SPARTA, W. " John" Brown, 89, of Sparta, passed away at 10:36 PM, Friday, April 6, 2012, at Randolph County Care Center in Sparta, Illinois. He was born May 30, 1922 in Sparta, Illinois the son of J. Stanley and Geneva (Stamm) Brown. John married Betty Linders on October 22, 1944 in St. Louis, Missouri. She passed away on June 3, 1988. John was retired President of First National Bank of Sparta. He was an Army Veteran of World War II and was also a survivor of the Iwo Jima Campaign. John was a member of Westminister Presbyterian Church, the VFW Post 2698 of Sparta and the American Legion Post 396 of Sparta. John was active in various Community Organizations for years. He is survived by his 2 daughters: Donna S. (Lorraine) Maurer of Sparta and Sally (Donald) Woodall of Sparta; grandaughter, Carrie Peck of Preston, IL; grandson, Tim (Amy) Price of Sparta;7 Great Grandchildren; 1 Great Great Granddaughter; 1 Sister-in-law, Beryl Linders of Sparta and several nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his parents. Visitation will be Monday, April 9, 2012 at the Westminister Presbyterian Church in Sparta from 6 to 8pm. Private Graveside Services will follow at a later date. Services under the auspices of Wilson's Funeral Home in Steeleville. Memorials may be made to Passages Hospice or Randolph County Care Center