Walt was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the oldest of three children. When Walt was in elementary school, the family moved to Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Brown was a salesman for Hallmark greeting cards and later a real estate agent. Walt’s family was a typical American family of the mid 1900s. Mr. and Mrs. Brown, both graduates of a Methodist college, were well read and well liked by all. They encouraged their children to pursue their individual talents.
The Browns attended a Methodist church each week and brought their two sons and daughter up with Biblical ethics and attitudes. When Walt was a teenager, he met people who were preaching the gospel and their words slowly registered with him. His decision to follow Christ was actually made over a period of time. As time passed, his conviction and faith in Christ grew stronger.