In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1831
From History of Crawford County and Ohio : containing a history of the state of Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time ... a history of Crawford County ... biographical sketches, portraits (1881)
CHARLES A. BROWN, farmer; P. 0. Sulphur Springs; was born in Wittenberg, Germany, Nov. 13, 1831, and is the son of John and Rosanna (Gruber) Brown, or Braun, as it is in the original German. His parents came to the United States in 1832, and were thirty days in crossing the ocean. They first settled in Columbiana Co., and the following year removed to Crawford Co. and settled in this township, where Mr. Brown's father lived till his death in 1856. Here our subject was reared and schooled, and has always followed farming. He has been a successful farmer, and has, by hard work and shrewd business habits, amassed considerable property. He is living now near the center of the township, and has a fine farm and pleasant home, being blessed with a good family of loving and bright children. He was married in 1871 to Lavinia Easterday, of Vernon Township. They have four children — Wilson, Albertus, Milton and one unnamed.
As printed in History of Crawford County and Ohio : containing a history of the state of Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time ... a history of Crawford County ... biographical sketches, portraits (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1881. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.