Ed Branson, 96

Edward "Ed" J. Branson, 96, of Mountain Home, died Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004, at a Boise hospital.

No local services will be held. Local arrangements are under the direction of Summers Funeral Homes, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home. Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18 at Apostolic Lutheran Church in Kingston, Minn.

Ed was born Oct. 28, 1908. He grew up north of Kimball.

Ed had lived a productive and fruitful life, being of a large family of 13, his family noted.

He worked in North Dakota where he met his wife, Agnes Anderson.

He worked at the Ford Plant in St. Paul. They moved to Forest City, so he could farm and there moved to the farm in 1938 where he lived all his life.

The last year and a half he spent living with his daughter, JoAnn and Frank Mack, in Mountain Home.

Ed and Agnes were married 72 years. Agnes preceded him in death in October 2000.

Ed enjoyed fishing, hunting and gardening. "He loved playing with his great-grandchildren until the day he passed away," his family said.

Ed is survived by: his daughter, JoAnn (Frank) Mack of Mountain Home; son Elmer from Richmond, Minn.; brother Robert (Dorothy) Brandon; sisters Elsie LeKander and Irene (Bob) Myers; two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews and "thousands of friends who he would do anything for and they would do anything for him as he was loved by all who knew him," his family said.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Agnes, and several brothers and two sisters.