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 1838
From The history of Buchanan County, Missouri (1881)
J. R. BROWN, of the firm of Brown & Leverich, blacksmiths, is a native of Logan County, Indiana, and was born February 7, 1838. When young, he removed to Keosauqua, Iowa, where his father, John, located with his family for a short time, and then came to Andrew County, Missouri. J. R. came to St. Joseph in 1861, and here learned his trade, and has since been a constant resident, with the exception of his term in the army. He was in the state militia, and in 1863, enlisted in the Twelfth Missouri Regiment, participating in many of the stirring events, and serving one year on the plains after the war was over, when he was honorably discharged. Returning to St. Joseph, he has since been employed at his trade, in which he is quite proficient. In 1880, he formed a partnership with George Leverich. Mr. Brown has been twice married, first in 1862, to Miss Martha Rains, who died in 1868, leaving one daughter living, Mary E. He was again married in September, 1876, to Flora Ratliff. They have two children, Ono and Ora.
As printed in The history of Buchanan County, Missouri (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Their biographies name J. R. Brown: George Levrich
The printed record stops around 1881. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.