Like most children, Jimmy, Ann Marie and Mary Beth had different ideas of what they would be when they grew up. Ann Marie and Mary Beth thought they’ d be teachers, like their mother.
But Jimmy, when he was in kindergarten, said he wanted to be a“ septic tank fixer,” just like his father.
“ My brother-in-law was playing with him and looking at him and laughing about it,” Doyle said.“ And I said,‘ I’ ll tell you what he’ s not going to be, and he’ s not going to be a septic tank fixer— I’ ll kill him if he does!’ You knew it by then, even at that early age, you could tell that he was smart. And you don’ t preach it to him, you just, in the back of your mind, you expect better. But you just want to make sure they get a good foundation, and they apply themselves.”
Applying themselves was a mantra that all the Brown children learned from their parents.
“ They got advice whether they wanted it or not,” Doyle said with a chuckle.“ I don’ t care if you are a straight C student, as long as that is the best you can do. And if that’ s the best you can do, then I am happy with it. But, if it’ s not the best you can do, you need to try your best. I think that goes for any child.”
That“ C” message hit home for Ann Marie.
“ Even if it was a high B or something, my dad would say,‘ This wasn’ t your best.’ He wasn’ t getting on me, he was just saying,‘ I know that you can do better— know that you didn’ t try on this,’” Ann Marie said.“ Biochemistry was rough, rough, rough. It was the hardest class I’ ve ever taken in medical school.” And it was in biochemistry that she received her very first C on a test in her entire life.
“ But I remember my dad just saying,‘ Baby, you’ re trying your best. I’ m proud of you.’ There’ s something about— and this makes me very emotional when I think about it, honestly— but there’ s something about being raised in an environment where they have the utmost belief in you— in your ability. But also, there’ s that safety of, if I don’ t make it, there’ s still the love. I mean, it’ s unconditional. And that is something I hope to emulate with my own children because something in the way my parents did it, it was just wonderful,” said Ann Marie, who is planning to get married this fall.
That family support— as well as community support— was an important, ever-present force in the Brown children’ s childhood.
“ This is the town where my grandparents met and married and where my paternal grandparents are buried,” said Mary Beth, who serves as her PA class president.“ Thankfully, I still have my Nana and Pa. And, you know, all we need in life is our relationship with the Lord and our family.
“ I remember my Nana and Pa coming to all of our awards days and our competitions. And then, Sunday, after church, you have third, fourth and fifth sets of grandparents who come and love on you and tell you how proud they are of you. And, you know, you don’ t want to disappoint your parents or your grandparents.”
Grandparents played a key role in the lives of the Brown children, and Beth’ s parents still do.
“ My mother kept them when they were young, and she would read to them and she said that was her job,” Beth said.“ She just took care of those kids and, you know, it takes a village, and we were blessed that one of our close family members was able to take care of them so I could work.”
It’ s easy to stereotype life in a small town, particularly if you didn’ t grow up in one. However, a small town oftentimes hides a larger community of support and a depth of reassurance and belonging that is sometimes lacking in more urban areas.
“ There are misconceptions of a small town, especially in the medical field related to health literacy and things like that,” Ann Marie said.“ There are no physicians who practice in the town itself. We have a clinic now, but when I was growing up, we didn’ t have a doctor’ s office, no clinic, no pain care. I think it just takes a village to raise a child. I mean, I think it worked wonderfully for raising us. Our church members, fellow people within the community, all helped. My granddad had me out there selling Lions Club and VFW tickets throughout my whole youth to raise money for those less fortunate.”
Each of the Brown children remembers fondly some of their family traditions, whether it was fishing in their Aunt Jane’ s pond every weekend or spending time with their grandparents.
“ One thing we did as kids with our grandpa on our father’ s side is spend time with him around Thanksgiving,” Jimmy said.“ He would always have a garden and a sugar cane crop. We would harvest it and process it through a mill and then boil the juice to make cane syrup. This was a thing he did with his family when he was a kid almost a hundred years ago.
“ He was 97 when he died two years ago. That was a cool thing to be part of. A piece of history. Things we did like that, which just seemed fun at the time, carried some of the values with it that we utilize today in our careers. It’ s just a magical thing to be a part of— bringing all the family together like that.”
48 FSUMED | MED. FSU. EDU