Clair Warren Brown

Clair Warren Brown, a lifelong farmer, Air Force veteran, and devoted family man whose roots on his family’s Dallas Center farm stretched back nearly 150 years, passed away Monday, February 16, 2026, at Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. He was 93.

Born July 6, 1932, in Des Moines to Warren and Doris Brown, Clair spent nearly his entire life on the farm northeast of Dallas Center that his family had cultivated since 1876. The land shaped his character, work ethic, and enduring commitment to agriculture.

After graduating from Dallas Center High School in 1950, Brown briefly attended McPherson College in Kansas before enlisting in the United States Air Force in 1952. He spent most of his service at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he developed a lifelong appreciation for seafood. Following his honorable discharge in 1954, he returned home to continue the family farming tradition, becoming a respected steward of the land for nearly five decades until his retirement in 2001.

Even after retiring, Brown remained closely connected to farm life. At age 90, he was still driving the grain truck, and at 93, he rode alongside his son Rick in the combine during harvest season. Over the course of his career, he transitioned from dairy farming to pork production and was an active member of numerous agricultural organizations, including the Dallas County Farm Bureau, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association, and Iowa Soybean Association. He also served on the board of directors of the Farmers Co-op in Dallas Center.

In 1956, he married Nan Albaline, beginning a partnership that spanned nearly 70 years. Together they raised four children and built a life centered on faith, family, and farming. They enjoyed bowling, square dancing, and were active members of the Dallas Center Church of the Brethren, where Brown took on longtime responsibility for maintaining the Brethren Cemetery.

Brown and his wife shared a love of travel, spending winters in Texas and Arizona in their RV and summers at Black River Harbor on Lake Superior with family. Their travels took them across the country and around the world, including memorable trips to Alaska, cruises through the Panama Canal, and visits to Scandinavia.

Family remained at the center of Brown’s life. He rarely missed an opportunity to attend his great-grandchildren’s sporting events and was an avid viewer of Iowa State athletics.

As a boy, Brown appeared in a 1944 World War II Army documentary filmed near his family farm. Cast as a “well-fed farm boy,” his role was to portray a wholesome farm morning routine intended to boost soldiers’ morale overseas. After numerous takes requiring him to drink repeated glasses of milk, he humorously avoided milk for years afterward.

Brown is survived by his wife, Nan Brown; his sons Rick (Karon) Brown of Pleasant Hill, Randy (Mary Jo) Brown of Ames, and Roger (Jackie) Brown of Fort Dodge; and his daughter Renee Brown of Minnetonka, Minnesota. He is also survived by his grandchildren Ben Brown, Blair Brown, Claire Brown, Jane Brown, Jordan Koepke, Jondle Koepke, Tia Koepke, Sam Goldberg, and Zach Goldberg; and his great-grandchild, Petra Tillison.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Jack Brown; and granddaughters Meredith and Natalie.

Brown will be remembered for his quiet strength, deep love of family, lifelong service to agriculture, and unwavering dedication to the land that defined his life.