Una Lewis, the third child of Martin and Alpha (Giddens) Pigman, was born January 26, 1905, in small community located about 30 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. Several months after she was born, the settlement was named Tribbey in honor of Alpheus M. Tribbey, who owned a homestead and laid out and platted the town in October 1905. In 1910, the Pigmans lived in Clovis, New Mexico. By 1918, Martin and Alpha had eight children: John Carl, George, Una Lewis, Nettie, Martin Russell, Winnie, Lloyd Henry, and Joe. In 1920, they lived in San Antonio, New Mexico, about 80 miles south of Albuquerque. At this time, their children were ages 2 to 19. In 1930, they lived in Thoreau, New Mexico, with their three youngest children.
She met and married Albert "Bert" Franklin Bell. The date and place of their marriage is unknown. However, it was probably sometime between 1920 and 1923. A thorough check of the Otero County records indicates the marriage did not take place there.
Virginia (McMillen) Storms, Una's daughter by her second husband, Orville McMillen, has provided the names of their first two children. Their first son, Cecil, was still born; their daughter, Nadine died at a young age of a fever. On Nadine's death certificate her name is recorded as Nadeen M. Bell. She was born September 20, 1925, in Marcia, Otero County, New Mexico. Albert and Una were living in Alamogordo, Otero County, when she died of meningitis on July 8, 1927, at 1:00 o'clock in the morning. Nadeen had contracted whooping cough one month before her death and had come down with dysentery on the Fourth of July. Both conditions contributed to her death. Little Nadeen, who wasn't quite two years old, was buried in Alamogordo Cemetery on the day of her death.
In August 1928, Albert and Una moved to Cloudcroft, a peaceful little resort village east of Alamogordo. Cloudcroft was about 9,000 feet above sea level and was surrounded by the Sacramento Mountain and Capitan Mountain ranges. Albert was employed by the George E. Breece Lumber camp, north of Cloudcroft, as a sub-contractor to help in the construction of a new road.
He had a good job as a logging contractor, things were going well, and they were looking forward to the birth of their baby. They were blessed on September 23, 1928, when Una gave birth to twins; they named Maureen L. and Maurice Franklin. Una's world was shattered exactly two months later, November 23, 1928, when Albert was accidentally killed in a dynamite explosion. She had become a widow at age 23 and was left with two babies to raise.
Una and the twins may have gone to live with her parents after his death. In 1929, she wrote to her sister-in-law, Helen (Bell) Page, who lived in Maryland. The letter is now in the possession of Una and Albert's grand-daughter, Cathy Doggett (daughter of Maurice and Doris Spencer). In it Una discussed grave markers for Albert and told Helen how the twins were getting along.
A few years later, Una married Orville C. McMillen, a widower with two young sons. He and his first wife, Bessie (Burnett), were from Eminence, Missouri. They were living in Dulce, New Mexico, when 25 year old Bessie died on October 17, 1928, from a two year bout with tuberculosis.
Orville, born on July 21, 1896, was seven years older than Una. Their marriage provided a perfect solution for each of them who had been left with two young children to raise. Virginia Storms, their daughter, said her parents had four children, three boys and herself. She and her twin brother, Valdon, were born November 24, 1935, in Bernalillo, a town in the Albuquerque metro area, a few miles north of Albuquerque.
From their farm, Orville was able to provide a living for the family. In August 1935, three months before Virginia and Valdon were born, he was too ill to work. On November 17, 1936, one week before their first birthday, he was admitted to the Veteran Administration Facility in Albuquerque and was seen by Dr. D.C. Groves, the chief medical officer. He died Friday, December 18, 1936, at 7:32 o'clock in the morning, one month and one day after being admitted to the hospital. An autopsy record revealed that carcinoma had spread throughout his body.
Once again Una, at age 31, was left alone, this time with eight children dependent on her; two from her first marriage, Orville's two sons from his first marriage, and four of their own. Even though her parent's and siblings helped, she could barely make ends meet. Around this time she was diagnosed with chronic endocarditis. Two years later, she hesitantly agreed to let Maurice and Maureen go live with their aunt and uncle, Walter and Edna (Bell) Spencer.
