Mary Helen Brandon was born August 19th, 1922 to Gilbert Outlaw Reid and Lula Cecelia Reid in Juno, TN. She was predeceased by her husband Oscar Owen Brandon, her sister Celia Alice Swearingen(Leo), her brother Charles Lee Reid(Sunshine), her daughter-n-law Mary Annette Brandon, and grandson Tyler Hardin Brandon. Survivors include sons Robert Owen Brandon(Annette), William Reid Brandon(Sharon), and Joseph Barry Brandon(Laura), and several grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren.
At age six Mary's family moved from Juno to Spring Creek, TN where at the age of twelve she was baptized in the Church of Christ. At age fourteen her dad, G.O. Reid, moved the family to Henderson, TN so that older sister Celia could attend Freed-Hardeman University. Although only having a third grade education G.O. was resourceful and known around Henderson as a bit of a "horse-trader". He was known to have bargained with the university to put flooring down in the auditorium, in exchange for daughter Celia's education. Mary attended Chester County High School and then Freed-Hardeman University were she met her future husband Oscar O. Brandon. He had been discharged from the army after World War II and returned to Henderson to enroll at the University.
Oscar and Mary were married on August 16th 1947 at the home of her parents. After a honeymoon in the Smoky Mountains they moved to Memphis, TN where Oscar had been hired at Quaker Oats Co. A short time later Oscar was hired by the new W. R. Grace Chemical plant where he remained until retirement. Mary was hired by the Sears and Roebuck Co. to work in the business office at what was the Crosstown building. She worked there for approximately four years until learning their first child was on the way. She left Sears and Roebuck to become a full time homemaker and mother to two more sons that came soon after.
As the family grew so did their desire to vacation and they soon discovered Florida. Long before Disney they were making regular trips to explore and enjoy the activities they found there. How fun it was to go to the beach where dad would take us out to the sandbar and mom would be waving us to come back in or digging clams in the bay and mom making us chowder. Those trips made memories for their sons that certainly will never be forgotten.
After retiring they decided to spend time in Florida again and they bought a second home in the Port Richey area. They divided time between Memphis and Florida traveling whenever the urge struck. Although their time there was short it did bring them much joy especially when their sons visited with their families. In 2001 Oscar developed some serious health problems and said he wanted to visit their Florida home once more. With help from their sons they traveled back once more. In march of 2002, after fifty four and a half years of marriage, Oscar passed away. Soon after Mary decided to sell the Florida house and return to Memphis saying she could not sell the house where she and Oscar started out.
Mary's wish was to spend her last days in the house she and Oscar built, always remembering the projects undertaken to accommodate the growing family, particularly when she announced that child number two was coming and he decided to add an addition to double the square footage. With each of her sons helping she was able to enjoy several more years there. Unfortunately at age ninety eight she fell at home and the injuries prevented her from returning home. Once again she traveled back to Florida. This time to a nursing facility but still close to her family. She celebrated two more birthdays with one hundred being a milestone. Her family was anticipating another celebration for birthday one hundred and one but five days prior she was called home. She was blessed with a longevity that not many people have. Imagine all the things she witnessed over her lifetime.
God bless you mom.
