In Memory Of
Maurice W. "Maury" Brown
1933
2023
Maurice W. "Maury" Brown
June 23, 1933 — October 30, 2023
Maurice W. Brown, 90, of Cheyenne, died on October 30, 2023 in Cheyenne.
Maurice was born on June 23, 1933 in Garretson, South Dakota to Russell and Minnie Brown. They lived in a one room apartment and his delivery cost $5.00 cash and $5.00 in produce. His crib was an orange crate with the mid-section removed. Later, Maurice said orange crates became a favorite from which to build cars to race down hills.
As a Depression-era child, Maurice was quite literally born into retailing. A year after he was born, the family moved to Hawarden, Iowa, where his parents operated a Piggly Wiggly grocery store. In 1942, they moved to Cheyenne to run the Tip Top Grocery store. Two years later, they returned to Iowa for a short time before returning to Cheyenne in 1944 when Maurice’s father, Russell, worked with his brother Floyd & his wife Lillie running a store called the Dugout. Russell & Floyd built the Wyoming Trading Post in 1948 on South Greeley Highway, about two blocks north of Maurice’s present store.
Maurice delivered newspapers for extra money. Virginia Kauffle who had the Denver Post Agency would take Maurice to the Air Force Base to sell the paper from barrack to barrack. Maurice made one cent per paper and three cents on Sunday. He also shined shoes at the Mayflower Café and Boyd’s Cigar Stores for ten cents a pair. Business was especially good when the troops came into town from the Air Force Base.
Maurice attended McCormick Junior High, and in 1951 he graduated from Cheyenne High School. After he graduated from high school, Maurice started full time at the Trading Post with his parents. Maurice lived most of his life above or near his parents’ stores. For nearly a decade, Maurice helped his family work the Trading Post, a one-stop supermarket and shopping center which sold groceries, hardware and farming implements as well as a gasoline station and liquor store.
The Wyoming Trading Post was sold in 1958, and Town and Country Shopping Center was built. For the next 20 year his parents built the Town & Country Shopping Center, which housed a grocery store, hardware store, liquor store and bar. Maurice ran the small drive-in liquor store which included the bar. In 1978, Maurice built Town & Country Supermarket Liquors.
In the late 1960’s, Maurice began exploring opportunities in the oil and gas exploration business. After some fifty years, numerous ventures, booms and busts, Maurice W. Brown Exploration continues to this day as an active oil and gas exploration business.
Town & Country Supermarket Liquors was originally built as a 12,000 square foot liquor store located at the south end of the shopping center. Maurice gambled and parlayed Town & Country Supermarket Liquors into one of the state’s premier retail liquor businesses. Maurice was recognized by Market Watch Leaders, retail liquor magazine, as among the best American alcoholic beverage retailers for 1990.
Maurice was in business with his father for 37 years until his father’s death in 1983. In 2010, Maurice renovated the old Safeway building into a new & improved 20,000 square foot liquor store. With his three children, Alicia, Russell, and Laurie, Maurice has created a lucrative business as well as a prominent place in the community to contribute to several community charities. His goal was to help other people. He always felt very fortunate that the man upstairs gave him so many breaks.
Maurice served on the board of directors of the First Wyoming Bank, is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, YMCA, Shriner’s, Kiwanis, Cheyenne Quarterback Club, Cowboy Joe Club, Ducks Unlimited, supporter of the University of Wyoming Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche, Denver Broncos, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Cheyenne Animal Shelter, Meals on Wheels, Safe House, CASA, Needs, Inc., COMEA Shelter, and the Salvation Army.
Maurice is survived by his three children, Alicia Brown, Russell Brown, and Laurie Talich (Cory); one granddaughter, Allison; and three grandsons, Thomas, Nathanial, and Chase.
Maurice was preceded in death by his parents, Russell & Minnie, his wife Bonnie, and his cousin, Linda Brown.
Services will be Monday, November 13th, 11:00 a.m., at the Cheyenne Civic Center. A private family burial will be in the Cheyenne Memorial Gardens.
To view the service online, please go to:
https://www.youtube.com/live/zHy_MvK7OFY?si=tlzMuIykUNTNGQH-
Friends who wish may contribute to any local charity in Mr. Brown's name instead of flowers please.
