B. Brownie Peters

Obituary for B. (Brownie) Marie Murphy Peters

September 11, 1951-January 7, 2025

(Brownie) Marie Murphy was born in Kistler, West Virginia on September 11, 1951 to Jerry Murphy and Thelma Turner Murphy. She was born at home with the cord around her neck before the midwife arrived! She was the second child after Jerry Lamarr, but the first daughter to grace this family. Brothers Linwood and Terrence followed close behind. The family would eventually grow to include a sister, Melanie and another brother, William. had a simple yet pleasant childhood. She enjoyed playing with her siblings and cousins who lived nearby, and shared many stories of their escapades with her children and young relatives. came from a musical family, and her Grandmother Belva Harris Turner made sure all her grandchildren learned to play the piano! Another fond memory was how her mother made the Sabbath a delight on the days they weren’t able to go travel to church.

The greatest impact on her life was attending Pine Forge Academy in Pine Forge, Pennsylvania. Here she saw young men and women of color whose parents were doctors, businessmen, and leaders, and here is where she decided to pursue college. Unfortunately B. was only able to attend her freshman year, as her mother had the opportunity to go to nursing school, and B. was needed to care for her siblings.

attended Southern Missionary College, now Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee at the recommendation of their local pastor’s wife. This was not the most socially welcoming environment for black students, so she remained focused on her studies. She worked at a small granola company and eventually at Little Debbie as she worked her way through school, and graduated with a BS in Education in 1975.

While at Southern she met an international student named Moses Peters, who arrived over the summer of 1974 to pursue a degree in business. She was not interested in him at the beginning, but as they spent time together she came to love him and appreciate his good qualities. B. and Moses decided to wait until he graduated to get married, and were married on December 19th, 1976. To this union were born a son, Kaia and a daughter, Tunisia.

In 1980 B. and her children moved to Berrien Springs, MI, a peaceful reprieve from the busyness of the city. B. was able to be a stay at home mother until Tunisia went to school. B. returned to the classroom and was a teacher in the Benton Harbor Area Schools for 15 years.

One year, B. had a student who was taken from a loving family home to live with his parent in a homeless shelter. B. was very concerned about the welfare of her student, and visited the shelter to learn more about the living conditions. She learned the average age of a homeless person is 9, and this sparked her passion for Shelter Ministry.

returned to the classroom as a student herself, as she felt there were wider issues than just the classroom to address. While working on her Masters degree B. kept busy watching her grand niece and nephew and nurturing her family. B. also remained active in the church, using her musical talents by playing piano in the Cradle Roll Sabbath school class, and singing in the choir. She also enjoyed singing with the Seminary Chorus. enjoyed traveling. One summer she took her children and niece April to Maine and the Friendship Pathfinder Camporee in Pennsylvania. One time she and her sister traveled to Maine together, and decided to go through Canada and see Niagara Falls. Getting into the country was not a problem, but getting out was! She enjoyed going on trips with her daughter, as well as Mother/Daughter trips with her sister and niece Adrianne. Some of the places she traveled included the Grand Canyon, San Diego, Washington state, Texas, Atlanta, Arizona and St. Louis, among others. She thoroughly enjoyed going on a birthday cruise to the Bahamas in 2022.

In March 2020 B. relocated to Grand Rapids to be close to her son and daughter. In 2022 she began suffering from chronic health issues, and to her dismay fell and broke her hip in June 2023. After surgery she went to the Corewell Health Rehab facility on Kalamazoo Ave, where she was able to spend time with her sister Melanie who was also recovering there after being hit by a drunk driver. Due to ongoing health challenges, B. eventually transitioned to Long Term Care, but looked forward to every opportunity to go out with her daughter. Church on Sabbath was the highlight of her week!

passed away following a brief illness on January 7, 2025. Along with her parents, B. was preceded in death by her husband Moses Peters, and brothers Jerry Lamarr Murphy and Terrence Murphy. She is survived by her children: Kaia Peters and Tunisia Peters. She is also survived by her siblings: Linwood Murphy, Melanie (James) Guthrie, and William Murphy, as well as her beloved nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 23, 2025 at 3pm at the Grand Rapids Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 4250 Remembrance Rd. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49538. A repast will be held immediately following the service in the fellowship hall.

Memorial contributions may be made in B’s name to an SDA school or Homeless Shelter ministry of choice.