Virginia (McMillen) Storms wrote, "Una and Bert actually had four children, first a stillborn baby boy named Cecil, then Nadine who died very young of some kind of fever. Then Sis and Sonny (Maurice and Maureen). They were very young when he was killed. My mother married my father who had two sons, then they had four children, three boys and me. One of the boys was my twin. Our father died of cancer when Valdon and I were 13 months old. Our mother was left with eight children, and even though it wasn't something she wanted to do, she did let Sis and Sonny go live with their Aunt Edna and Uncle Walt. She would not let them adopt them though."
No doubt, the spring of 1938 was a time of sadness for Una when she let her ten-year-old twins go to Greenville, Mississippi, to live with the Spencers.
Una then married Willis D. Branson, a man 24 years older than her. Virginia wrote, "Well when I was still quite young my mother married a third time, she and this Mr. Branson had triplets, three little boys. All three died and are buried in Bernalillo, N.M., where I was born."
Una and Willis lived on Bosque road west of Bernalillo when her health started to fail. Maureen, age 15, had been living with the Spencers five years when she learned about her mother's health and wanted to go home to be with her. The Spencers paid for her transportation, and she was able to spend a few precious months with her mother before she died. Una developed a mild case of flu two weeks before she died. Dr. L.S. Hermmings, a local doctor, was called to the Branson home on Saturday evening, December 11, 1943, when she suddenly took a turn for the worse. She died from a heart attack, late in the evening, at 9:55 p.m. On her death record, Dr. Hermmings indicated that she had suffered only a few minutes after her heart attack before death occurred. She was only 38 years, 10 months, and 15 days old. Una's sister, Nettie Lazinbot, was the informant on her death record.
Una's funeral was held in the Palm Chapel of Strong-Thorne Mortuary, after which she was buried in Fairview Memorial Park Cemetery in Albuquerque. Her obituary was published in the Albuquerque Journal December 13, 1943: "Branson - Mrs. Una Lewis Branson, a resident of Bernalillo, and wife of Willis D. Branson, passed away at her home in Bernalillo late Saturday evening. Besides her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Maurine and Virginia and six sons; Maurice, Shannon, Valden, Orval, Orman, and Uel; her father, two sisters and three brothers. Funeral arrangements will be announced upon the arrival of relatives, the Strong-Thorne Mortuary in charge."
Her funeral was announced in the Albuquerque Journal December 15: "Branson- Funeral services for Mrs. Una L. Branson will be held in Palm Chapel of the Strong-Thorne Mortuary, Wednesday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, the Rev. James Thacker, officiating. Interment will be in Fairview Park. Pallbearers will be W.B. O'Hara, W.H. Eastwood, Marvin Anglin, C.W. Stepp, M.L. Mitchell and R. Foust."
Virginia Storms wrote, "Edna and Walt did bring Sonny (Maurice) to her funeral. Sis (Maureen) was already there as she had come a few months before our Mother died. Valdon and I were eight years old, and the youngest, and our mother's sisters and mother and dad took us all in. It was not a fun childhood in some ways (because) all we children were never all together again."
Information from my book titled "The Family of James and Caroline Bell."
She met and married Albert "Bert" Franklin Bell. The date and place of their marriage is unknown. However, it was probably sometime between 1920 and 1923. A thorough check of the Otero County records indicates the marriage did not take place there.
Virginia (McMillen) Storms, Una's daughter by her second husband, Orville McMillen, has provided the names of their first two children. Their first son, Cecil, was still born; their daughter, Nadine died at a young age of a fever. On Nadine's death certificate her name is recorded as Nadeen M. Bell. She was born September 20, 1925, in Marcia, Otero County, New Mexico. Albert and Una were living in Alamogordo, Otero County, when she died of meningitis on July 8, 1927, at 1:00 o'clock in the morning. Nadeen had contracted whooping cough one month before her death and had come down with dysentery on the Fourth of July. Both conditions contributed to her death. Little Nadeen, who wasn't quite two years old, was buried in Alamogordo Cemetery on the day of her death.
