Lester E. Brannen Jr.

Mr. Lester E. Brannen, Jr., age 91, died early Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at the Ogeechee Area Hospice Inpatient Facility. He was a native and longtime resident of Bulloch County. Mr. Brannen graduated from Statesboro High School with perfect attendance for all years he was in school. He then attended Georgia Tech, where he was an Honor student and solo trumpeter for the Georgia Tech band. He joined the Navy to serve our country in World War II. He served on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Franklin in the Pacific during the war. After returning from the war, he went in business with his father and was co-owner of the Brannen Oil Company which they operated for fifty years. With his entrepreneurial spirit and his love of animals, he began raising pheasants and quail. Later in life, he began raising Charolais cattle and enjoyed traveling throughout the country to different events with them. Bird dogs and hunting were always a big part of his life, and you could see him walking most everyday down Savannah Avenue with his big Rottweiler, “Rocky”. Growing Christmas trees was another project. He planted several thousand and physically pruned and cut each one. People would come from all over to pick out their special holiday tree and to have their picture made with “The Christmas Tree Man”. Not only did he grow trees but just about everything you can grow in a garden. He would gather his produce and deliver the majority of his bounty to anyone who might need it, finding great pleasure in his giving. Lester and his wife Sara were avid Georgia Southern football fans, and they followed the Eagles and never missed a game for the first ten years. Mr. Brannen was preceded in death by his wife of sixty years, Sara Cash Brannen, and his mother and father, Mamie Woodcock Brannen and Lester E. Brannen, Sr., and a sister, Barbara Ann Brannen Burgamy.

Survivors include his children, Emily Brannen (Garrett) Nevil , Janice Brannen Wilbanks, and William L. Brannen; eight grandchildren, Ginny Smith, Amanda (Brian) Cartee, JJ (Amy) Altman, Les (Jennifer) Brannen of Marietta, Jill (Bill) Vickery, Nancy Bielawski of Chicago, Jana (David) Newland of Savannah, Brooke (Trey) Davis of Fairhope, Alabama; thirteen great grandchildren; one nephew, John (Wanda) Burgamy of Nags Head, NC; and his loving caregiver, companion, and special friend, Diane McCullough.

Visitation will be held Friday from 10:00 until 11:00 A.M. at Hodges-Moore Funeral Home.

The funeral service will be held Friday at 11:00 A.M. in the Chapel of Hodges-Moore Funeral Home with Dr. H. William Perry officiating.

Pallbearers will be JJ Altman, Les Brannen, Brian Cartee, Jarrett Cartee, Trey Davis, and Bill Vickery.

Burial will be in Lower Lotts Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery.

The family would like to acknowledge the wonderful care given to their father during his stay by directing all memorial contributions to Ogeechee Area Hospice, P.O. Box 531, Statesboro, Ga. 30459.

Please visit our online memorial at www.hodgesmoore.com to sign the guestbook and to share your thoughts and fond memories with the Brannen family.

Hodges-Moore Funeral Home of Statesboro is in charge of the arrangements.