Maurice was born on June 23, 1933 in Garretson, South Dakota to Russell and Minnie Brown. They lived in a one room apartment and his delivery cost $5.00 cash and $5.00 in produce. His crib was an orange crate with the mid-section removed. Later, Maurice said orange crates became a favorite from which to build cars to race down hills.
As a Depression-era child, Maurice was quite literally born into retailing. A year after he was born, the family moved to Hawarden, Iowa, where his parents operated a Piggly Wiggly grocery store. In 1942, they moved to Cheyenne to run the Tip Top Grocery store. Two years later, they returned to Iowa for a short time before returning to Cheyenne in 1944 when Maurice’s father, Russell, worked with his brother Floyd & his wife Lillie running a store called the Dugout. Russell & Floyd built the Wyoming Trading Post in 1948 on South Greeley Highway, about two blocks north of Maurice’s present store.
Maurice delivered newspapers for extra money. Virginia Kauffle who had the Denver Post Agency would take Maurice to the Air Force Base to sell the paper from barrack to barrack. Maurice made one cent per paper and three cents on Sunday. He also shined shoes at the Mayflower Café and Boyd’s Cigar Stores for ten cents a pair. Business was especially good when the troops came into town from the Air Force Base.
Maurice attended McCormick Junior High, and in 1951 he graduated from Cheyenne High School. After he graduated from high school, Maurice started full time at the Trading Post with his parents. Maurice lived most of his life above or near his parents’ stores. For nearly a decade, Maurice helped his family work the Trading Post, a one-stop supermarket and shopping center which sold groceries, hardware and farming implements as well as a gasoline station and liquor store.
The Wyoming Trading Post was sold in 1958, and Town and Country Shopping Center was built. For the next 20 year his parents built the Town & Country Shopping Center, which housed a grocery store, hardware store, liquor store and bar. Maurice ran the small drive-in liquor store which included the bar. In 1978, Maurice built Town & Country Supermarket Liquors.
In the late 1960’s, Maurice began exploring opportunities in the oil and gas exploration business. After some fifty years, numerous ventures, booms and busts, Maurice W. Brown Exploration continues to this day as an active oil and gas exploration business.
Town & Country Supermarket Liquors was originally built as a 12,000 square foot liquor store located at the south end of the shopping center. Maurice gambled and parlayed Town & Country Supermarket Liquors into one of the state’s premier retail liquor businesses. Maurice was recognized by Market Watch Leaders, retail liquor magazine, as among the best American alcoholic beverage retailers for 1990.
Maurice was in business with his father for 37 years until his father’s death in 1983. In 2010, Maurice renovated the old Safeway building into a new & improved 20,000 square foot liquor store. With his three children, Alicia, Russell, and Laurie, Maurice has created a lucrative business as well as a prominent place in the community to contribute to several community charities. His goal was to help other people. He always felt very fortunate that the man upstairs gave him so many breaks.
Maurice served on the board of directors of the First Wyoming Bank, is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, YMCA, Shriner’s, Kiwanis, Cheyenne Quarterback Club, Cowboy Joe Club, Ducks Unlimited, supporter of the University of Wyoming Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche, Denver Broncos, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Cheyenne Animal Shelter, Meals on Wheels, Safe House, CASA, Needs, Inc., COMEA Shelter, and the Salvation Army.
Maurice is survived by his three children, Alicia Brown, Russell Brown, and Laurie Talich (Cory); one granddaughter, Allison; and three grandsons, Thomas, Nathanial, and Chase.
Maurice was preceded in death by his parents, Russell & Minnie, his wife Bonnie, and his cousin, Linda Brown.
Services will be Monday, November 13th, 11:00 a.m., at the Cheyenne Civic Center. A private family burial will be in the Cheyenne Memorial Gardens.
To view the service online, please go to:
https://www.youtube.com/live/zHy_MvK7OFY?si=tlzMuIykUNTNGQH-
Friends who wish may contribute to any local charity in Mr. Brown's name instead of flowers please.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Maurice W. "Maury" Brown, please visit our flower store.
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