Brandon bee II

Issue # 144                                                                              October, November, December 2026

REMEMBER WHEN….

In 1954, Brandon had its 100th birthday celebration.   I was presented with a newspaper article published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, on Sunday, July 11, 1954.  It had many interesting pictures which I wish I could publish in the Bee II, but unfortunately the faded news print pictures wouldn’t reproduce very clear.   I will try to describe the photo as best I can. 

The first photo is 4 gentlemen standing at the corner of the Brandon Cafe Building, currently unoccupied, you can see Liken’s store in the background.  The street is tore up and the caption says,

“THERE’LL BE A PARADE on this street Saturday in celebration of Brandon’s 100th anniversary. Watching the progress of resurfacing and curb and gutter work on Main street are, left to right, Dr Frank Senska, R.F. Bentley, Melvin Larsen, parade committee chairman, and Lyle Likens, centennial chairman.  Centennial sponsors have been assured that the street will be in order Friday, the beginning of the two-day celebration.  Brandon’s main street will be blacktopped as part if a highway 283 resurfacing project.

The second picture is of LONGTIME RESIDENT of Brandon, W.W. Bain, 86, has compiled a history of the town.  He can give you all the facts and figures about Brandon.

Mr.Bain, who at the time had lived more years in Brandon than any other person, dead or alive. In 1905 he created a minor sensation by bringing the first auto to town, a 1905 Reo.  In the history of Brandon, he noted that the first buggy in town was owned by Dr. B.P. Muchmore.  Bain served as either the mayor or town clerk since the town was incorporated in 1904 and the time of the article in 1954. Mr. Bain wore many hats over the years including banker and running the drug store his father Dr. John Bain started as one of the town’s pioneer residents.

Joseph Stainbrook was the town’s first settler, coming from Pennsylvania by covered wagon.  His two brothers, David and Jacob, and later by other pioneers. In 1854, the land in south portion of Jefferson township, Buchanan County was all settled and the pioneers felt the need of a town.  Samuel Brainard and Eben R. Wilson, plotted 8 blocks of a 40 acre tract and Brandon, named after Thomas Brandon, began to grow.

Methodist church held their church services in a log school house until 1872 when they built a church.

The log cabin school house served the children until residents complained that the children played in the street and the log cabin was replaced by a framed structure.  A third school house was destroyed by fire in1888.  A new brick structure was built in 1915 and enlarged in 1950.

Brandon had troubles during these years. Railroad after railroad bypassed the town until 1913 when the Waterloo Cedar Falls and Northern came through.  They celebrated this on October 6 with the largest crowd ever assembled in Brandon.

With the railroad came many changes to Brandon, electric lights and new businesses such as elevators, lumber yards, banks, coal yards and feed mills.

History of Brandon continued:

The sewer system and city water plant were installed in 1923.  

The 100th anniversary celebration celebrated the changes and growth in Brandon.  The population in 1954 was 319.  The celebration had sports programs, band concerts,talent show and a dance.  The parade was Saturday at 10 am, followed by a historical pageant, another ball game, a stage show and finally a dance.  The Brandon Fire Department were the sponsors of the centennial and any proceeds were used to buy modern fire-fighting equipment.

Front page pictures included on of a cover wagon stating “Brandon or Bust”!  The four children in the wagon were Sally Truax, Mary Lou Gillam, Martin Larsen and Mark Truax.

Cart before the horse entry showcase a horse hitched backwards following a buggy with 4 occupants but none are identified.  (Any Brandon Bee II reader know the answer)?

The third picture on the front page features four women gowned in costumes appropriate for the 100 th celebration.  They are  Sadie Stahl of Cedar Rapids, Mrs. Bryl Raitt of Vinton, Mrs. William Dozark and Marie Dozark of Brandon.

The fourth picture is of two men, Glenn Stoner and R.B. Potter.  Mr. Stoner had HUGE ears and Potter carried a violin.  The caption says -One carried a fiddle to provide music and the other provided the listening apparatus.

The fifth picture was of a man dressed as a pioneer and a young man on a horse dressed as an Indian.  The pioneer was Merwyn McKee and the young man was David Albert.

