Laura Margaret Bratcher

Laura Margaret Bratcher

Laura Margaret (Miller) Bratcher, age 97, of Granbury, Texas passed away peacefully at her daughter’s home in Arlington, TX on Wednesday evening, September 20, 2017 at 8:22 and is now at home with her Heavenly Father.

Visitation will be at Wiley’s Funeral Home in Granbury on Friday evening, September 22, 2017 from 6:00 – 8:00. Funeral Services will be officiated by Glenn Ward and held at Tate Springs Baptist Church in Arlington at 1:00 on Saturday, September 23, 2017. A Grave Side Service will be at Emerald Hills Cemetery in Kennedale beginning at 3:00 (there will be no formal procession).

Pallbearers are grandsons Lawrence Johnson, John Upchurch, Wen Bratcher, Tommy Swanson, Caylor Bratcher, Jason Bratcher, Mark Bratcher, Devin Walker and Kyle Koehn. Honorary pallbearers from Acton Baptist Church are Darrell Morgan, Johnny Green, John Woods, Bud McBrayer, Rex Burton, Bill Stone and Ken Cobbler.

Margaret was born December 18, 1919 to Lester Carter and Bessie Mae (Lea) Miller in Sinton, Texas. She led a hard life growing up through the depression, being the oldest in her family she was in charge of the household and all the other kids while her parents worked long hours trying to make ends meet. Her siblings called her “Sis” which stuck through her life and later was affectionately called “Aunt Sis” by all her nephews, nieces and most of the local community kids she “adopted” into her heart.

Margaret graduated from Handley High School in 1937 then married Sidney Eugene Bratcher on June 5, 1939 in the rural community of Tate Springs. Margaret and Sidney had a dairy farm from 1939 – 1972 on the site of the original Tate Springs where settlers would come from miles away in their horse driven wagons to fill their water barrels. After all the free labor (sons) left home, they sold the dairy to the Arlington ISD (who built Martin High School on that site) allowing them to move to Granbury so Sidney could go fishing anytime he wanted. She was widowed on July 22, 2008.

Margaret was not raised in a particularly religious home and never went to church growing up although she definitely had the Fear of God placed in her by her mother at a very early age. A friend invited her to church for the first time when she was 14 and she immediately accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She rarely missed being at church anytime the doors were open from that point on until the past 4 years after being home bound due to Congestive Heart Failure. She initially was a member of Tate Springs Baptist Church as a teenager and then joined Acton Baptist Church in 1973 when she and Sidney built a house on Lake Granbury. She had a servant’s heart going on numerous church mission trips as a cook and was also a long time volunteer at Granbury Medical Center serving countless hours over many years serving the most recorded hours in the history of that hospital.

Margaret was a very loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great-great grandmother, daughter, sister, wife and friend who would always help anyone at anytime on a moment’s notice. She will be missed greatly by all she touched and influenced with her love.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, husband, sons Thomas Lester Bratcher and Terry Glen Bratcher as well as sisters Bessie Marie Fort and Mary Lou Rugby and brother Louie Lea Miller.

She is survived by her remaining children, Merry Eugenia and David Johnson of Burleson, Jimmy Lea and Pam Bratcher of Pasadena, California, Albert Dale Bratcher and Kimberly Mareth (fiancée) of Wichita Falls, Sherry Lynn and Robert Gilliland of Arlington, grandchildren Lawrence Johnson, Gena Johnson, Margaret Upchurch, Rachel Johnson, Brandelin Bratcher, Wen Bratcher, Tommy Swanson, Andrea Vranich, Jeremiah Bratcher, Zebulon Bratcher, Elijah Bratcher, Morrigan Rose Bratcher, Courtney Bratcher, Caylor Bratcher, Jason Bratcher, Mark Bratcher, Lauralea Bratcher, Evan Bratcher, Mindy Walker, Amy Koehn, Marci Gilliland and Cassie Gilliland, 20 great grandchildren, 14 great-great grandchildren, brother Lester Carter Miller Jr. of Washington State and sister Saundra Vee Miller of Burleson, as well as many many nephews, nieces and friends.