Verna Joyce Walukievicz was born August 12, 1940, in Kittson County, MN, the daughter of Sylvester and Marie (Soberaski) Walukievicz. Verna was raised in Lancaster, MN, where she attended school. Verna moved to the Fargo-Moorhead area where she worked at the Uptown Cafe and the West Fargo (ND) Truck Stop. In 1964, Verna married Ralph Bernard Brown, who passed away April 8, 1976.