The sixth picture is a “couple” on a bicycle built for two.  Peter Peterson and Larry Sloan rode the tandem bicycle in the Brandon parade.

The final picture  is of a marching band on the parade route.  The caption stated that the parade featured several bands, floats of all kinds, pioneers and Indians.

I hope you enjoyed the trip back in time.  In 2004, the town celebrated the sesquincentennial with many of the same or similar events as 1954.   Brandon will celebrate it 175th anniversary (Diamond anniversary or Platinum jubilee) in 2029.  We will have to see what the community club dreams up for this anniversary.

Next year Brandon Days theme will be celebrating 100 years of the Brandon Fire Department.

HALLOWEEN PARTY

BACC will hold their annual Halloween party on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at the Brandon Area Community Center from 1-3 pm.   Activities include games, food, door prizes and costume contests.

Area children age 0- 6th grade.  If you would like to donate food or help with food the day of the party, please contact Judy Albert (563) 920- 7880. If you want to donate door prizes please contact Denise 319-404-8472.  If you wish to help with the games or activities please contact Theresa Stacy 319-721-9675.

TRUNK OR TREAT

If you wish to participate in Trunk or Treat, please join others at the Brandon Area Community Center, Halloween Night from 5-7.

TRICK OR TREAT

The City of Brandon will have Trick or Treating on October 31st from 5-7 pm.  

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS PRESENTED

This year’s recipients of the Brandon Community Service Award have been awesome volunteers in every community they have called home.  They started a little league in on community , were EMS/Firefighters in another, members of the Rotary Club in another.   They always strive to leave things better then they found it in the community in which they were residing.

Painted Dugouts, logos and motivational saying on th walls of many schools.

Helped people move when floods were threatening Dunkerton, helped others to clean up and move back home.

Helped to clean up debris after  countless tornadoes, windstorms and hail storms

Coach and mentor many young softball players in the area

They currently take excellent care of the Brandon Cemetery

They are the parents of 5 kids living in Virginia, Minnesota, Fairbank, Collins and Urbandale.  They have 15 grandchildren,

If you haven’t guess by now- we would like to present this community service award to Denise and Bob Cue.   We appreciate everything you do to serve and promote the Brandon Area.

THANKSGIVING MEAL

Please join us for our 15th annual Family and Friends Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, 2026 from 11 am- 1pm at the Brandon Area Community Center.

Ham, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, salads and desserts will be served at this year’s dinner.

The meal is free, but if you would please bring can goods or non perishable food items for distribution to local families in need. Any monetary donations will stay in the community to help local organizations or people in need.

If you would like to donate toward the dinner please contact Judy Albert at 563-920-7880

Craig~Judy~Jordy Albert, Jackie~Shawn Aberle and Family

BRANDON AREA COMMUNITY CLUB NEWS:

BRANDON DAYS

TOP RAFFLE WINNERS

$500- Bob Cue (Bob donated his winnings back to BACC)

$300- Ezkeal Slight 

$100- Bennett Albert (Bennett donated his winnings back to BACC)

Thank you Bob and Bennett.

All smaller prizes have been delivered or mailed to winners.

THANK YOU for supporting the BACC

PARADE WINNERS

GRAND PRIZE FLOAT- Quinn and Patrick Lehman- George Washington crossing the Delaware.

BUSINESS FLOATS

1ST-SNT Fireworks- Scott Anderson/Ty Albert- Motorized Bathtub

2nd- Cuts by US- Chris Palmer/ Tally Aldrich- Decorated Golf Cart- USA 250th

3rd- Log Cabin Orchard- 

ORGANIZATION FLOATS

1st -Brandon United Methodist Church- Large B-day Cake

2nd- Brandon Historical Society - What I love about America

3rd -Brandon Garden Club- America the Beautiful

FLOATS OTHER

1ST- Sharon’s Squad- Sharon Koopman Family and Friends

2nd- Town and Kountry 4 H Club

3rd- Les Bearbower Family

WALKER /BICYCLE/4 WHEELER

1ST- Denny Donley- Golf cart

2nd Andy and Jamee Erger Family

TRACTOR/HORSE

1ST- Lime Creek Fish and Game Club -Tractor

2nd- Gabby Palmer- Horse

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PARADE.

