Braden Family

Contributed: January 2006

Written and submitted by Douglas Allen Braden, Wichita Falls, Texas

John Braden (1803-1898) was the head of an early Itawamba County family. He was born in Georgia and married Martha Patsy Caldwell (born in 1802 in South Carolina, died in 1812). The place of death for both remains unknown.

Both John and Martha had been married before. John's first wife was Simnthie Porter, probably born in South Carolina, where she and John lived.

John and Martha lived in South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama and before 1850 had moved to Monroe County, Mississippi. In early 1850 they moved to Itawamba County with ten children. Other Bradens lived in the county and were probably brothers, cousins, and uncles. However, I have not researched those families and do not know exactly how they were related. All of them appear to have remained in Itawamba until after the Civil War. By 1870 they had either moved into other counties or perhaps become residents of newly-formed counties. Some may not have moved, but because of boundary changes were living in other counties.

John Braden's children were:

  1. William M. Braden, born 1832 in SC; served as private in Co. I, 3rd Batt. as well as Co. B.
  2. Austin C. Braden, born 1829
  3. Perry Braden, born 1830; served as private in Co. B, 1st MS "Mooresville Darts."
  4. Martha Anne Braden, born 1832 in MS, may have married Jeff Barnett (?) [NOTE: is it likely she was born in Mississippi in 1832 given the chronology above and given the birthplace of writer's gggrandfather?]
  5. J. H. "Henry" Braden, born 1833; served as private Co. H 2nd. Reg. MS. Cavalry and Co. E, 4th MS Inf.
  6. Soloman Braden, born 1835
  7. Elizabeth Braden, born 1838
  8. Rebecca Braden, born 1840
  9. David Calhoun Braden, my great great grandfather, born 1831 or 1841, according to various census records and grave marker. Since he was supposed to have been born in Alabama, I lean toward the 1931 date. Served 10th MS. Inf. Married Annie Jackson Leslie, born Feb 1847, died 1917. Both are buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Itawamba County, MS.
  10. James K. P. Braden, born 1846; served Co. L and C. J. L. Findley's Co. 10th MS Inf.
  11. William Newman "Nooner" Braden, born 1844, died January 5, 1929; served as private in Co. E, Ham's Reg. MS Cavalry and 16th MS Cavalry; married Martha Ada Byers; both buried in Camp Creek Cemetery, MS.

All of David Calhoun Braden's children were born in Itawamba County, most of them on his father's farm, Braden's Branch (later called Wamble's Farm) near Ratliff. David and the family lived there until near the end of his life when they moved to a place near Baldwyn. All but one of his sons, along with other relatives, moved to Texas near the end of the 1800s. My grandfather Henry Vester (Vess) Braden remained in Itawamba County.

David Calhoun Braden's children were:

  1. J. Vanderer (Van) Braden, born 1868, married and moved to Alice, TX.
  2. Sammie Inez Braden, born Oct. 1869, married John Clifton (Buddy)
    3. Grissom. Both are buried in the Grissom plot, Oak Grove, Itawamba County, along with many of their children and family.
  3. Robert Lee (Bob) Braden, born 1872, married Susan K. Wilson, moved to Waco, TX area.
  4. Henry Vester (Vess) Braden, my grandfather (see below).
  5. George Luther (Lu) Braden, born 1874, married Docia Carruthers, moved to Corpus Christie, TX.
  6. Horatio P. (Orcie,Oracle) Braden, born Mar. 28, 1876, died Feb. 11, 1900 married Jane Renolds, born Aug. 1873; both are buried in Oak Grove, MS.
  7. Emma E. Braden, born Sept 16, 1878, died Dec 10, 1892, never married, buried Oak Grove, MS.
  8. Charles William Braden, born May 17, 1883, died April 1948, married Roxie [is this correct reading?], Dec 25, 1910 in Ratliff.
  9. Armenthia Stalkner Tucker [husband's surname?], born Nov. 22,1885 in Alabama, died Feb.23, 1985, moved to Sherman, TX where they are buried in West Hill Cemetery.
  10. May Edna Braden, born Oct 1885, married H. S. (Victor) Farrow.

Henry Vester Braden

Henry Vester (Vess, Foxey, Dutch) Braden, born Feb. 13, 1873, died March 25, 1948 in Belden, MS. He married Verna Anne Mitchel, born Nov. 13, 1883 in Ratliff, MS., died June 24, 1975. Her father was Benjamin Crittendon Mitchell, born Decatur, AL, Jan. 26, 1851, died Jan. 11, 1896. Her mother was Nancy Jamima Ratliff, born Feb. 21, 1855 in Ratliff, MS, died Jan. 27, 1915. Nancy was the daughter of E. David and Jane Forbus Ratliff. The Mitchells are buried in Oak Grove.

Henry Vester Braden and Verna Mitchel married in Tombigbee in March 1899. They lived in Itawamba County and later moved to Lee County near Baldwyn, then to Tupelo, and finally to Belden about 1939. Most of their fourteen children were born in Itawamba County, and some lived there until their deaths.