In August 1928, Albert and Una moved to Cloudcroft, a peaceful little resort village east of Alamogordo. Cloudcroft was about 9,000 feet above sea level and was surrounded by the Sacramento Mountain and Capitan Mountain ranges. Albert was employed by the George E. Breece Lumber camp, north of Cloudcroft, as a sub-contractor to help in the construction of a new road.
He had a good job as a logging contractor, things were going well, and they were looking forward to the birth of their baby. They were blessed on September 23, 1928, when Una gave birth to twins; they named Maureen L. and Maurice Franklin. Una's world was shattered exactly two months later, November 23, 1928, when Albert was accidentally killed in a dynamite explosion. She had become a widow at age 23 and was left with two babies to raise.
Una and the twins may have gone to live with her parents after his death. In 1929, she wrote to her sister-in-law, Helen (Bell) Page, who lived in Maryland. The letter is now in the possession of Una and Albert's grand-daughter, Cathy Doggett (daughter of Maurice and Doris Spencer). In it Una discussed grave markers for Albert and told Helen how the twins were getting along.
A few years later, Una married Orville C. McMillen, a widower with two young sons. He and his first wife, Bessie (Burnett), were from Eminence, Missouri. They were living in Dulce, New Mexico, when 25 year old Bessie died on October 17, 1928, from a two year bout with tuberculosis.
Orville, born on July 21, 1896, was seven years older than Una. Their marriage provided a perfect solution for each of them who had been left with two young children to raise. Virginia Storms, their daughter, said her parents had four children, three boys and herself. She and her twin brother, Valdon, were born November 24, 1935, in Bernalillo, a town in the Albuquerque metro area, a few miles north of Albuquerque.
From their farm, Orville was able to provide a living for the family. In August 1935, three months before Virginia and Valdon were born, he was too ill to work. On November 17, 1936, one week before their first birthday, he was admitted to the Veteran Administration Facility in Albuquerque and was seen by Dr. D.C. Groves, the chief medical officer. He died Friday, December 18, 1936, at 7:32 o'clock in the morning, one month and one day after being admitted to the hospital. An autopsy record revealed that carcinoma had spread throughout his body.
Once again Una, at age 31, was left alone, this time with eight children dependent on her; two from her first marriage, Orville's two sons from his first marriage, and four of their own. Even though her parent's and siblings helped, she could barely make ends meet. Around this time she was diagnosed with chronic endocarditis. Two years later, she hesitantly agreed to let Maurice and Maureen go live with their aunt and uncle, Walter and Edna (Bell) Spencer.
Virginia (McMillen) Storms wrote, "Una and Bert actually had four children, first a stillborn baby boy named Cecil, then Nadine who died very young of some kind of fever. Then Sis and Sonny (Maurice and Maureen). They were very young when he was killed. My mother married my father who had two sons, then they had four children, three boys and me. One of the boys was my twin. Our father died of cancer when Valdon and I were 13 months old. Our mother was left with eight children, and even though it wasn't something she wanted to do, she did let Sis and Sonny go live with their Aunt Edna and Uncle Walt. She would not let them adopt them though."
No doubt, the spring of 1938 was a time of sadness for Una when she let her ten-year-old twins go to Greenville, Mississippi, to live with the Spencers.
Una then married Willis D. Branson, a man 24 years older than her. Virginia wrote, "Well when I was still quite young my mother married a third time, she and this Mr. Branson had triplets, three little boys. All three died and are buried in Bernalillo, N.M., where I was born."