ADULT BAGS Tournament

1st Jeremy Nichol and Jason Michalec

2nd Darren Ackerman and Ronnie Parshley

3rd Michelle Lehman and Wendy Blood

4th Adam Clark and Logan Sarchett

5th Bo Peyton and Pete Lehman

6th John Long and Kendra O’loughlin

24 Teams participated. Thank you to Jeremy Nichol for organizing the event, Jeremy, Rachel Webster and Denny Donley for running the event.  This year’s event was held at the Brandon Area Community Center due to severe weather that hit the area just prior to Bags and Bingo start time.

BINGO

Bingo was held at the Brandon Area Community Center in meeting room as the Adult Bags tournament was taking place in the large multi-purpose room.  Thank you to Janet Mitchell, Derbi Holt, Delaine Holt for helping to run the program.  Special thanks to Doug Lehman for throwing in some cash to sweeten the pot for a few games.

TRACTORCADE

21 Tractors participated

THANK YOU Judy and Craig Albert organizers

HORSESHOE TOURNAMENT

THANK YOU TO Tony Clark and Dustin Clark for organizing and running it.

1st Adam Clark and Dustin Clark

2nd Jordan Albert and Lydell Kiler

3rd Bo Peyton and Travis Cornwell

Double Ringers - Ty Albert and Jesse Berry

KIDS BAGS TOURNAMENT

14 kids/ 7 teams

1st Lillah Botsford and Memphis Peyton

2nd Aiden Stacy and Jensen Long

3rd Cecelia Morris and Kinzley Brayton

THANK YOU to Guy Stacy and Patrick Lehman

BIG BALL TOURNAMENT

THANK YOU to Cameron Bantz and Logan Sarchett

1st  Dustin Shirm family farm team

2nd Performance enhancing drunks

GRAND MARSHALL OF THE 2026 PARADE

This year’s Brandon Days Grand Marshall is Sharon Mathews Lehman Koopman.  Sharon has been an active member of the Brandon community nearly all of her 87 years, she will be 88 on November 15th.

Sharon graduated from Brandon High School.  Sharon and her family lived in and around Brandon most of her life.  She was manager and chief cook at the Brandon Cafe for many years.  Many a young lady and a few young me had their first job working for Sharon.

Every year during the Brandon Days Celebration, Sharon has volunteered.  She was MC for many of the talent shows, Little Miss and Mr. Brandon Days Competition, ugly leg contest, beard contest, the plays about Brandon’s history and once we even had a Romeo and Juliet theater production,

Sharon still helps with Brandon Days and Cowboy Breakfast.

Speaking of the Cowboy Breakfast- we wouldn’t be having our 35th or is it 36th breakfast on September 20, 2026, if Sharon hadn’t come up with the concept in 2003.  The first breakfast we served 235 meals and now we average 900 meals per breakfast.

Sharon was also active in the Brandon Alumni Banquet each year.  (Unfortunately those banquets stopped a few years back).

Sharon volunteers at  Showers of Blessing, a free will offerings store in Vinton, offering clothing and household goods to those that are needing assistance.

She is a member of the Brandon United Methodist Church, United Women in Faith and Mary Circle.

Sharon belongs to many clubs including 2 bunko groups, 2 women’s clubs and the Winers Group.

She has 3 sons, Randy (Jen) of Russel, Iowa, Rick (Karen) of Gilbert, Arizona and Doug (Denise) of Rowley.  She has 10 grandchildren, 15 Great grandchildren.

We are proud to have Sharon as our parade Grand Marshall 2026.

MINIATURE CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATING 

The BACC will hold a Miniature tree decorating in conjunction with the Christmas festival.

This is open to anyone wishing to decorate a small tree.  The trees will be provided by the BACC.

