Sidney Allen Branham

Sidney Allen Branham (Big Sid, Dad, Big Pop Pop, Pop Pop, Poppy) was born on September 13, 1927, on Bear Mountain, an area of Amherst County, VA, and was a member of the Monacan Indian Tribe. His parents were James Bennett Branham and Minnie Virginia Johns Branham. He was the youngest son of 9 children, including 4 brothers and 4 sisters. He is survived by 1 sister, Lillian Branham Dasher, of Ellicott City, MD. His family moved to Baltimore County, MD when he was 10 years old. He grew up there, and worked for local farmers, and then in 1943, at the age of 16, he followed his older brothers into the military services, as a Merchant Marine. He served onboard the supply ships during World War II, in Alaska. Following the war, he lived in Helena, Montana, and drove a cab, and was a short order cook. He met and married his first wife, Ann Koffler, in 1946, and they lived in North Dakota and they had three children, Barbara Virginia Tucker, who now resides in Halethorpe, MD, Kathleen Ann Bruchey of Glen Burnie, MD, and Sidney Allen Branham II, of Arbutus, MD. He moved back to Maryland in 1949, and started working in the construction industry, as an oiler. He worked for various companies such as Potts & Callahan and Victor A. Pyle Construction Company, in and around Baltimore. He was a member of Operating Engineers Local #37. He worked on the original Baltimore Civic Center, the MD Science Center, the Smithsonian Institute, and the first William Preston Lane Memorial Bridge, also known as the “Chesapeake Bay Bridge”, and numerous other projects through the years. In May of 1962 he met his second wife, Stephanie Anne Burras of Lansdowne, MD. They were married on September 15, 1962, and they had five children, Alisa Anne Branham, John Eric Branham, Michael Allen Branham, Joseph Allen Branham, all of Centreville, MD, and James Bennett Branham of Sudlersville, MD. He continued working in the construction field for R.O. Linder''s Construction Company, also known as Rolcom, Inc., as a superintendent, traveling to many surrounding states. In 1972, he moved his family to a farm on the Eastern Shore, in Centreville, MD, fulfilling one of his dreams to live in the country. He became a part-time farmer, raising various animals, crops, vegetables, and children on their small farm, named Windy Acres, near Starkey''s Corner. With his love for the construction industry, he continued to work full-time, passing on his knowledge, wisdom, and talent to many around him, while helping to strengthen the companies for which he worked. He later left a well-paying superintendent’s position, to work closer to home and without travel, so he could enjoy his family and new farm life. On the Eastern Shore he worked for Tuck Davidson Construction Company, Andersen Crane Service, and finally Lindstrom Excavating Contractors, Inc., retiring in 1993, but continuing to work on a part-time basis for Lindstrom’s. On December 3, 1993, he suffered a major stroke, which forced him to retire from construction permanently, however, over the years he continued to share his knowledge of the construction industry, and verbally voice his opinion, to many around him who sought out his expertise! In his later years, he enjoyed many visits from family and friends, and entertaining the grandchildren and great-grandchildren with his harmonica. He also loved just sitting quietly, and watching all the wildlife that came and went on the fields and ponds at Windy Acres. He was an avid baseball fan, and could be found in front of the television or radio, in his favorite chair, for each game, rooting on his #1 team, the Baltimore Orioles, to victory! He is survived by his loving wife and full-time caretaker Stephanie, of almost 45 years of marriage, and his 5 sons, 3 daughters, and their spouses, and 11 grandsons, 13 granddaughters, 6 great-grandsons, 4 great-granddaughters, and 1 great-grandchild on the way, and many dear friends and neighbors in the community. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, August 16, 2007 at 11 am at Our Mother of Sorrows, 303 Chesterfield Avenue, Centreville, MD 21617. Interment will follow at St. Peter’s Cemetery, 5319 Ocean Gateway, Queenstown, MD 21658. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Our Mother of Sorrows/St Peter’s Catholic Church, 303 Chesterfield Avenue, Centreville, MD 21617; Church Hill Volunteer Fire Department, 316 Main Street, Church Hill, MD 21623; Goodwill Fire Department, 212 Broadway, Centreville, MD 21617; and the Benedictine School, 14299 Benedictine Lane, Ridgely, MD 21660.

Sidney Allen Branham

August 13, 2007