Obituary: Brannan, Mary

BRANNAN,
Mary

12/27/1926 to
7/19/2012

Mary Luella Brannan was born in Clarkston, Washington December 27, 1926, to Harry and Minnie Bockman.

She died Thursday, July 19, 2012, at Newport Hospital of lung cancer.
Mary was the youngest of four children and was just 6 months old when her father was killed in an accident while working on the construction of a Weyerhauser mill building in Lewiston.

Her mother moved her family from their permanent home in Libby, Montana to Moscow, Idaho where she could receive benefit checks from the company and also have college students as boarders to supplement their income.
Mary enjoyed her college years at the University of Idaho where she also worked for a professor of entomology.

She used to say that she learned more from working for the “bug doctor” than from her studies in business administration.

After graduating in 1947 at the age of 20, Mary married Jack Brannan, who also had grown up in Moscow.

They had two young daughters when they moved to Spokane, Washington in 1952.

Mary went to work in the insurance business in 1954 and worked for most of the next 25 years at the R. E. “Eddy” Page Insurance agency where she became a partner before the company was sold in the late 1970’s.
After leaving Spokane, Jack and Mary lived in Kettle Falls, WA, where they had an apartment building for several years and spent many winters in Yuma, AZ, but had their best times and many wonderful summers at Priest Lake where they bought property in 1959 and built a small cabin shortly thereafter.

Mary loved playing cards with her friends, crocheting and taking caring of her flowers.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her older sister, Harriet Ray, and her husband, Jack after 60 years together.

She is survived by her brother George Bockman of Moscow, ID, and sister Margaret Vieirra of Grants Pass, OR, daughter AbbiGail Brannan of Morgan Hill, CA, her daughter Barbara Benscoter and son in law Richard Benscoter, Nordman, ID, grandsons Jeff (Beth) and Jeremy (Chelsea) Arrasmith of Portland, OR, great-granddaughters Sarah, Erin, Isabella and Macie Arrasmith of Portland, OR and many nieces and nephews.

She is greatly missed already by her loyal terrier Charlie and his side-kick, Scrappy Doo.
A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 30th at the Evergreen Cemetery in Priest River.

Friends and family are invited to gather Mary’s home in the afternoon, all of whom will miss her very much.

SHERMAN-KNAPP FUNERAL HOME IN NEWPORT is in charge of arrangements.

Family and friends are invited to sign the online guest book at Sherman-knapp.com