Sara Waters Brown

Sara Louise Waters Brown, 94, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 26, 2024 at the Canton Center for Nursing and Healing in Canton, Georgia.  A native of Hinesville, Georgia, Sara was born on May 18, 1929 to Ouida Darsey Waters and Otis Darwin Waters.  She graduated from Bradwell Institute High School in 1946 and attended Georgia Teachers’ College, now known as Georgia Southern University.

Sara married former Georgia State Representative Joseph Erlich Brown on June 11, 1948.  They lived in Hinesville the majority of their lives but also resided in Waycross, Georgia, El Paso, Texas, and Decatur, Georgia.

A devoted member of the Hinesville First United Methodist Church, Sara served in numerous roles throughout the years, including as a Sunday School teacher and member of the Church Council, Pastor-Parish Committee, and the Trustees.  She was also a committed member of the Ollie Darsey Sunday School Class, the Bertha Martin Circle, and the United Methodist Women.

A kind and loving person, Sara devoted her life to helping and caring for others, including family members, her church family, friends, and those who crossed her path in her daily walk of life.  She enjoyed her years as a teacher in Waycross and later as a caseworker for the Department of Family and Children Services in Hinesville.

Throughout her life, Sara’s love for music was infectious.  Her father bought her a ukulele when she was only six years old, and she took lessons from Mrs. Barber alongside two classmates, Charles Fraser and Sidney Hendry.  Playing her ukulele brought Sara great joy and lifted the spirits of those around her, whether it was in the classrooms of her grandchildren, the homes of her friends, celebrations of life, or nursing homes.

Some of Sara’s most joyous moments were spent in her yard tending to her stunning flowers and in her kitchen baking her delicious cakes, both of which were done to absolute perfection.  Each beautiful flower was meticulously pruned and all dead blooms removed.  If her cakes did not meet her high standards, they were remade. 

Sara was preceded in death by her parents, Ouida and Otis Waters; and her husband, Joseph E. Brown.

She is survived by her daughter, Karen (George) Stagmeier of Canton, GA; son, Joey (Kim) Brown of Hinesville, GA; granddaughter, Lauren (Kim) Stagmeier of Amsterdam, NL; grandsons, Alan (Dana) Stagmeier of Roswell, GA, Michael (Lauren) Brown of Brunswick, GA, Matthew (Whitney) Brown of Ludowici, GA; and four great-grandchildren, Isaac and Elijah Stagmeier, Hutson Brown, and Nadine Brown.

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at the Hinesville First United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends for one hour prior to the service in the sanctuary. Interment will immediately follow in Hinesville Cemetery.

Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Ollie Darsey Sunday School Class, the Bertha Martin Circle, and United Methodist Women. Pallbearers will be Alan Stagmeier, Michael Brown, Matthew Brown, Michael Deloach, Trevor Sikes, and Jeff DeLoach.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hinesville First United Methodist Church, 203 North Main Street, Hinesville, GA 31313.

The family wishes to thank the staff of the Canton Center of Nursing and Healing and Inspire Hospice who provided comfort and care for Sara in her later years.