Julie Brown 6-14-23

Julie Brown was born in San Diego, CA, on Feb. 12, 1967. She passed away in Pocatello, ID, on May 31, 2023.
Mom was a loving daughter, wife, mom, and grandma. She was adopted when she was five weeks old by Charles Bottroff and Karla Yates. They moved to American Falls around 1978. In September 1979 she gained another mom, Teresa Bottroff, and her whole world opened up to a huge Vaughn family that she felt blessed to have. Julie gained another dad, Gary Yates, in July of 1979. She loved the adventures that she had in Glacier National Park with him, in addition to the stories he told about his trips around the world.
In 1985, Julie graduated from American Falls High School alongside her many friends. Her oldest son Nicholas Huber was born in 1986, and then her second son Michael Baker was born in 1989. Julie put every ounce of energy she had into her boys. She would be at every football game and wrestling match there was and would often lose her voice from cheering so loud.
Julie gained her sisters, Angie and Jessie, in 1997 and they always had a good time together, whether it was working at the store or fishing the river. You could depend on seeing her with her blue truck loaded with her boys, a cooler full of Shasta, and the fishing poles. Her boat eventually came into the picture, and still every weekend she’d be trolling for trout with her boys.
She would grow some pretty gardens in the summer and would make some of the best salsa. Some of that salsa would be mild, and some would be so hot that even the smell of it would bring a tear to your eye. As for cooking, Julie enjoyed a perfectly cooked rare steak. When Thanksgiving came around, Julie could be found deep frying two turkeys for friends and family.
Julie enjoyed family and never missed family dinner at her Grandma and Grandpa Vaughn’s house. She loved seeing her huge family all in one house together!
Julie was an avid Nascar and football fan. Sundays were game days in the fall! Man, did she love the Chargers. Winter would come along, and she would put even more emotion into the man Dale Earnhardt. She loved everything about him from his “’stache” to his car, and she even bawled the day he died.
Many years down the road, Julie met David through Angie and Barb, and when they married, he inherited a firecracker! They would go fishing and run their dogs Willie and Ozzy. Their favorite restaurant was The Pressbox, and they also had their favorite waitress. Julie and David went to The Pressbox so much that the waitresses all became lifelong friends.
When her dad Gary passed away in 2007, she was able to take her two sons and future daughter-in-law to Glacier National Park to spread his ashes in his favorite locations: Wild Goose Island and over the top of Gould Mountain.
In the years of growing older with David, her family got bigger with five grandsons: Damion, Jayden, Gunner, Remington, and Savage. She spent every second she could with them from the time they were born, clear to when they were on the wrestling mats and even could be found slapping those mats just like when it was her own boys wrestling. She was very proud to take her grandsons fishing to her favorite spot just like she took her boys to. She would work many hours and as hard as she could so that she could spoil them on every Christmas or birthday, even if all they could do was spend a day with Grandma.
To a wonderful mother, daughter, wife, and all-around friend – may we put your body to rest so that your beautiful soul can soar. May we meet in the Heavens above to continue our journeys together. We will miss you with everything we have!
Looking back on the memory of the dance we shared beneath the stars above,
For a moment all the world was right, but how could I have known that you’d ever say goodbye?
And now, I’m glad I didn’t know the way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.
If I’d only known how the king would fall
Hey, who’s to say, you know I might have changed it all!
And now, I’m glad I didn’t know the way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.
A Celebration of Life will be held on July 22 at the Rock Bottom in American Falls.
In lieu of flowers, Julie’s family is requesting that donations be made in her name to www.stjude.org. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.wilksfuneralhome.com.