You MUST reserve a tree to decorate by November 20th.A BACC member will deliver a tree to you the week of November 22nd and you will need to have it decorated and return by December 4th at noon.  Watch for more details.  To reserve a tree call Denise 319-404-8472 or Theresa Stacy 319-721-9675

BRANDON CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

BRANDON, IOWA                       34th ANNUAL                     DECEMBER 4 & 5, 2026

CANDY CANE LANE at the BRANDON AREA COMMUNITY CENTER

802 Main St. Brandon, IA

BOTH NIGHTS: FRIDAY DEC 4TH~5- 9 pm AND SATURDAY DEC 5TH~ 4:30- 8:30 pm

SANTA: FRIDAY 5-8:30 PM                                        SANTA :SATURDAY    5-8:30 PM 

Wreath/ Basket Auction- If you are interested in donating a gift basket to the auction or decorate a wreath (we will provide you with a wreath or you can use your own). Please contact  Denise Lehman 319-404-8472  or Theresa Stacy 319-721-9675.

Raffle – Raffle items donated by local artisans will be for raffle.  If you would like to donate a raffle item please contact Phyllis at 319-327-2520.

Free Hot Cocoa, Cookies, Kettle Popcorn

Visit Santa and Have your picture taken.

Friday Night December 4TH: Soup and Sandwiches at the Brandon Methodist Church.

This event is a fundraiser for the Brandon Historical Society.  The Historical Society members will make and serve the meal. Serving 4:30 to 7:30 pm

Saturday Night December 5TH: Soup and Sandwiches at the Brandon Methodist Church.  Serving 4:30 to 7:30 pm.

Friday night entertainment- 8 pm at the Community Center- TBA

Saturday night entertainment- 8 pm at the Community Center- Union Singers- from La Porte City HS.

COWBOY BREAKFAST

The Brandon Area Community Club held its 35th Cowboy Breakfast on Sunday, September 20, 2026.   We served 795 meals on a rainy morning. Proceeds go to the Community Center Fund.

The BACC wishes to thank everyone who volunteered to help make this a successful fund raiser.

Thank you to those that donated toward our breakfast, Todd and Denise Wiley (Interstate Swine), Mark’s Locker, Fareway-Independence, Walmart and Hyvee Fresh

Mark your calendar for the 2027 breakfast on Sunday, September 19th.

BAGS TOURNAMENTS and BINGO:

The dates for bags and Bingo for this season have been set!  Please bring your own drinks and a 

snack to share.  We hope to have a great turnout this year!  

Bags and Bingo start at 4:30 pm each night

Bags is $5 per person 

Bingo at 4:30 pm-  50 Cents per card per game,

2026

October 11th

November 8th 

2027

January 10th

February 7th

March 14th

April 11h

BRANDON METHODIST CHURCH NEWS:

CHRISTMAS TEA

The Brandon United Methodist women will be hostingtheir 30th Christmas Tea on Monday, December 7th1-3 pm, at the Brandon United Methodist Church. Women of the Community are welcome to join us on this the national “All you can eat” day.  It is a relaxing reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

BASH

BASH is an after school monthly program for children in kindergarten through 5th grade are welcome to attend. The sessions start after school (4:00- 5:00). Each month there is a program, an activity and snacks.  Dates for this school year are; November 4th ,December 2nd, February 3rd, March 3rd, April 7th. For more information, please contact Kelly Thomas 319-361-0031.

UMW FALL SUPPER

The Annual Homemade Chicken and Noodle Supper was held on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at the Brandon United Methodist Church.　 Menu included Homemade Chicken and Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, Squash, Green Beans, salad bar and desserts.  We were please with the turnout.  We had taken orders for quarts of Chicken and noodles ahead of the supper and had orders for 250 quarts, quart of extra chicken and noodles.  

We served about 270 meals, 250 quarts of extra chicken and noodles pre-orderd plus at the end of the meals we had 54 quarts left over that was sold to those still at church and 44 pies.

We made 20 batches (25 dozen eggs) of dry egg noodles, 320 pounds of chicken, 160 pounds potatoes, 320 pounds butternut squash, 18 gallons green beans.  We cooked about 60 pots or 30(roasters) of Chicken and Noodles and one gluten free batch of chicken and noodles.

We wish to thank everyone that came and supported our meal and bazaar.

Special thank you to Lopata Farms, Quasqueton, and Bridget Chase, Independence, for the donation of the squash for the supper. Janince Morris for making the dinner rolls…delicious!

BRANDON UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH SEEKS NEW MEMBERS

The Brandon United Women in Faith (new name United Women in Faith) are seeking area women to join our groups.  You do not have to be a member of the Methodist Church to join one of our groups and enjoy Christian Fellowship,

Rachel Circle meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at the Church during the day.

