Audrey (Criswell) Brand, 85, of Sully, passed away Apr. 16, 2026, at Mahaska Health Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa.
The visitation for Audrey will be 9-11 a.m., Monday, June 15, with the Celebration of Life service held immediately after at 11 a.m. with both being held at the Sully First Reformed Church, Seth Adams officiating. Memorial contributions may be directed to Sully First Reformed Church, Sully Lions Club, or Mahaska Health Hospice Serenity House. Memorials may be mailed in care of Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112.
Audrey Criswell was born Apr. 22, 1940, in Grinnell, the daughter of Elmer and Linda (Tuggle) Criswell. She was raised in Grinnell and attended Grinnell High School. July 11, 1958, she was united in marriage to Conrad "Conny" Brand at Northside Friends Church in Grinnell. Together, they made their home in Sully and built a life centered on faith, family, and community.
Audrey was a devoted Christian woman who openly shared her faith with anyone willing to listen. Her life reflected a quiet strength and deep devotion to the Lord and to those she loved. Her greatest calling was raising her three children and supporting her late husband, Conny, whom she cared for with unwavering love and dedication. In addition to being a devoted mother and wife, Audrey drove a school bus, obtained her license and became a cosmetologist, and later in life worked at Pella Windows Corporation for 13 years. She was known for her strong work ethic and took pride in contributing to her workplace while never losing sight of what mattered most to her, her family. She took care of Conny at home for several years. When Conny was placed in the nursing home because her health would no longer allow her to take care of him at home, she drove to the nursing home almost every day to see him, weather being one of the very few reasons she did not visit. She devoted everything to him. Her presence will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
She grew up in the Northside Friends Quaker Church of Grinnell where she was a devoted Christian. After moving to Sully, she became a member of Sully First Reformed Church.
She is survived by her children Jon Brand of Sully, Galene (Jeremy) Weems of Silsbee, TX, and Lanny (Jodie) Brand of Pleasant Hill; five grandchildren Kayla (Jimmy) Reid, Bryan (Corine) Adams, Seth (Kamri) Adams, Faith (Lucas) Edds, and Levi Brand; and 13 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Conrad "Conny" Brand; her parents; two infant children Monica and Mark; and her siblings Ruth Martin, Anita Fraker, Ada Sumpter, Herman Criswell, Paul Criswell, Edith Barkley, Curly Criswell, Audeen Thompson, and Eldon Criswell.
