Cleo Brannan
Joe Denoyer - February 18, 2019 1:17 pm
MEADE – Cleo Brannan, age 94, passed away Sunday morning, February 17, 2019, at the Baylor, Scott, and White Hospital, Grapevine Texas. She was living at Solstice Senior Living, Grapevine, Texas.
Cleo was born on February 22, 1924, in Turon, Kansas, to parents Jesse and Elma (Cox) Zink. She married Raymond (Pat) Brannan on August 4, 1946, in Turon, Kansas.
She graduated from Turon High School and went on to earn her teaching certificate at Pittsburg State Teacher’s College. She started her teaching career in 1943 in Pretty Prairie, Kansas. At the request of her former high school principal, she moved to Meade in 1945 to teach at USD 226. In 1964, she received her BS in Education from Fort Hays State University. During her 33 years of teaching at Meade, Cleo touched the lives of many students though her hard work and dedication. Even after retirement, she would often return to substitute teach.
Cleo was active in the Meade United Methodist Church as a lay leader and member of the Rebecca Guild. She especially enjoyed creating crafts for the annual church bazaar. Cleo was a member of PEO Chapter A, Dodge City DAR, Delta Kappa Gamma, AAUW, Kansas Association of Retired Teachers, Friends of the Library, Silver Hair Legislators, and the Meade Teachers’ Association. She served as a President for the Kansas Association of Retired Teachers and on the board of both the Meade Public Library and the Beam Center. Many would remember her volunteering as Mother Goose at the library. She received the Volunteer of the Year Award from Friends of Kansas Libraries in 2001. She loved decorating her house for the holidays, working in her rose garden and yard, and especially family gatherings with family game nights.
She was preceded in death by her husband, two brothers, Bruce and Robert, four sisters, Helen Boles, Mildred Stull, Ruth Graber, and Virginia Ann Zink.
She is survived by a sister, Elizabeth Fox, Salina, Kansas; one son, Raymond (Meiwen) of Decatur, Texas, two daughters Nancy (Larry) Preuss of Marysville, Kansas, and Tricia (Patrick) Hedrick of North Richland Hills, Texas; five grandchildren, Carolyn (Thomas) England of Dallas, Texas, Kevin Preuss of San Antonio, Texas, James Preuss of Home, Kansas, Zachary Hedrick of San Antonio, Texas, and Kelsey Hedrick of Rowlett, Texas; four great grandchildren, Braden and Quinn Preuss and Brannan and Thomas England.
Funeral Services will be held Sunday, February 24, 2019, at 2 pm at the United Methodist Church, Meade, Kansas. Friends may call from Saturday 9 am to 7 pmat Fidler-Orme-Bachman Mortuary, Meade, Kansas. Interment will follow in the Graceland Cemetery, Meade.