Harold D Brake

He was born in Strafford, MO to Denver and Victoria Maude (Layman) Brake on September 9, 1926. He grew up on his grandmother’s farm on the Lawrence and Barry County line, then on the Bell Orchard near Boonville, MO. He graduated from Hickman High School in 1944. He was married to Ellen Jane Streeter on December 25, 1950 in Columbia.

Harold served in World War II, first as an enlisted man, later as a warrant officer with the Seventh Infantry Division intelligence unit. He fought at Okinawa, and in 1945 joined the first American occupation troops in Korea.

He returned to Columbia in 1948, and attended the University of Missouri. A year later he enlisted in the 175th Battalion military police unit, then located in Columbia, and was commissioned a second lieutenant 3 months later. He served with the battalion in Stuttgart, West Germany during its Korean War mobilization in 1950.

He was later appointed unit executive officer of the 175 Battalion’s Company B in Fulton. He was briefly activated during the Viet Nam war, serving at Jefferson Barricks in St. Louis. Harold retired as a major in the Army Reserves and with 27 years of military service.

After returning from West Germany in 1953, Harold worked for the Missouri National Guard in Jefferson City. When State Farm opened a regional office in Columbia, he joined the staff as an underwriter. He later became an underwriter and agent for Shelter Insurance (then MFA Ins.), and earned a real estate brokers license, opening his own agency.

He was a member of Missouri United Methodist Church, American Legion, Forty and Eight, VFW, Missouri Retired Officers Association, and TNA Associates. He had a passion for Colorado and the Lake of the Ozarks, and camping, hunting and fishing with his family.

He is survived by his children, Jacquelynn Ann (Randall) Ballew of Columbia, Matthew Streeter (Carolyn) Brake of Jefferson City, Christopher Harold Brake of Columbia, grandchildren Kelly Jane (Andrew) Kniest of Jefferson City, Kimberly Nicole (Sam) Walker of Ozark, MO, and sister Fern (Wood) Yung of LaPorte, TX.

Harold was preceded in death by his wife Jane, his parents, sister Virginia R. (Brake) McCurry of Chico, CA, and brother Cecil Vernon Wood of Columbia, MO.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Missouri United Methodist Church.

Visitation will be 10 – 11 a.m. Thursday, September 21, 2023 with a Funeral Service to follow at 11 a.m. in the McMurry Chapel at the Missouri United Methodist Church, 204 South Ninth Street, Columbia, MO. The funeral service will be live-streamed at this link: https://youtube.com/live/F0YLyWkL3vY?feature=share. Burial, with Full Military Honors will take place at 3 p.m. Thursday, September 21, 2023 at Laddonia Cemetery, Laddonia, Missouri. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.memorialfuneralhomeandcemetery.com for the Brake family.