Mary Ellen Bratt

Our beloved mother and grandmother, Mary Ellen Unsinger Bratt, aged 76, of San Antonio, went to be with Our Lord on November 25, 2015 in Montgomery, Texas following a lengthy illness. She was with family. She was a devoted daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, and grandmother. She was an extraordinary lady who lived an ordinary suburban life.

Mary Ellen was born in Terre Haute, Indiana on August 13, 1939 to Harold and Rose Unsinger. At the age of 2, her beloved brother, Jerry, was born. She affectionally nicknamed him "Butch." She grew up at 1511 S. 4th St., across the street from her lifelong childhood friend, Susie Hines Thiel. It was a family affair, making special memories while helping cook, pack up, and serve food for her mother's cafe and catering business. Memorizing scripture in Sunday school, church service, brownies and girl scout meetings, and holiday celebrations were held in the church she loved, Washington Avenue Presbyterian Church. Her favorite pastimes were singing, dancing, game playing, and crafting/decorating. Her lifelong friend, Susie, recalls Mary Ellen's home was where friends would gather to get ready for parties and eat her mother's delicious pies. While in high school, she worked as a model and a secret shopper for Meis, decorated the school gym for the dances, and traveled with her family to visit relatives in Anaheim, California. It was on that trip that relatives decided to treat them to a day at a new amusement park that had JUST opened, created by a dreamer, Walt Disney. Yes, at 16, Mary Ellen and her family spent a day in Disneyland!! She recalled driving through orange groves, for what seemed like hours, to see the magical world out in the middle of nowhere. They had a wonderful day and she remembered that Tomorrowland was under construction. Childhood, for Mary Ellen, was filled with cherished time with family and friends (at her alma mater, Wiley High School), and her church activities.

Upon graduation from Wiley High School, she attended Indiana State University (Indiana State Teachers College) in Terre Haute where she became a lifetime member of Delta Gamma Sorority. It was on campus her freshman year that she met her husband, Robert "Bob" Bratt, and married him on December 28, 1958 in her beloved church. Christmas was her favorite time of the year! Their eldest daughter, Kathy, was born seven days after graduation 2 1/2 years later. She taught elementary school for two years, so Bob could get his master's degree. Before the birth of their second child, a son, Ken, Bob joined the Air Force and Mary Ellen easily transitioned into the role of a military wife, hostessing parties, moving every two to three years, and traveling around their duty station. Their third child, a daughter, Krista, was born before Bob's tour of duty in Vietnam. Here are some of the highlights of life in the military... the family explored the original 13 colonies and West Point, then, Mary Ellen was sent, by the military, to Hawaii to spend a week with Bob for his R&R. While there, their picture was snapped and put in the local paper, such a handsome, happy couple, then, time was spent in historical Virginia eating seafood by the ocean and enjoying wild horses. Then, great times seeing the Great State of Texas! Then, off to Europe!! While living in Germany, Mary Ellen saw to it that the family would travel and do everything they could throughout Europe! Her favorite times were spent in Venice, Vienna, and Paris. Her children learned to ski and ice skate, she and Bob drank hot cocoa while they watched skiers in Zermatt and Scheffau. They went on many Volksmarches, visited Castles, and Christkrindl markets. It was a magical 3 years.

Returning to the US was not as planned and reunions were postponed, Krista was injured in Germany and the family had to separate for a month. However, the family settled quickly into life in San Antonio where Bob had his last duty station and where Mary Ellen and Bob would retire. Sunday was pizza and movie night. She loved being a wife and mother, shopping for the latest fashion, jewelry, sewing clothes, curtains, baking, hostessing parties, playing games, joking with friends and even strangers, and doing crafts to decorate their homes. Her creative side was always thinking up new cool things to do, which later included wallpapering, painting, and paneling their home. She never left a place without leaving an endearing impression of her sense of humor and love of people and life.

However, as Krista started high school, Mary Ellen decided to substitute teach, then, after she left for college, Mary Ellen worked at MBank and The Psychological Corp. Her group of friends at Psy Corp began meeting for lunch every month after she retired, they called themselves "The Lunch Bunch". She cherished those ladies. She and Bob would make handmade crafts for her friends and colleagues every Christmas. She discovered her love for cross stitching after retirement and stitched many stockings after Bob passed. They are cherished by her family because family was her life. She taught her children to be explorers and lovers of life. Her wisdom and traditions will be passed on in our family and her legacy will never die. Stories of her will endure because she touched many, many lives during her full 76 years. She will be deeply missed.

Celebrate her life and the season she loved the most, Christmas, birth of her savior, by telling favorite stories of her.

She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Harold and Rose Unsinger and her husband of 47 years, Robert Allen Bratt.

She is survived by her brother, Jerry Unsinger, his wife, Sharon and nephews David and Keith. Her loving children, Kathy Bratt Sloan, Kenneth Bratt, and Krista Bratt Jacocks. Her son-in-laws, David Russell Sloan and Joseph Jacocks. Her five loving grandchildren, Shelby-Marie Sloan, Olivia Rose Bratt, Nathaniel Shaun Bratt, David "Joshua" Sloan, and Cassidy Elise Jacocks. Her dear friend, Susie Hines Thiel.

May the Lord be delighting in her humor and wisdom.

In leu of flowers, the family requests a donation to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids or COPD Foundation

Viewing will be 10 am on Friday, December 4 at Sunset Funeral Home on Austin Hwy in San Antonio, Texas.

Gravesite service and Interment at 2pm on Friday, December 4 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on Harry Wurzbach in San Antonio, Texas.