Henry and Verna's children were:

  1. Annie Bell Braden, born Aug. 16, 1900, died Aug. 22, 1903, buried Oak Grove.
  2. David Quitman Braden, born June 10, 1902, died Aug. 8, 1969, married Sula Mae Hester, born 1906. Both are buried in the Hester plot, Friendship Cemetery. Lee Co. They had eight children and spent their lives along the MS Coast.
  3. Emma Gladys (Aunt Dutch) Braden, born Sept. 22, 1903, never married, died Sept 6, 1968 in Tupelo; buried in Belden in family plot.
  4. George Luther Braden, born Oct. 13, 1905, died 1984 in Belden, married Oct. 7, 1925 Nora (Aunt Son) Mears, born Oct. 7, 1905, died 1985, buried Belden. Son Roy Stokes Braden, born Sept. 26,1928, died March 25, 1929, buried in Oak Grove in Grissom lot next to Sammie Braden Grissom.
  5. Clester Vivian Braden, born Feb.18, 1908, died March 24, 1965, married Wesley Smith, Sr., born Feb. 11, 1908, died March 14, 1974. Both are buried in Eclatubba Cemetery in Guntown. Had nine children.
  6. Robert Gordon (Red) Braden, born Mar. 30, 1909, died 1997, married Eva Kelly from Calhoun Co., MS on March 12, 1952. Both buried in Belden. One son Robert Wayne (Bobbie).
  7. Mary Alice Braden, born Dec. 21, 1910, died Oct 4, 1976, Tupelo, married George Erwin Newcomb on Dec. 24, 1928. Both buried in Mayfield Cemetery, Saltillo, MS. Three sons, one daughter.
  8. Vester Coleman (Boney) Braden, born May 17, 1913, died July 7, 1983 in Belden, married Louise Monaghan, born May 14, 1917, died Nov. 1986, the daughter of George & Annie Province Monaghan of Monroe Co., MS. Buried in Tupelo Gardens, Verona, MS. One daughter Patricia Braden Henson, Jr. [husband's surname?]
  9. William Henry Braden, born Feb 10, 1915, died April 16, 1972, married Loyzelle Robinson, born in Oklahoma. Lived most of their lives in W. Helena, AR, where both died. Three sons and two daughters.
  10. Johnny Dalton Braden, born Nov. 10, 1916, died March 25, 1974, married Ellis Murphy, one daughter, divorced. Married Lizzie Purlee Hall on July 12,1946. She died 1995. Both buried Tupelo Gardens, Verona, MS. Lived in Belden until they moved to Tupelo in 1970. Child died in Illinois in the 1940s.
  11. Shalor Olen Braden, born Nov. 5, 1918, died Sept. 27, 1974 in Athens, AL, married Clotilde (Clo) Wade, born Oct. 21, 1924 in Stonewall, MS, the daughter of John and Mary Wade, died Dec. 9, 2004 in Athens, AL. Both buried in Athens, AL. One son, two daughters.
  12. Lt. Col. Loyce Allen (Brad) Braden, U.S. Army, my father (see below).
  13. Dr. Guy Brice (Ted) Braden, Ph.D., born Sept. 25, 1923, died Jan 2, 1971 on Natchez Trace, married Jean Shurden, who is still living. He was a National Park historian and Park Ranger for the Natchez Trace, which he helped research and build. He is buried in Tupelo. Two daughters and one son, Dr. David Braden.
  14. Jean Mitchell Braden, born Aug. 22, 1926 in Baldwyn, MS, still living. She married Dad Golding and lived in Belden, where he is buried. Two sons.

All male members of this generation served with honor in WW II in a combat arms unit. Most were in Europe, some in Asia either in the Army or the Marines with Ted being a Marine Ranger. All were decorated, serving with pride learned in the red dirt of Itawamba Co. MS. They were farmers and the sons of a farmer, all proud to be from Mississippi for over 160 years, and proud to be following the lead of their ancestors who fought so bravely in the Civil War.

Loyce Allen (Brad) Braden

Lt. Col. Loyce Allen (Brad) Braden, born Dec 15, 1921 (or 1919 or 1920, depending on which official record you look at; the family says 1921), died July 13, 1960, Ft. Hood, Killeen, TX. Married March 28, 1947 to Julie Ophelia Thompson, born July 12,1921 in Brownwood, TX, died May 20, 2002 in Wichita Falls,TX. Both buried in Ft. Sill Old Post National Cemetery, Lawton, OK. She was the daughter of Charles Edward (Ned) and Ida Elizabeth Thompson, both of whom were born in Brownwood, died in Dallas TX, and are buried in Greenleaf Cemetery, Brownwood. TX.

Two children: Douglas Allen Braden, born May 20, 1948, at Ft. Bliss, El Paso, TX and Nancy Anne Braden, born Feb. 25, 1959 in Akien, SC.

Brad joined the Mississippi National Guard in 1937, returned to Tupelo where he graduated from E. Tupelo, and then returned to the army as a sergeant on active duty. He was in the Field Artillery in WW II, serving with the 1st State Division (always proud to be a BIG RED ONE) in the North Africa Invasion, Kasierene Pass, North Africa, the Invasion of Sicily, and Italy. He was wounded at Monte Casinio. He was a forward observer at Normandy, directing naval fire on the Beach at Omaha. He was in the breakout at St. Lowe and moved on through the hedgerows into Paris; went on with the First to the low countries into Argonne and into Bastone. Brad was proud to have been one of The Battling Bastards of Bastone, surviving the Bulge. His unit spearheaded the breakout at Aachen and continued on toward the bridge at Remagen. His unit fired the first rounds into Germany and helped break through the Siegfried Line into Germany. There they broke east to free POWs from the border camps into Austria.

After WW II, Brad stayed in the army, moving all over. When the Korean conflict broke out, he was already in Japan. Once again he served with the First and as a Liaison Officer with the First Marines in the campaign that came to be known as the Chosen Frozen. He was in Inchon and Pusan, as well as in many other battles with the First. After Korea he continued his army career, returning to Germany, to South Carolina, and finally back to Texas. Brad received every decoration for valor except a Medal of Honor, many of the decorations with silver stars and clusters.