Una and Willis lived on Bosque road west of Bernalillo when her health started to fail. Maureen, age 15, had been living with the Spencers five years when she learned about her mother's health and wanted to go home to be with her. The Spencers paid for her transportation, and she was able to spend a few precious months with her mother before she died. Una developed a mild case of flu two weeks before she died. Dr. L.S. Hermmings, a local doctor, was called to the Branson home on Saturday evening, December 11, 1943, when she suddenly took a turn for the worse. She died from a heart attack, late in the evening, at 9:55 p.m. On her death record, Dr. Hermmings indicated that she had suffered only a few minutes after her heart attack before death occurred. She was only 38 years, 10 months, and 15 days old. Una's sister, Nettie Lazinbot, was the informant on her death record.
Una's funeral was held in the Palm Chapel of Strong-Thorne Mortuary, after which she was buried in Fairview Memorial Park Cemetery in Albuquerque. Her obituary was published in the Albuquerque Journal December 13, 1943: "Branson - Mrs. Una Lewis Branson, a resident of Bernalillo, and wife of Willis D. Branson, passed away at her home in Bernalillo late Saturday evening. Besides her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Maurine and Virginia and six sons; Maurice, Shannon, Valden, Orval, Orman, and Uel; her father, two sisters and three brothers. Funeral arrangements will be announced upon the arrival of relatives, the Strong-Thorne Mortuary in charge."
Her funeral was announced in the Albuquerque Journal December 15: "Branson- Funeral services for Mrs. Una L. Branson will be held in Palm Chapel of the Strong-Thorne Mortuary, Wednesday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, the Rev. James Thacker, officiating. Interment will be in Fairview Park. Pallbearers will be W.B. O'Hara, W.H. Eastwood, Marvin Anglin, C.W. Stepp, M.L. Mitchell and R. Foust."
Virginia Storms wrote, "Edna and Walt did bring Sonny (Maurice) to her funeral. Sis (Maureen) was already there as she had come a few months before our Mother died. Valdon and I were eight years old, and the youngest, and our mother's sisters and mother and dad took us all in. It was not a fun childhood in some ways (because) all we children were never all together again."
Information from my book titled "The Family of James and Caroline Bell."
Una Lewis, the third child of Martin and Alpha (Giddens) Pigman, was born January 26, 1905, in small community located about 30 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. Several months after she was born, the settlement was named Tribbey in honor of Alpheus M. Tribbey, who owned a homestead and laid out and platted the town in October 1905. In 1910, the Pigmans lived in Clovis, New Mexico. By 1918, Martin and Alpha had eight children: John Carl, George, Una Lewis, Nettie, Martin Russell, Winnie, Lloyd Henry, and Joe. In 1920, they lived in San Antonio, New Mexico, about 80 miles south of Albuquerque. At this time, their children were ages 2 to 19. In 1930, they lived in Thoreau, New Mexico, with their three youngest children.
She met and married Albert "Bert" Franklin Bell. The date and place of their marriage is unknown. However, it was probably sometime between 1920 and 1923. A thorough check of the Otero County records indicates the marriage did not take place there.
Virginia (McMillen) Storms, Una's daughter by her second husband, Orville McMillen, has provided the names of their first two children. Their first son, Cecil, was still born; their daughter, Nadine died at a young age of a fever. On Nadine's death certificate her name is recorded as Nadeen M. Bell. She was born September 20, 1925, in Marcia, Otero County, New Mexico. Albert and Una were living in Alamogordo, Otero County, when she died of meningitis on July 8, 1927, at 1:00 o'clock in the morning. Nadeen had contracted whooping cough one month before her death and had come down with dysentery on the Fourth of July. Both conditions contributed to her death. Little Nadeen, who wasn't quite two years old, was buried in Alamogordo Cemetery on the day of her death.
In August 1928, Albert and Una moved to Cloudcroft, a peaceful little resort village east of Alamogordo. Cloudcroft was about 9,000 feet above sea level and was surrounded by the Sacramento Mountain and Capitan Mountain ranges. Albert was employed by the George E. Breece Lumber camp, north of Cloudcroft, as a sub-contractor to help in the construction of a new road.
He had a good job as a logging contractor, things were going well, and they were looking forward to the birth of their baby. They were blessed on September 23, 1928, when Una gave birth to twins; they named Maureen L. and Maurice Franklin. Una's world was shattered exactly two months later, November 23, 1928, when Albert was accidentally killed in a dynamite explosion. She had become a widow at age 23 and was left with two babies to raise.
Una and the twins may have gone to live with her parents after his death. In 1929, she wrote to her sister-in-law, Helen (Bell) Page, who lived in Maryland. The letter is now in the possession of Una and Albert's grand-daughter, Cathy Doggett (daughter of Maurice and Doris Spencer). In it Una discussed grave markers for Albert and told Helen how the twins were getting along.
A few years later, Una married Orville C. McMillen, a widower with two young sons. He and his first wife, Bessie (Burnett), were from Eminence, Missouri. They were living in Dulce, New Mexico, when 25 year old Bessie died on October 17, 1928, from a two year bout with tuberculosis.
Orville, born on July 21, 1896, was seven years older than Una. Their marriage provided a perfect solution for each of them who had been left with two young children to raise. Virginia Storms, their daughter, said her parents had four children, three boys and herself. She and her twin brother, Valdon, were born November 24, 1935, in Bernalillo, a town in the Albuquerque metro area, a few miles north of Albuquerque.
From their farm, Orville was able to provide a living for the family. In August 1935, three months before Virginia and Valdon were born, he was too ill to work. On November 17, 1936, one week before their first birthday, he was admitted to the Veteran Administration Facility in Albuquerque and was seen by Dr. D.C. Groves, the chief medical officer. He died Friday, December 18, 1936, at 7:32 o'clock in the morning, one month and one day after being admitted to the hospital. An autopsy record revealed that carcinoma had spread throughout his body.
Once again Una, at age 31, was left alone, this time with eight children dependent on her; two from her first marriage, Orville's two sons from his first marriage, and four of their own. Even though her parent's and siblings helped, she could barely make ends meet. Around this time she was diagnosed with chronic endocarditis. Two years later, she hesitantly agreed to let Maurice and Maureen go live with their aunt and uncle, Walter and Edna (Bell) Spencer.
Virginia (McMillen) Storms wrote, "Una and Bert actually had four children, first a stillborn baby boy named Cecil, then Nadine who died very young of some kind of fever. Then Sis and Sonny (Maurice and Maureen). They were very young when he was killed. My mother married my father who had two sons, then they had four children, three boys and me. One of the boys was my twin. Our father died of cancer when Valdon and I were 13 months old. Our mother was left with eight children, and even though it wasn't something she wanted to do, she did let Sis and Sonny go live with their Aunt Edna and Uncle Walt. She would not let them adopt them though."
No doubt, the spring of 1938 was a time of sadness for Una when she let her ten-year-old twins go to Greenville, Mississippi, to live with the Spencers.
Una then married Willis D. Branson, a man 24 years older than her. Virginia wrote, "Well when I was still quite young my mother married a third time, she and this Mr. Branson had triplets, three little boys. All three died and are buried in Bernalillo, N.M., where I was born."
Una and Willis lived on Bosque road west of Bernalillo when her health started to fail. Maureen, age 15, had been living with the Spencers five years when she learned about her mother's health and wanted to go home to be with her. The Spencers paid for her transportation, and she was able to spend a few precious months with her mother before she died. Una developed a mild case of flu two weeks before she died. Dr. L.S. Hermmings, a local doctor, was called to the Branson home on Saturday evening, December 11, 1943, when she suddenly took a turn for the worse. She died from a heart attack, late in the evening, at 9:55 p.m. On her death record, Dr. Hermmings indicated that she had suffered only a few minutes after her heart attack before death occurred. She was only 38 years, 10 months, and 15 days old. Una's sister, Nettie Lazinbot, was the informant on her death record.
Una's funeral was held in the Palm Chapel of Strong-Thorne Mortuary, after which she was buried in Fairview Memorial Park Cemetery in Albuquerque. Her obituary was published in the Albuquerque Journal December 13, 1943: "Branson - Mrs. Una Lewis Branson, a resident of Bernalillo, and wife of Willis D. Branson, passed away at her home in Bernalillo late Saturday evening. Besides her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Maurine and Virginia and six sons; Maurice, Shannon, Valden, Orval, Orman, and Uel; her father, two sisters and three brothers. Funeral arrangements will be announced upon the arrival of relatives, the Strong-Thorne Mortuary in charge."
Her funeral was announced in the Albuquerque Journal December 15: "Branson- Funeral services for Mrs. Una L. Branson will be held in Palm Chapel of the Strong-Thorne Mortuary, Wednesday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, the Rev. James Thacker, officiating. Interment will be in Fairview Park. Pallbearers will be W.B. O'Hara, W.H. Eastwood, Marvin Anglin, C.W. Stepp, M.L. Mitchell and R. Foust."
Virginia Storms wrote, "Edna and Walt did bring Sonny (Maurice) to her funeral. Sis (Maureen) was already there as she had come a few months before our Mother died. Valdon and I were eight years old, and the youngest, and our mother's sisters and mother and dad took us all in. It was not a fun childhood in some ways (because) all we children were never all together again."
Information from my book titled "The Family of James and Caroline Bell."
She met and married Albert "Bert" Franklin Bell. The date and place of their marriage is unknown. However, it was probably sometime between 1920 and 1923. A thorough check of the Otero County records indicates the marriage did not take place there.
Virginia (McMillen) Storms, Una's daughter by her second husband, Orville McMillen, has provided the names of their first two children. Their first son, Cecil, was still born; their daughter, Nadine died at a young age of a fever. On Nadine's death certificate her name is recorded as Nadeen M. Bell. She was born September 20, 1925, in Marcia, Otero County, New Mexico. Albert and Una were living in Alamogordo, Otero County, when she died of meningitis on July 8, 1927, at 1:00 o'clock in the morning. Nadeen had contracted whooping cough one month before her death and had come down with dysentery on the Fourth of July. Both conditions contributed to her death. Little Nadeen, who wasn't quite two years old, was buried in Alamogordo Cemetery on the day of her death.
In August 1928, Albert and Una moved to Cloudcroft, a peaceful little resort village east of Alamogordo. Cloudcroft was about 9,000 feet above sea level and was surrounded by the Sacramento Mountain and Capitan Mountain ranges. Albert was employed by the George E. Breece Lumber camp, north of Cloudcroft, as a sub-contractor to help in the construction of a new road.
He had a good job as a logging contractor, things were going well, and they were looking forward to the birth of their baby. They were blessed on September 23, 1928, when Una gave birth to twins; they named Maureen L. and Maurice Franklin. Una's world was shattered exactly two months later, November 23, 1928, when Albert was accidentally killed in a dynamite explosion. She had become a widow at age 23 and was left with two babies to raise.
Una and the twins may have gone to live with her parents after his death. In 1929, she wrote to her sister-in-law, Helen (Bell) Page, who lived in Maryland. The letter is now in the possession of Una and Albert's grand-daughter, Cathy Doggett (daughter of Maurice and Doris Spencer). In it Una discussed grave markers for Albert and told Helen how the twins were getting along.
A few years later, Una married Orville C. McMillen, a widower with two young sons. He and his first wife, Bessie (Burnett), were from Eminence, Missouri. They were living in Dulce, New Mexico, when 25 year old Bessie died on October 17, 1928, from a two year bout with tuberculosis.
Orville, born on July 21, 1896, was seven years older than Una. Their marriage provided a perfect solution for each of them who had been left with two young children to raise. Virginia Storms, their daughter, said her parents had four children, three boys and herself. She and her twin brother, Valdon, were born November 24, 1935, in Bernalillo, a town in the Albuquerque metro area, a few miles north of Albuquerque.
From their farm, Orville was able to provide a living for the family. In August 1935, three months before Virginia and Valdon were born, he was too ill to work. On November 17, 1936, one week before their first birthday, he was admitted to the Veteran Administration Facility in Albuquerque and was seen by Dr. D.C. Groves, the chief medical officer. He died Friday, December 18, 1936, at 7:32 o'clock in the morning, one month and one day after being admitted to the hospital. An autopsy record revealed that carcinoma had spread throughout his body.
Once again Una, at age 31, was left alone, this time with eight children dependent on her; two from her first marriage, Orville's two sons from his first marriage, and four of their own. Even though her parent's and siblings helped, she could barely make ends meet. Around this time she was diagnosed with chronic endocarditis. Two years later, she hesitantly agreed to let Maurice and Maureen go live with their aunt and uncle, Walter and Edna (Bell) Spencer.
Virginia (McMillen) Storms wrote, "Una and Bert actually had four children, first a stillborn baby boy named Cecil, then Nadine who died very young of some kind of fever. Then Sis and Sonny (Maurice and Maureen). They were very young when he was killed. My mother married my father who had two sons, then they had four children, three boys and me. One of the boys was my twin. Our father died of cancer when Valdon and I were 13 months old. Our mother was left with eight children, and even though it wasn't something she wanted to do, she did let Sis and Sonny go live with their Aunt Edna and Uncle Walt. She would not let them adopt them though."
No doubt, the spring of 1938 was a time of sadness for Una when she let her ten-year-old twins go to Greenville, Mississippi, to live with the Spencers.
Una then married Willis D. Branson, a man 24 years older than her. Virginia wrote, "Well when I was still quite young my mother married a third time, she and this Mr. Branson had triplets, three little boys. All three died and are buried in Bernalillo, N.M., where I was born."
Una and Willis lived on Bosque road west of Bernalillo when her health started to fail. Maureen, age 15, had been living with the Spencers five years when she learned about her mother's health and wanted to go home to be with her. The Spencers paid for her transportation, and she was able to spend a few precious months with her mother before she died. Una developed a mild case of flu two weeks before she died. Dr. L.S. Hermmings, a local doctor, was called to the Branson home on Saturday evening, December 11, 1943, when she suddenly took a turn for the worse. She died from a heart attack, late in the evening, at 9:55 p.m. On her death record, Dr. Hermmings indicated that she had suffered only a few minutes after her heart attack before death occurred. She was only 38 years, 10 months, and 15 days old. Una's sister, Nettie Lazinbot, was the informant on her death record.
Una's funeral was held in the Palm Chapel of Strong-Thorne Mortuary, after which she was buried in Fairview Memorial Park Cemetery in Albuquerque. Her obituary was published in the Albuquerque Journal December 13, 1943: "Branson - Mrs. Una Lewis Branson, a resident of Bernalillo, and wife of Willis D. Branson, passed away at her home in Bernalillo late Saturday evening. Besides her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Maurine and Virginia and six sons; Maurice, Shannon, Valden, Orval, Orman, and Uel; her father, two sisters and three brothers. Funeral arrangements will be announced upon the arrival of relatives, the Strong-Thorne Mortuary in charge."
Her funeral was announced in the Albuquerque Journal December 15: "Branson- Funeral services for Mrs. Una L. Branson will be held in Palm Chapel of the Strong-Thorne Mortuary, Wednesday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, the Rev. James Thacker, officiating. Interment will be in Fairview Park. Pallbearers will be W.B. O'Hara, W.H. Eastwood, Marvin Anglin, C.W. Stepp, M.L. Mitchell and R. Foust."
Virginia Storms wrote, "Edna and Walt did bring Sonny (Maurice) to her funeral. Sis (Maureen) was already there as she had come a few months before our Mother died. Valdon and I were eight years old, and the youngest, and our mother's sisters and mother and dad took us all in. It was not a fun childhood in some ways (because) all we children were never all together again."
Information from my book titled "The Family of James and Caroline Bell."
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