1934
Donald
2015
Donald Brooks Braman
November 19, 1934 — November 5, 2015
Donald "Don" Brooks Braman of Munising, died in his home on Thursday, November 5, 2015 surrounding by his loving, supportive family after a very courageous journey with bladder cancer. Don was born November 19, 1934 in Moscow, Idaho. His childhood home was Walla Walla, Washington but after moving to the U.P. of Michigan with the Air Force from which he retired in 1977; he so fell in love with the people and beauty of Northern Michigan and said that he would never leave "God's Country."
Don is survived by his wife of nearly twenty-four years - Susanna Bernier Braman; sister - Sandi (Ron) Swanson; daughters - Terry Wood (Bobby Lee), Kristina Craig (Dan Miller), April Nagelkerk and May Nagelkerk (Eric Blessitt); grandchildren - Bryan Wood, Lakota, Cameron, Kaiya, Calvin, Ava, Caitlyn, and Caden Don; mother-in-law - Marie (Dennis) Bernier and family; aunt - Patricia (Donald) Thomas and family; and loving cousins, nieces, and nephews locally and on the East and West Coasts. He was preceded in death by his parents Harry and Florence (Brooks) Braman, brother Ray Braman, and stepson Glenny.
Don was as busy after retirement as he was serving our Country. As an Addictions Counselor with the Health Department, he was the first resident of Alger County to receive his CAC (Certified Addictions Counselor) credential. When his wife returned to school, he worked at the Holiday Gas Station for nearly ten years often providing over the counter support and informal counseling to former recovery clients. He then retired for one year, became restless and was then employed at the Christmas Casino Northern Rewards desk, again providing personal and over the counter services.
Don and his wife Susanna were commissioned Marriage Encounter Ministers and he also served our Lord as a Lay Minister, Director of Religious Education (St. Peter's Cathedral, Marquette, MI), former Knights of Columbus member, and Eucharistic Minister and Lector at Sacred Heart Parish in Munising. In addition to a deep love of our Lord and His Blessed Mother, Don spent considerable time in prayer and Eucharistic Adoration. Don is a Secular Franciscan and in addition to living a simpler lifestyle, he believed in walking the "Red Road" of peace, equity, and justice for all with the native name of "Silver Fox."
In his rarer spare time, Don enjoyed raising and showing dogs, kayaking, camping with his family and Marriage Encounter Friends, canoeing and fishing, traveling, gardening, cooking, nature photography, playing the recorder (he also did this as a band member in high school), and cross-stitching (received numerous awards at the Alger and Marquette County fairs.)
When Don was diagnosed with cancer that had metastasized in the spring of 2015, he and his wife made the decision to offer his illness for all those with cancers and in need of healing. His faith never failed and he NEVER complained. Don, Susanna, and his family are extremely grateful for all of their loving and supportive family and friends; we are honored to be loved by and to serve them with special mention of gratitude to KI Sawyer/ Air Force comrades and families, Veteran's Administration, Doctors Young and Lowry, and P.A. Ewers and health team, North Woods Home Health and Hospice, Munising Commission on Aging, friends and patrons of Holiday Gas Station and Christmas Casino, Sacred Heart Parish Family and Prayer Groups, and our faithful neighbors and community. We will continue to hold you all up in our hearts and prayers, remembering that Don's life has not ended, only eternally changed. His predictable response when asked how he was feeling was "I am fine" and now we affirm that Don is eternally fine with our Lord.
If anyone would like to make a donation in Don's memory, they can be made to one of the following; Bishop Baraga Cause for Canonization (Marquette, MI), USO Wounded Warriors, Munising Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Native American children's education program, or the St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, WI.
Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Sunday evening from 5:00 until 7:00. A Parish Vigil Service and time of sharing stories and memories will begin at the funeral home at 7:00 p.m. Father Chris Gardiner will celebrate Don's Mass of Christian Burial on Monday, November 9, 2015 at Sacred Heart Church in Munising at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Munising where the American Legion and Vietnam Veterans Honor Guard will conduct military honors. Pallbearers will be Bobby Lee, Cameron Collier, Peter Kochis III, Michael Perron, Jr., Remaldo Nevarez, Steve Bernier, John Blume, and Scott Britton. Honorary escorts will be Dan Miller, David Craig, Cameron Collier, Jerry Kinnunen, Kent Vaughn, David Olivier, Eric Froberg and brothers-in-law Dave Mills, Jim Groesch, Ron Swanson, Chris Weber, and grandson Bryan Wood.
