumental role in founding Trinity Episcopal Church in Peru, Miami County, in 1846. He served concurrently as rector there until 1859 as well as at Trinity Michigan City from 1847 to 1851. By 1860 he had moved to Avon, New York, where he spent the remainder of his career. He died in Rochester, New York, on 27 June 1888 and is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery.