Memorial services will be held at a later date for 76-year old Frances “Fran” Brandon of Gretna, who taught at Whitney and Chadron Assumption High School.
Flowers may be sent to St. Patrick’s Church in Gretna and memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society or to the Grand Island Central Catholic Development Foundation.
Frances Ann Brandon was born in Rockford, Ill., on Jan. 10, 1944, to Glenn and Catherine Shomler. She died Sept. 23, 2020, after a long battle with cancer.
A lover of family, friends and bad photoshopping, Fran was the oldest of six children and graduated from Bishop Muldoon High School in 1962. While attending Edgewood College in Madison, Wis., Fran met the love of her life, Hugh Brandon.
Hugh and Fran were married Aug. 13, 1966, and moved to Pasadena, Texas, where Hugh was stationed with the Air Force.
In 1969, Hugh enrolled in Chadron State College while Fran taught in nearby Whitney. After Hugh’s graduation, the couple were both employed at Chadron Assumption where Hugh made exactly one dollar more than Fran since he was the head of the family. Their oldest child, Mike, was born in Chadron.
Hugh was hired as a teacher and coach at Hay Springs in 1972, and Fran gave birth to three more children before the family moved to Grand Island. Hugh was the superintendent/principal at Grand Island Central Catholic for 12 years, and Fran taught at West Lawn Elementary for 15 years before retiring from teaching.
In 2008, the couple moved to Gretna to be closer to their children.
Fran was diagnosed with cancer in 2016. Hugh cared for her at home for four years until she was admitted to the Hospice House in Omaha in early September. Fran passed away surrounded by her family.
She loved sewing, genealogy, watching Friends, socializing with her many friends, volunteering at church and listening to the music of Anne Murray, Kenny Rogers and Neil Diamond.
Fran was welcomed into Heaven by her parents.
Survivors include her loving husband of 54 years, Hugh Brandon; children, Mike (Kelly) Brandon, Kelly Brandon, Erin (Travis) Meismer, and Sean Brandon, all of Gretna and Omaha. Also surviving are siblings, Dan and Sue Shomler, Mary and Tom Thompson, Bill and Pam Shomler, Kathy and Phil Cortolano, and Liz and Scott Waller. Fran’s surviving grandchildren include Hannah, Maya and Roan Brandon, Emily Brandon, Sophie and Max Epps, Rory Meismer and Luke Brandon.