Dorothy Brown [Garrigus] was born in Indianapolis July 9, 1898, the daughter of William E. and Mabel Bartley Brown. A few years later they moved to Bloomington, Illinois their home. At fifteen she became organist for the Grace Methodist Church, continuing through her high school and college days at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she graduated in 1919. While still in high school, she played accompaniments for leading singers of the area, and was active throughout her school years in music and drama. Mrs. Garrigus died Sunday, May 3, 1964.

The marriage of Dorothy Brown in 1921 to Woodford Garrigus led to experience as organist, and sometimes choir director, at the First Congregational Church of Moline, Illinois; the Broadway Presbyterian Church of Toledo; the First Congregational of Mansfield; and the Point Breeze Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh.

Two children were born in Toledo; Woodford (Bill), who now teaches geography at University of Victoria. He married Donna Logue of Marcellus, N.Y., and they have four children. And Patricia, who married Philip Porter of Sunapee, N.H., they have three children. He teaches geography at the University of Minnesota; Mrs. Porter is director of music and the choirs, and organist, for the First Congregational Church of Minnesota, in Minneapolis.

In 1931, the final move was made to Ashland, Mrs. Garrigus became organist for the Congregational Church, which soon merged with the First Presbyterian, where she continued for over 25 years as director of music. Later she directed the choir of the First Presbyterian Church of Wooster and became a member of the church.

In 1934, she bought a cottage in the Seagle Colony, and most of the summer months were spent there from then on. She studied with one of the greatest voice teachers Oscar Seagle, and was an accompanist in his studio. Since his death in 1945, his work has been continued and the activities of his Colony broadened by his son, John Seagle. Many Ashlanders and others have shared in the stimulation of The Seagle Colony.

For 28 years, Mrs. Garrigus was an instructor in voice on the faculty of Ashland College. She also had studios in The Ashland Senior High and Junior High Schools.

She was a leader in the Ashland Musical Clubs, and active in the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs, serving on the board of directors and as president of the North Central District, and had been chairman of several state committees. She was active in the Ashland Garden Club and Kappa Delta.

She was for many years a soprano soloist; always from her teens an accompanist on piano and organ; long a choir director, and above all in later years, a teacher, directing her energies largely to building the voices of young people, and trying with her music and experience and talent to help them toward happier and more useful lives.

Her last year was an epic about which a book should be written--a year of triumph and tragedy; with the tragedy kept far in the background right up to the end.