John Brannick

John Leon Brannick, 89, of Colby, met his personal Lord and Savior face to face in the early morning hours of Friday, October 22, 2021. Though facing numerous health challenges, he peacefully went to sleep and woke in the Presence of God.

John was the second to last of 13 children born to Michael and Lizzie (Wingfield) Brannick in Goodland, Kansas on November 30, 1931.

He spent his childhood years growing up in the Goodland area and in Colorado Springs. He loved the mountains and open spaces. In his youth he loved being a part of the church orchestra and playing the saxophone. Music has always been a big part of his life.

John met his beloved Beverly Harper while working at the Duckwalls in Colby. They were married May 12, 1950. Not long after their marriage, they moved to California where John became a proud member of the United States Marine Corps. Soon after arriving in the sunshine state, they started a family and welcomed their daughter Susan and sons John, Michael, and Steven.

Upon being honorably discharged from the Marines in 1954, he held a variety of jobs in retail and agriculture. Their family returned to Kansas in 1972.

No matter how anyone was acquainted with John, be at church, socially in community, or just driving by and waving as he sat in the sunshine of the front yard, he never knew a stranger or someone he wouldn’t sing to. He especially loved singing hymns at the nursing homes.

He was an avid poet who was proudly published. He was known for his poems about his Savior and the beauty of nature. He often wrote poems for those he didn’t even know if they were experiencing grief or for those celebrating life’s milestones.

His faith was the foundation of his life. Each year he would read the Bible cover to cover anywhere between three and four times. Over the course of his life, he completed God‘s word over 60+ times. Wearing out Bibles as he sat at his desk each morning in the Holy Scriptures was his daily act of service to his Savior and brought him tremendous pleasure. He truly hid God’s word in his heart.

He was preceded in death by his wife Beverly, in 1979; his second wife Norma (Gardner); his parents; brothers, sisters and his grandson Shathen Sawyer.

He is survived by his daughter Susan (Larry) Hawkins, of Colby; sons, John (Margarita) Brannick, of San Diego, CA, Michael (Tia) Brannick, of Goodland and Steven (Rodena) Brannick, of McAlester, OK; grandchildren, Michelle (Daniel) Morris, of Colby, Michael (Kelsey) Hawkins, of Colby, Lexus (Russell) Mordecai, of McAlester, OK, Milan (Drew) Dautel, of Goodland, Cienna (Parker) Wells, of St. Francis, and nine great-grandchildren, Hadlie, Kash, Annie, Geoff, Harry, Ellie, Brycelynn, Luka and Baby Wells due April 2022.

Services will be held at Celebration Community Church in Colby on Friday, October 29, 2021, at 10:30 CDT. Military Graveside services will be at the Goodland Cemetery at 1:00 pm MDT. Memorials may be made to Gideons International and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com