Kody Brown's parents William and Genielle inspired Kody's polygamist journey through the decisions made in their marriage. Learn more about them here.
Kody Brown has been parenting one of America's most controversial families on Sister Wives, but what do we know about the polygamist patriarch's own pair of parents, William and Genielle Brown? Although Kody is criticized for his parenting skills, the entire Brown family has shown great admiration for William and Genielle. From Kody's childhood to William's passing, here's what fans need to know about Kody's parents.
Kody was born on January 17, 1969, in Lovell, Wyoming. In Lovell, William, also known by his middle name Winn, owned a ranch. Kody learned a great deal from his upbringing, including what it takes to be a husband in a plural marriage. Although Kody got married to his first three wives by the age of 24, his father didn't become a polygamist until later in his life. Growing up, Kody noticed his parents were conflicted about remaining faithful to the Mormon religion and continuing their polygamist lifestyle. From William's plural marriages, the father had 10 children (which is almost nothing compared to Kody Brown's 18 kids). Although Kody has 9 siblings, the Browns never specified which children came from which of William's wives.
According to Haskell Funeral Home, which published William's obituary, Kody's father was born on August 28, 1934. William passed away on August 24, 2013, days away from his 79th birthday. Like his son, William was born in Lovell, Wyoming. William was the first child of Alma Taylor Brown and Edith Stella Winn Brown. William had 6 siblings, Joseph Guernsey Brown, Persis Ann Skinner, Val Young Brown, Alma Taylor Brown Jr., Emma Louise Christoffersen, and Lionel Dow Brown. In 1952, William graduated from Lovell High School. After high school, William worked as a US Army Ranger before enlisting as a paratrooper in Panama. William was dedicated to the Southern States Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, for which he worked for two years in the mid-1950s. William attended Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, until he met Kody's mother, Genielle. A handful of years after their meeting, Kody Brown was born.
After William and Genielle met, Kody's father transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. At BYU, William studied agricultural economics. After college, William worked for cattle breeders in Wyoming and Montana. Kody's father taught farmers cattle management techniques. William also worked on his father and uncle's combined farmland and cultivated his own family ranch. For a while, William and Genielle were in a monogamous relationship. It wasn't until Kody was a teenager that William and Genielle started leading a polygamist lifestyle. Although he was ultimately outdone by his son's four wives, William had two wives in addition to Genielle. William's three wives were Genielle, Bobbie, and Sheryl Brown. Sheryl is the mother of Kody's wife Janelle Brown, making the Sister Wives stars both step-siblings and spiritual spouses. William and Genielle were very religious parents who influenced Kody's polygamous lifestyle fans experience on TV.
On top of being the grandparents to dozens of children, William and Genielle deserve recognition for initiating the prominent legacy of the Brown family. From raising Kody to inspiring him to have a plural marriage, William and Genielle are wholly responsible for Kody's one-of-a-kind family and career. Although William passed away almost a decade ago, his and Genielle's influence is still felt on Sister Wives.
Next: Sister Wives: Why Meri May Be Faking An Interest In Kody For Fame
Source: Haskell Funeral Home