Mary Circle meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Church at 6:30 pm.

UMW (United Women in Faith) meet the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm.

If you are interested in joining us in one or more of these groups contact Denise 319-404-8472.

BRANDON COMMUNITY SUPPER

The Brandon Community Supper is on November 21, 2026 at the Brandon United Methodist Church.

Supper will be served at 6 pm with the program at 7 pm. This year’s program is Samantha (Sam) McKinley, Walker, Iowa.  Sam is a quadriplegic who turned tragedy into purpose. Her story is inspiring and encouraging.   Brandon Area residents are invited for the evening meal, to be provided by the church. A freewill offering will be collected and give to Sam to her new van fund.

BRANDON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH~ Pastor Beth Graham

507 Main Street

Pastor’s contact information: 

Rev. Beth Graham

P.O. Box 125

Brandon, Iowa 52210     580-279-2430 PastorBethGraham@gmail.com

BRANDON METHODIST YOUTH ***YOUTH LEADER (S) NEEDED.***

The Brandon United Methodist Church is in need of Youth Leader(s).   Recently our long-time leaders retired and we are in need of new leadership for youth ages 4- 12 grades.

Please contact Denise Lehman, 319-404-8472, if you are interested.

BRANDON CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST NEWS:

BRANDON CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST~ Pastor Lenny Powers

306 East Street 

319-474-2159 or 319-929-5604

Worship at 10:00 am. Handicap accessible.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

The Brandon Church of Jesus Christ will be having a Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 12, 2026 at 7 pm.  Please join us for fellowship and light refreshments at 6 pm before the concert. Please watch our Facebook page for any updates.

BIBLE STUDY

The Brandon Church of Jesus Christ will continue their weekly Bible study on Wednesdays at 7 pm.  We welcome anyone to join us and learn together.  We are currently in the book of Revelation.

It is a time of fellowship and friendship, as we learn we share our knowledge and we get to know each other better.

CONNIE’S QUILTERS

The quilters meet on the first and third Mondays at Connie’s home  at 204 Main Street at 1 pm. Thank you for all the donated fabric.  They group has donated over 650 quilts.  We welcome quilters of all abilities, if you are a beginner and would love to learn or a seasoned quilter, we welcome you.

Please use the door closest to the garage.  If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Connie Landgrabe at 319-540-0587 to obtain details on the meetings.

THANK YOU

The BACC committee (which consists of Guy & Theresa Stacy, Patrick Lehman, Michelle Lamphier,Judy Albert, Doug & Denise Lehman, Beth Carlson, Phyllis Clark, Jackie Hoffman and Brian & Kelly Thomas, Amy and Matt Kimm) would like to thank the following people for their help in making Brandon Days a success:

Breakfast Burritos: Hilary Peyton, Amanda Miller, Tally Aldrich & Theresa Stacy

Parade: Kelly Thomas and Tally Aldrich- ALL ENTRIES to the parade!!

Parade Judges: Sharon Koopman, Sherri Kavalier, Robin and Bill Belfield, Haley Schumann, Derek Schnieder

Horseshoes: Tony Clark and Dustin Clark

Bags Tournament: Jeremy Nichol, Lydel Kiler, Denny Donley and Rachel Webster

Tractorcade: Craig, Judy, Jordan Albert

Pie/Brownie Booth: Brandon United Women in Faith 

Kids Bags Tournament- Theresa Stacy, Guy Stacy, Patrick Lehman, Matt Kimm 

Inflatables- Theresa Stacy and Theresa’s Crew

Auction: Rob Dudley, Chip and Jackie Hoffman, Hilary Peyton, Sharon Koopman, 

Denise Lehman, Doug Lehman, 

Concessions: Judy Albert, Phyllis Clark and ALL VOLUNTEERS- too numerous to list but no less 

important!!.

Big Ball Tournament- Cameron Bantz and Logan Sarchett

All Volunteers Working Helping At Community Supper.  

Thank You To All The  Businesses And Individuals That Donated To The Auction And Raffle.

I Sincerely Apologize If I Missed Anyone. 

