Mary Alice Braniff – Thank You for Everything

I’m going to write about my Grandma – we are celebrating her life on Sunday.

Mary Alice Braniff

My Grandma, Mary Alice Braniff (maiden name Moran) was born June 7, 1931. When I think about her life, I remark how in 91 years the world has changed. She was born and raised in Chicago on the West Side. She was an only child, and at a very early age, my Grandma was performing in pageants and singing. If she was born in our time, there is no doubt she would have been the star of America’s Got Talent. She met my Grandpa at a social, and by complete chance actually. She was supposed to meet another Jim at the dance. Luckily for all of our family, she met Jim Braniff. Thank you, Grandma for picking the right man.

Grandma and Grandpa married at 17, which honestly is still insane to think about. My daughter is about to turn 20, and by the time she was her age, she had 3 children. In fact, at the age of 21, she suffered not one, but two tragic events in her young life. She lost my Great Grandma to colon cancer and her 2 year old son was killed in an accident. This woman who lived with her mother for her entire life, and who lost her father at an early age had to recover from tragedy that honestly, I’ve never experienced in my life thankfully. I do think that those events affected Grandma greatly for the rest of her days, however it didn’t stop her from having 6 more children. Those children have gone on to create what truly can be considered a clan. There are 81 of us now. Thank you, Grandma for giving us all so much life.

I can only imagine what life was like in those early days for my grandparents. By all accounts, they were broke. Grandma was having children every 18 months, and Grandpa was doing what he could to make ends meet. When they moved into their first house in the early 50s in Northlake, it was a Sears and Roebuck house, which was unfinished. Each week after getting his check, Grandpa would go to the hardware store and figure out what he could buy to slowly finish the house. Grandma had all these little kids running around, and her dreams of being a movie star were long in her rearview. Still, one of the hallmark traits of my Grandma was her love and support of entertainment. She loved to sing and dance, and she impressed that on her kids. Every generation of the family has performed for the next. I remember when I was a kid, myself and my cousins would perform either our own rendition of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video or a movie like Little Shop of Horrors, of course I was the Dentist. We have talent shows at the reunions. On time at a reunion, my daughter wrote a full screenplay script that was acted out and filmed with the entire family as the cast. We all sat down and watched the finished product together and laughed. That was all Grandma. I’m sure in those early days when you are living in a half built house with only studs and a barely finished kitchen, creating joy for your kids required some creativity. Grandma was that energy to keep everyone laughing and singing. The Braniff family is an extremely dynamic and talented group of people. I would say the majority of the family has performed in some capacity, and it is very rare for a Braniff to be shy in front of a crowd. Thank you, Grandma for my confidence to be a good public speaker.

Over time, Grandpa started putting his money into real estate. Before they knew it, these two who started out so early together were living the American Dream moving to Elmwood Park. Yes, more kids came, but as they did, the wealth was apparent. Grandma was always glamorous. I remember watching some old movies from the 60s, and if it wasn’t the on fashion dresses or the cool furniture, then she was always put together. Also, Grandma never looked her age. Neither of my grandparents did, really. They were certainly young parents, but I think Grandma was still in a bikini sunning on the patio of their lake house at Gunlock Lake in the Minocqua area until her late 50s. Thank you, Grandma for giving me incredible genes.

Now, Grandma also contributed perhaps my favorite family tradition on those trips to the Lake. We all know that grandparents spoil their grandkids. However, when you have 23 of them, it’s hard to do, even if you are in a good financial situation. So, when we were at the Lake (and sometimes back in Elmwood Park), if you were lucky enough to go to town with Grandma. She would take you to get an ice cream cone or her favorite chocolate candy. However, the rule was that 1) You had to finish your cone before getting back to the house and 2) No one could know that you went – because of course everyone would be jealous and want to go. This tradition is known as the Braniff Sneak. A tradition so ingrained in the family that at the last reunion, my cousin made the reunion shirt’s emblem reflecting it and put on the back, “Get Your Sneak On.” It’s a tradition that my family still does when we go to the Lake now. We indoctrinate the little ones even though it is really hard for them to lie to their parents. I’ve even heard other families have incorporated this tradition on trips and at reunions calling it the Braniff Sneak. Thank you, Grandma, for a true joy we experience together as a family.

In her later years, Grandma suffered with Alzheimer’s. This woman who had lived through so much finally met her match. Still even at 91, her body was strong. My mom told me that her blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar were all perfect. It was just the advancing dementia that had her. She still showed us who she was with that signature laugh, her bright eyes and a fun story when she was lucid. Grandma lived 91 years, has 8 surviving children, 23 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren (and counting), and has given us some of the most important things a family can have: Life, Confidence, Joy and Tradition.

Thank you, Grandma. I love you.

Jimmy Wegs