Elvia Brannon

Elvia Rose Brannon was born on February 16, 1938 to Alberto Aleman Cale and Leovigilda Cardenas in the Republic of Panama.  Elvia sadly passed away in Bastrop, Texas at 79 years of age.

As a young woman, she grew up in the interior of Panama and was cared for by a few loving family members especially her grandmother Aleman, and Aunt Eloisa Cardenas. Her nickname was Tita. On her father’s side, she had a half brother, Alberto Aleman Boyd, and half sister, Gladys Aleman Boyd. Later, as her mother remarried to Robert Tweedy, Elvia was brought to the United States at 12 years of age. She quickly learned English and grew up with 2 brothers, Benny and Danny Tweedy, and 5 sisters, Aileen, Nancy, Robbie, Hilda, and Diana Tweedy.  She traveled and lived in various places as a military dependant in such places as Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona and Panama.

At the age of 19 she enlisted in the Air Force and was a proud member of the 4th of July Flight.  She was assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida as a Tabulating Machine Operator, and met the love of her life, Willie Jerry Brannon Jr. They were soon married on August 23, 1959 in Beebe, Arkansas.  The young couple settled in Niceville, Florida to begin their lives together.

As a civilian, she worked at US Air Force Installation Hurlbert Field, Florida and received her AA from Okaloosa Walton Junior College.  She had 2 children Michael and Myra Brannon. She also volunteered as a Candy Striper to help out in hospitals.

By 1974, she and her family relocated to the Panama Canal Zone, where she was so happy to reconnect with her birth father and other Panamanian family members.  During this time in Panama she worked various jobs for the Armed Forces and PanCanal Commission: Rodman Naval Air Station as a Key Punch Operator, MILO Fort Clayton Army Base with the 194th brigade as a Computer Operator, and then worked with Panama Canal Commission as a Billing Processor for ships transiting the Panama Canal.

In 1983, to further her education, she proudly received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Florida State University, Panama Branch.

In 1984 Elvia’s husband, Jerry, retired from the Panama Canal Commission and they relocated to Bastrop, Texas. Together she and Jerry built a beautiful home on 10 acres, and enjoyed the fruits of their years of gardening. Meanwhile, she continued to work in San Marcos, Texas for Primary Health Care as their Accounting Technician for approximately 10 years.

Elvia then continued working as a book keeping volunteer for several years for one of Bastrop’s Catholic Church organizations called The Ladies of Charity.

Elvia and her husband have enjoyed her last 32 years in the peaceful countryside of Pecan Acres of Bastrop, and 58 loving years of marriage. She was a loving wife and mother that will be dearly missed by not only her husband, Jerry, and 2 children-Michael and Myra, but by her son-in-law Patrick Grimison, and 4 grandchildren- Jonathan and Kristen Brannon and Brandon and Chelsea Grimison.

May she now be at peace and in the grace of God.