THANK YOU

I would like to thank Mary Beth Lindaman, Diana Conrad, Stacy Nabholz for the time they spend delivering the Brandon Bee II door to door in Brandon.  ~Denise Lehman

THANK YOU

I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and thoughtful cards to me during this past year. I have been slowly recovering from 5 surgeries from late December 2025 and June 2026. First one was to put in a pacemaker. It only made my heart flutter and beat at 180 to 200 strokes per minutes. So I changed doctors and went back to Iowa City. There they did an ablation, but again it did not help. It was repeated 4 more times until they finally realized I had too much scar tissue from previous surgeries and had to deaden all the electrical in my heart and change the pacemaker to one that would beat for my heart. I feel a lot better now and they are going to start me on new medication to try to improve the function of my heart. Keep those prayers coming. `Linda Clark

WEDDING

Melanie Jochimsen and Jonathan Morrow were married on August 22, 2026 at 3 pm in the afternoon at Red Cedar Lodge in Wanatee Park, Marion, Ia.   Melanie is the daughter of Tina Bearbower Jochimsen and granddaughter of LaVon Bearbower and the late Bob Bearbower.  Melaine is a teacher at Washington High in Cedar Rapids.

70th Wedding Anniversary

Paul and Darlys Schellhorn Rogers celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on 1 September 2026.

Paul and Darlys were married at St John’s Lutheran Church, Frederika, Iowa.  They are the parents of Eugene, Steven, Debbie, David, and Douglas. They have 11 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and1 great great grandchild. Cards may be sent to 1244 330th Street,  Brandon. Iowa.

BIRTHS

Trent and Maddie Jochimsen are proud to announce the birth of their first child.  Their son Dezmend Robert Jochimsen was born September 10, 2026 in Cedar Rapids.   He weighed 9 lb. 1 oz. and 21 inches long. Trent is the son of Tina Bearbower Jochimsen and grandson of LaVon Bearbower and the late Bob Bearbower.

Abby and Dillin Rogers are proud to announce the birth of their son, Owen Wayne Rogers.  Owen was born on July 24, 2026.  He weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz.  He is the grandson of Deb Bistline.  Owen has a big brother, Casen and a big sister Madalyn.

Gavin Aldrich and Kaeli Rae Block are the proud parents of their first child a son, Beckett Ray Aldrich. He was born on July 7, 2026 at 1:28 am, weighing 9 lbs. 6 oz and 21.26 inches long. He is the grandson of Patrick and Tally Aldrich

GRADUATES

Jenna Schmadeke graduated on Sunday, May 17, 2026 from Independence High School.  During Jenna’s high school career she was involved in man different activities including basketball, FCCLA, band, choir, jazz band, National Honor Society and musicals.  She is the daughter of Paul and Andrea Schmadeke, Brandon.  Jenna’s grandparents are Bob and Mary Anderson and Rita Schmadeke all of Waterloo.  Jenna is attending Hawkeye Community College.

Editor’s note: I owe Jenna an apology as I missed putting her graduation announcement in the Bee II

not once but TWICE.  

90th Birthday

Darlys Rogers, Brandon, celebrated her 90th birthday on September 28, 2026. Her family surprised her with a party on September 26 at her daughter’s home. It was a great day complete with homemade ice cream which is a tradition at any family gathering. Cards may be sent to 1244 330th Street,  Brandon, Iowa.

BRANDON HISTORICAL SOCIETY – Linda Clark

The Brandon/Jefferson Township Historical Society want to thank everyone for their support. What a wonderful turnout for the Cowboy Breakfast. We are so glad that they were nice enough to let us have our bake sale at their event.

As of now we need to raise more monies before we get any more projects done. We want to thank all of the people who have supported us with coming to our fundraising activities and have donated money as well. And of course all of the people who have donated items for the museum. We also appreciate all the cans and bottles you have left for us. Everything adds up and helps us to keep going.

We would also like to thank everyone who came to our bake sale during the Brandon Garage Sales. Always enjoy chatting with everyone and glad they enjoy our baked goods.

We will be having the soup supper on Friday night of the Brandon Christmas Celebration. Hope to see you there for our fantastic chili and potato soup along with sandwiches. On Saturday we will be open for people to come to the museum to look around.

