Gene Brannan

Gene Brannan, age 79, Clark, died in the Prairie Lakes Hospital at Watertown on Thursday night, March 13, 2014 surrounded by his loving wife Sharon, their 3 children and other family members. Visitation will be held on Monday, March 17, 2014 from 5-7PM at the Furness Funeral Home Chapel and will continue in the Chapel after 9AM on Tuesday. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 10:30AM in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark with The Reverend John Short officiating. The pianist will be Dorothy Fuller with special music by Brian and Clay Bak. All of his Grandchildren will serve as casket bearers. The staff of Golden Living Center at Clark should consider themselves as honorary casket bearers. Burial will follow in the St Boniface Cemetery at Clark. Following the interment, everyone is invited to the St. Michael's Parish Hall for a dinner and a time of fellowship. He was born Harold Eugene Brannan on May 3, 1934 in Clark County, the son of Ray and Belva (Kempton) Brannan. He attended a one-room school that was right in their own pasture on their land. It was called the Pollyanna School. Gene continued schooling through the 8th grade. He began to drive when he was about 12 years old, helping on the family farm that his grandfather, William Brannan, had homesteaded. Gene met Sharon Fox at the theater in Clark, where she was working. He liked to say with a smile and a twinkle in his eye, "I enjoyed chasing Fox, I caught her, but it took a long time!" After the couple dated some three years they were united in marriage on September 5, 1953 at the St. Michael's parsonage in a small wedding. After a short honeymoon at Watertown, the couple first moved to a small house a quarter mile east of the homestead place and Gene continued helping his dad on the family farm. Around 1958 the couple moved onto the homestead place and took over the operation of Brannan Farms after his father's death. They raised livestock, Herefords and Angus, and small grains. In addition they also had sheep, pigs, and chickens, selling the eggs to Nelson Produce in Bradley. Gene enjoyed socializing with neighbors, spending time with family, dancing, fishing at Fordham Dam, hunting ducks, pheasants and deer and trapping. He continued farming until a farm sale in 1998. In 1968 he was awarded the Outstanding Young Farmer award. After failing health a few years ago, Gene became a resident of the Golden Living Center at Clark. Gene will long be remembered for his love of "head rubs", willing to have one from anyone willing to give him one! Preceding him in death were his parents, parents in law-Walt & Vi Fox and brothers-in-law. Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife of over 60 years, Sharon of Clark, children, Larry (Jeannette) Brannan of Raymond, Pam (John) Hallberg of Omaha, NE and Peggy (Doug) Steever of Sioux Falls; 7 grandchildren with nicknames he gave them all, Michael "Bunker", Nicole "Bodeen", Adrienne "Roso", Jennifer "Fern", J.D. "Bud", Cassandra "Sandree" and Erica "Erick" and 6 great-grandchildren. He also leaves two sisters, Welma Nelson of Bryant and Marjorie Perry of Kansas City, KS and numerous nieces and nephews. Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com