The Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
303.832.4092
Fax: 303.832.2340

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By 1921, twenty years of poor health were finally beginning to catch up with J.J. Brown. Multiple strokes, a hernia operation, mine work and alcohol were all taking their toll. Once again hospitalized in Los Angeles, California, J.J. wired his beloved daughter, Helen, to come to his side. Helen left immediately and spent the next six weeks with him until he felt well enough to move to a hotel. At the hotel they waited for better traveling weather in order to begin the long journey east.

Despite Helen's hurry to return home, they made a stop in Colorado so J.J. could visit with friends and family. In a letter to Larry, J.J. described his joy at being back in Leadville among his "own kind…O, Leadville is very quiet but I have wished a thousand times that I could withstand her winters and then here I would stay forever as long as I could live." However, in his weakened condition, just one night in Leadville's high altitude nearly killed him, forcing Helen and J.J. to go straight on to New York.
The next few months in New York were spent in search of a home for Helen and her family. J.J. paid their rent until they could find something suitable in the Hempstead area. It had been J.J.'s wish to help his children build or buy their homes. Lawrence now had his home in La Jolla, California. It wasn't until August of 1922, however, that Helen and George found a house, two weeks before her father's death.

J.J. Brown in 1910

During those two weeks, J.J. confided to Helen his fear of contracting tuberculosis and demanded to be tested at the hospital, not knowing he would never leave. J.J. had two heart attacks while at the Nassau Hospital, and died alone on the morning of September 5th, 1922. Helen was on her way for her daily visit; she arrived 20 minutes after his death. Lawrence had been notified of his father's severe illness by wire two days earlier and was in transit. Despite his wish to be buried in the mountains, Mr. James Joseph Brown was buried at Holy Rood Cemetery (St. Brigid's), Westbury Village, Long Island, New York. Margaret traveled all night from Newport, and arrived just in time for the funeral.

Margaret said about her long-time friend and husband, "Let me say here that I've been all over the world. I have known more or less intimately the greatest people in the world from kings down, or up, as one cares to view them, and I've never met a finer, bigger, more worthwhile man than J.J. Brown. In spite of certain qualities of our natures which made companionship impossible between us, I salute his memory and claim him to have been without a peer."

The Brown Family

After J.J.'s funeral it was discovered that, although he began his will twice, he never completed a legal will and testament. This left his estate in question and started a six-year court battle that brought to the surface many of the old family arguments and tensions. Margaret petitioned the court to be named administratrix of the estate but was denied. Each side, mother versus children, was convinced that the other was hiding money. Margaret had never trusted Helen's husband, George, and was convinced that he "had no brains for business." She was further angered after learning of a large transfer of money to George and Helen just prior to J.J.'s death. Helen stated that "it was most certainly not a gift in anticipation of death, but a fulfillment of a promise, and really my wedding gift long deferred."

In the end, Margaret received a settlement of $100,000 placed in a trust for her. The remainder was awarded to Lawrence and Helen. Margaret removed both of their names from her will, as she felt "they were adequately provided for," and all declared not to speak to each other again.

Content from Kristen Iversen's book, Molly Brown, Unraveling the Myth, published by Johnson Books in 1999.