Don is survived by his wife of nearly twenty-four years - Susanna Bernier Braman; sister - Sandi (Ron) Swanson; daughters - Terry Wood (Bobby Lee), Kristina Craig (Dan Miller), April Nagelkerk and May Nagelkerk (Eric Blessitt); grandchildren - Bryan Wood, Lakota, Cameron, Kaiya, Calvin, Ava, Caitlyn, and Caden Don; mother-in-law - Marie (Dennis) Bernier and family; aunt - Patricia (Donald) Thomas and family; and loving cousins, nieces, and nephews locally and on the East and West Coasts. He was preceded in death by his parents Harry and Florence (Brooks) Braman, brother Ray Braman, and stepson Glenny.
Don was as busy after retirement as he was serving our Country. As an Addictions Counselor with the Health Department, he was the first resident of Alger County to receive his CAC (Certified Addictions Counselor) credential. When his wife returned to school, he worked at the Holiday Gas Station for nearly ten years often providing over the counter support and informal counseling to former recovery clients. He then retired for one year, became restless and was then employed at the Christmas Casino Northern Rewards desk, again providing personal and over the counter services.
Don and his wife Susanna were commissioned Marriage Encounter Ministers and he also served our Lord as a Lay Minister, Director of Religious Education (St. Peter's Cathedral, Marquette, MI), former Knights of Columbus member, and Eucharistic Minister and Lector at Sacred Heart Parish in Munising. In addition to a deep love of our Lord and His Blessed Mother, Don spent considerable time in prayer and Eucharistic Adoration. Don is a Secular Franciscan and in addition to living a simpler lifestyle, he believed in walking the "Red Road" of peace, equity, and justice for all with the native name of "Silver Fox."
In his rarer spare time, Don enjoyed raising and showing dogs, kayaking, camping with his family and Marriage Encounter Friends, canoeing and fishing, traveling, gardening, cooking, nature photography, playing the recorder (he also did this as a band member in high school), and cross-stitching (received numerous awards at the Alger and Marquette County fairs.)
When Don was diagnosed with cancer that had metastasized in the spring of 2015, he and his wife made the decision to offer his illness for all those with cancers and in need of healing. His faith never failed and he NEVER complained. Don, Susanna, and his family are extremely grateful for all of their loving and supportive family and friends; we are honored to be loved by and to serve them with special mention of gratitude to KI Sawyer/ Air Force comrades and families, Veteran's Administration, Doctors Young and Lowry, and P.A. Ewers and health team, North Woods Home Health and Hospice, Munising Commission on Aging, friends and patrons of Holiday Gas Station and Christmas Casino, Sacred Heart Parish Family and Prayer Groups, and our faithful neighbors and community. We will continue to hold you all up in our hearts and prayers, remembering that Don's life has not ended, only eternally changed. His predictable response when asked how he was feeling was "I am fine" and now we affirm that Don is eternally fine with our Lord.
If anyone would like to make a donation in Don's memory, they can be made to one of the following; Bishop Baraga Cause for Canonization (Marquette, MI), USO Wounded Warriors, Munising Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Native American children's education program, or the St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, WI.
Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Sunday evening from 5:00 until 7:00. A Parish Vigil Service and time of sharing stories and memories will begin at the funeral home at 7:00 p.m. Father Chris Gardiner will celebrate Don's Mass of Christian Burial on Monday, November 9, 2015 at Sacred Heart Church in Munising at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Munising where the American Legion and Vietnam Veterans Honor Guard will conduct military honors. Pallbearers will be Bobby Lee, Cameron Collier, Peter Kochis III, Michael Perron, Jr., Remaldo Nevarez, Steve Bernier, John Blume, and Scott Britton. Honorary escorts will be Dan Miller, David Craig, Cameron Collier, Jerry Kinnunen, Kent Vaughn, David Olivier, Eric Froberg and brothers-in-law Dave Mills, Jim Groesch, Ron Swanson, Chris Weber, and grandson Bryan Wood.
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