Local veteran with no close family laid to rest

Irvin Brown was buried with full military honors

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Irvin Brown, a local veteran who recently passed away, was buried with full military honors.  Having no close family, there was a call to get community members and veterans to come and show support and respect for him.

That call was answered.  Tenfold.  At least a hundred veterans and community members came to honor Irvin.

His niece Cindy was there after hearing the news about the funeral through the local news.  She was brought to tears when she saw all of the people that came to the service.  She said through tears, “[It was] very, very touching It’s hard to keep the tears away and I thank everyone of them.  It’s just breathtaking to see the community come around the way it does in these times.”

Local veterans from the American Legion Riders and the Patriot Riders were there to honor and pay respects to Irvin and his family.  They stood with American flags outside the funeral home and burial site and also led the processional to the cemetery.

The leader of the two groups for the funeral, Ray Paulson, was honored to be a part of the ceremony.

“[It] just feels like an honor that we can do this. We’ve served in the military before and to be able to stand up and honor our brothers in the service is just heartfelt.”

Irvin was an orphan growing up, but he found a calling in the armed services.  He was in the Air Force for 20 years going across the world to serve in places such as Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and others before retiring and then being a member of the US Postal Service for another 10 years.

The priest at the funeral service remarked how loved and cared for Irvin was.  The hospice nurse that took care of him echoed that.  She said it brought her to tears and took her breath away seeing how many people showed up to a funeral for someone they didn’t know.

At the end of the burial ceremony after taps and a 21-gun salute, his niece Cindy received the flag that was draped over his casket.

Irvin Brown was 89 years-old.