Gordon A. Brant

Gordon Digger Brant, of Marshalltown, former longtime Oelwein resident and funeral director, died Saturday, September 20th, at the Grandview Heights while in care of their staff, the Iowa River Hospice and his loving family. His death came peacefully at 5:40 p.m. with his family at his side at the age of 85 years, five months and 16 days. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, September 25th at the First Baptist Church in Oelwein with Rev. Tim Schoepf officiating. He will be laid to rest in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Oelwein with military honors by the Ross Reid American Legion Post #9 Honor Guard. Visitation will be at the Jamison-Schmitz Funeral Home in Oelwein from 10-11:30 a.m. and one-hour prior to the services at the church. Memorials may be directed to the Iowa River Hospice, 206 W. Church Street, Marshalltown, Iowa, 50158. Local visitation will be held at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown from 4-6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Born on February 4th, 1923, in Dunkerton, Iowa, he was the son of Herbert Wesley and Alice Sophia (Paine) Brant. His family moved to Oelwein where he graduated from the Oelwein High Schools Class of 1941 and attended the United Aircraft School in Omaha, Nebraska. On July 27th, 1942, he was united in marriage to Dorothy Marie Shupe in Lebanon, Ohio. Soon after, Gordon enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and served our country honorably from April of 1943 to October of 1945, being honorably discharged as a corporal. Gordon graduated from the Cincinnati School of Embalming and returned to Oelwein to serve at the family business, Brant Funeral Home. He owned and operated it from 1946 until retiring on January 1, 1982. Mr. Brant was a lifetime member of the First Baptist Church in Oelwein and served on many committees and boards of the church, the Hebron Masonic Lodge #374 A.F. & A.M., El Kahir Temple, Oelwein Shrine Club, High Twelve Club (as past president), Knight Templar Commandery, Ross Reid American Legion Post #9, past board member of the Oelwein Chamber of Commerce and the Iowa Funeral Directors Association. Gordon moved to Marshalltown in 1997 and was united in marriage to Betty Gail (Johnson) Miller on May 4th, 1997. Betty and Gordon were lifelong friends since 4th Grade. Gordon Brant, a man who will be remembered for his sense of humor, love of family, music and others, who was generous and loved to comfort others in time of need, will be greatly missed by Betty, his loving wife of 11 years, son Dennis (Carol) Brant of Plano, TX, daughter Kathy (Brad) Braga of Marshalltown, daughter-in-law Nancy (Rick) Brant-Ahn of Marshalltown, step-sons Alan Miller of Pacifica, CA and Burke (Dixie) Miller of Houston, TX, step-daughter-in-law Sally Miller of Marshalltown, 11 grandchildren: Mark (Angie) Brant of Ft. Myers, FL., Mike (Robin) Brant of Dallas, TX, Kristi (Joe) Cochran of Dallas, TX, Amanda (Greg) Roush, Matthew (Molly) Brant, Steven (Amy) Brant and Elizabeth (Andy) Smith all of Marshalltown, Deborah (Luke) Demarest of Moville, Iowa, Paige (Patrick) Burzlaff of Bakersfield, CA, Lauren (Adam) Bailey of Marshalltown and Daniel Zuelke of Marshalltown, five step-grandchildren: Mike (Jennifer) Miller of Marshalltown, Susan (Terry) Brennan of Iowa City, Carrie (Nick) Loney of Marshalltown, Angie (Todd) Belcher of Houston, TX, and Nikki (James) Grivnitz of Dallas, TX, nine great-grandchildren, 12 step-great-grandchildren, his sister Grace Spindler of Creston, Iowa, several nieces, nephews and a host of friends. In death he has rejoined his parents, wife Dorothy Marie Brant on February 13th, 1995, son James Brant on July 1, 1992, step-son Gregg Miller, step-daughter Karen Miller, brothers Morris, Russell and Randall and sisters Lucille Hall and Naomi Brant.