Donald Branham
Donald Eugene “Don” Branham, age 87, died Aug. 23 in Bellingham.
Born to Alvin and Leetie Branham at Climax, KS on Sept. 5, 1934, Don grew up in Phoenix, Ariz. where he met and, on Feb. 19, 1953, married Zola Schiffler, who survives him after just shy of 70 years of “running for the roses” together.
In 1955 Don and Zola followed her parents to Everson where they have resided ever since.
Surviving Don are his brother Howell Branham of Phoenix, his dear wife Zola, their children Steve (Shirley) Branham, Jim (Mary) Branham, Karen (Jim) Dempsey, and Larry Branham, all of Whatcom County.
Don is also survived by five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, all of whom brought him great delight and engendered in him much pride.
Not to be overlooked as Don’s survivors are the legion of young people Don lead, mentored and supported as a Boy Scout leader (17 years), as an assistant to his wife during her many years of leadership efforts in the Camp Fire organization, and as a stalwart super fan of Nooksack Valley High School sports teams.
Predeceasing Don were his parents, his brother A.J. Branham, and sisters Lawanda Pitts and Feldra Venable.
Upon arriving in Whatcom County, Don purchased Mt. Baker Silo from Elmer Timmer and he set upon building many of the concrete silos still visible on Whatcom County farms today.
After selling Mt. Baker Silo in the mid-1960s, Don went to work for Bellingham’s Dawson Construction Company as Jack Dawson’s first employee.
Don remained with Dawson until he retired in 2007.
Don was Dawson’s principle project manager for the company’s work in Alaska where he managed many interesting and challenging construction projects for both government and private owners.
Among those construction projects was the building of Dawson’s Sitka Ready-Mix plant which he subsequently managed until the year 2000.
Don was an avid outdoorsman and greatly enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping, and sharing those experiences with friends, family and his boys of the Boy Scouts of America, Everson, Troop 27.
Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Sept. 8 at Gillies Funeral Home in Lynden. A Ten Mile Cemetery graveside committal service will be held on Sept. 9 at noon, and will be followed by a 2 p.m. Celebration of Life at Fountain Community Church, 2100 Broadway, Bellingham.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Don’s memory to any of the following:
Make a check to BSA Scout Troop 4027 and give to a family member; Camp Fire Samish Council’s Camp Kirby: http://www.campfiresamish.org/donate; OR Nooksack Christian Fellowship, PO Box 4204 Nooksack, WA 98276.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Gillies Funeral Home and Cremation Services.
