Harriet "Elizabeth" Brown, 101 of Owings died Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009, at Solomons Nursing Center.

She was born Sunday, Feb. 10, 1907, in Baltimore to the late William Brown and the late Mary Smith Brown.

She joined church at an early age and later joined Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church where she was a faithful and devoted worker in the Sunday school and other church organizations.

She worked in the Calvert County public school system as a principal and teacher for more than 40 years. She attended the public schools of Philadelphia and continued her education at Morgan State University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in education. She later matriculated at the University of Maryland where she earned a master's degree in education.

She enlisted the help of the NAACP and Attorney Thurgood Marshall to challenge the inequality of separate salary scales for school teachers based on race. The case was settled with the Calvert County Board of Education on Dec. 27, 1937, and was a turning point for salary equalization in the state of Maryland. "Libby," as she was affectionately known, was a thoughtful and kind, caring and dear person, bringing happiness to herself as well as those around her.

She had a special bond of love that she shared with her deceased sister, Regina Brown of Owings. They were affectionately known as the "Brown Sisters" because where you saw one, you saw the other.

She is survived by her closest cousins, Madison Brown, Sr. of Centreville, Sherman Brown and Daphne of Hampton, Va., and Madison Brown Jr. and Pandora of Fayetteville, N.C., and their daughters, Stephanie and her son A.J., Latasha, Renata, and Candace and her husband Sylvester; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held at Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church on Jan. 7. The Rev. Juan P. Guthrie officiated. Interment was at Southern Memorial Gardens in Dunkirk. Pallbearers were family and friends .

Arrangements were provided by Sewell Funeral Home in Prince Frederick.

Published in The Recorder, Jan. 23, 2009