Obituaries

Helen Brannan

Photo of Helen Brannan
Helen M. Brannan, age 99, of Fayetteville passed away Monday, Sept. 29, 2014. She was born June 19, 1915, in Detroit, Mich., to John A. and Helen S. MacDonald. She was a member of Saint Paul Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, PEO, and a member of Fayetteville Perennial Garden Club since the late 1940s. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles F. Brannan; her parents; and her sister, Anne C. MacDonald. She is survived by her two daughters, Barbara Brannan of Fayetteville, Gail Brannan-Mailloux and her husband, Joseph Mailloux MD, of Rogersville, Mo.; son, Charles H. "Sandy" Brannan and his wife, Brenda, of Rogers; three grandchildren, Lt. Col. Patrick Shea Brannan MD and his wife, Holly, of Niceville, Fla., Brianne Brannan of Allen, Texas, John Brannan and his wife, Missy, of Bentonville; and four great-grandchildren. Helen was raised in Detroit, experiencing the rise of the automobile industry, the Great Depression, WWI and later participating herself via Red Cross service during WWII. It was then when stationed at Hardwick Air Force Base in North East England she met and married Base Adjutant Lt. Col. Charles F. Brannan. The couple moved back to Arkansas post-war and raised their three children in Fayetteville. Helen began her professional career in the 1930s as a secretary for The Detroit Edison Company, later served Fayetteville Public Schools as secretary and librarian, then finally as genealogy specialist for the Fayetteville Public Library, retiring at age 77. First and foremost, Helen valued her role as a wife and mother as her greatest achievement. Memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3, 2014, at Saint Paul Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, under the direction of Moore's Chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to Saint Paul Episcopal Church, 224 N. East St., Fayetteville, AR 72701; or Fayetteville Public Library, 401 W. Mountain, Fayetteville, AR 72701. To place an online tribute, visit www.mooresfuneralchapel.com.

Published October 1, 2014

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