Barbara Jean Brown has been a resident of Coleman, Texas for twenty seven years. Born and raised in a small town in Arkansas, Barbara, her husband Jessie and their five children moved to Coleman in 1973. Over the years, Barbara has played a very active role in her community serving 16 years in the nursing field and volunteering in local fundraisers for various causes. Currently, Barbara serves as the founder and president of the C.H. Hale Prostate Cancer Foundation, Inc.

The C.H. Hale Prostate Cancer Foundation was founded in response to Barbara's own personal experience with the death of her father, Carl Houston Hale. In 1993, Carl Hale suffered a massive stroke, which left him bedridden and physically incapacitated. It was during this tragic event that Mr. Hale was also diagnosed with prostate cancer. Due to a lack of regular checkups and testing Mr. Hale had no knowledge of the onset of this disease. When discovered, the cancer was already in its final stages of development. On December 12, 1997 Carl Houston Hale lost his battle to Prostate cancer.

The devastation of her father's death led Barbara Brown to turn tragedy into triumph. Out of her pain, a myriad of songs were created and recorded, ."Resting In The Arms of the Lord" is a song of peace, restoration and healing that resonates in the minds of all who hear Barbara's story. The release of her second recording, "Expression of You", will be a continued memorial of the life of her father, Carl Houston Hale. Proceeds from her recordings are donated to the American Cancer Society for the research and development of a cure for prostate cancer.

In addition to her songwriting and recording, Barbara also hosts a yearly fundraiser to increase the awareness of prostate cancer. In 1999 Barbara hosted "Prevention in the Park" in which Congressman Charles W. Stenholm was the honorable guest speaker in attendance. In 2000 and 2001, Barbara hosted "Prevention 2000" and "Prevention 2001", respectively. With a continual effort to promote prostate cancer awareness, a proclamation has been served by County Judge Sherrill Ragsdale to acknowledge September 21 - 27 as "Prostate Cancer Awareness Week" for Coleman County. The signing of this proclamation was a result of the advocacy efforts of Barbara Brown to bring to the forefront the lethal effects of prostate cancer, a disease known as the silent killer.