Kody Brown has been parenting one of America's most controversial families on Sister Wives, and it's time to talk about the polygamist patriarch's own pair of parents, William and Genielle Brown. Although Kody is criticized for his skills as a father, the entire Brown family has shown great iration for William and Genielle. From Kody's childhood to William's ing, there's plenty to learn 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. 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 that his parents were conflicted about remaining faithful to the Mormon religion, and continuing their polygamist lifestyle. From William's plural marriages, the father had ten children, which doesn't seem like a lot compared to Kody Brown's 18 kids. Although Kody has nine siblings, the Browns never specified which children came from which of William's wives.

Related: Sister Wives: How Kody Brown's Exes Are Doing After Split

Who Are Kody Brown's Parents, William & Genielle?

According to Haskell Funeral Home, which published William's obituary, Kody's father was born on August 28, 1934. William ed 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 six 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, reality star Kody's dad 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.

Kody & Janelle Brown Are Step-Siblings Through Spiritual Marriage

Kody Brown Janelle Sister Wives posing outside younger days

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 besides 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 step-siblings and spiritual spouses. William and Genielle were very religious parents who influenced Kody's polygamous lifestyle, which fans see portrayed onscreen.

Related: Sister Wives: Why Kody Getting Truely's Age Wrong Is A Red Flag

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 play a big role in shaping Kody's one-of-a-kind family and career. Although William ed away almost a decade ago, his influence (and Genielle's) is still felt on Sister Wives.

More: Sister Wives: Why Meri May Be Faking An Interest In Kody For Fame

Source: Haskell Funeral Home