If you would like to join us for our meetings we would be happy to welcome you on the 2nd Thursdays of the month at the home of Karol Smith. If you have any artistry skills we would love to have your skills for doing backdrops, murals, etc. for all our new projects.

TIRED OF THOSE ALUMINUM CANS CLUTTERING UP YOUR GARAGE/HOUSE?

DONATE THEM TO HELP RENOVATE THE BRANDON HISTORICAL MUSEUM!

YOU CAN DROP THEM OFF AT 502 MAIN STREET BY THE BACK DOOR. EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS US. PLUS, YOU WILL FEEL GOOD TOO!

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

A big thank you to all of the people who have donated so far. We will use it wisely.

Don’t forget to visit the Brandon Jefferson Township Historical Society page on Facebook. It is the one with a golden B. See you at the Brandon Christmas Celebration in December.

I would also like to remind everyone that a donation to the Brandon Jefferson Township Historical Society is a good way for family’s to remember loved ones with a donation in their honor.

Please feel free to send your donations to Brandon Historical Society, 502 Main Street, Brandon, IA 52210. We have a tax deductible 501 C3 number for large donations.

We received $320.00 in donations during the Brandon Celebration. Thank You ALL that contributed.

Linda Clark – The Brandon Historical Society!

INDEPENDENCE ROTARY CLUB SENDS STUDENTS TO RYLA

Kara Hopkins and Myra Peyton both of Brandon area were choosen by Independence Rotary Club to attend the Iowa Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference in Grinnell, July 25-31, 2026. RYLA isn’t your typical leadership conference.  It’s transformative experience where students build leadership skills in a supportive enviroment while developing confidence; self-esteem, and service leadership practices. Kara is the daughter of Matt and Theresa Hopkins and Myra is the daughter of Brian(Bo) and Hilary Peyton.

Mobile Food Pantry

The Brandon Mobile Food Pantry is usually held on the 4th Wednesday of each month but because of

the holidays in November and December it will on the 3rd Thursday during those months.  The

upcoming dates are: October 28, November 19, and December 17.  Please note change of dates.

It is held at the Brandon Community Center parking lot and distribution of food is from 4:30 until

5:30. Please remain in your car and the food will be put in your car for you.  Please bring boxes back

from previous visits and have room for the food. Thank you.

Mobile food pantry is open to families in NE Iowa who have a need to supplement their grocery

budget.  No cost is involved but you need to supply your name, address and household size.

(Information gathered is used to keep a tally of the number served in the communities and the

event of any recall of food items.)  The mobile pantry is a service of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

Thank you to the volunteers that help with this project.  If you would like to volunteer, please contact

Darlys Rogers at 319-474-2368.

BRANDON GARDEN CLUB AWARDS BEAUTIFICATION AWARDS

The Brandon Garden Club awarded their annual Garden Club Beautification Award to Linda and

Tony Clark at 302 East Street.  This year we also gave a country Garden Club Beautification Award

to Holly and Allen Rosauer at 1197 LaPorte Road.  They both have done a great job of adding

beauty to their places.  Congratulations.

.

The Garden Club entered a float in the Brandon Days Parade.  We received 3rd place in the

Organization division.

We will have our last meeting of the year on October 26 at Karol Smith’s home beginning at

6:30.  Our first meeting of 2027 will be in March.

We meet on the 4th Monday of each month at Karol Smith’s home beginning at 6:30.   We invite

anyone interested in gardening to join our group.  You can contact Karol for further information

at 319-290-0101.

DONATIONS TO THE BRANDON BEE

Thank you to the following people for their generous donations to the publication of this newsletter;

Glen Larson, Jack Stainbrook.

DEADLINE: 

The deadline for the January, February, March issue of the Brandon Bee is due by December 15, 2026. Editors’ note: Please submit your information to the Brandon Bee to Denise: dndlehman@msn.com or 1684 332nd Street., Rowley, IA 52329. Complete issues of the Brandon Bee II will now be published on the Brandon Area Community Club’s website at www.bacciowa.com.

CARING PAGES

(Editor’s note: This page is meant to keep people updated with information on our friends and 

neighbors who are in need of a pick me up. Please, if you are inclined, brighten these people’s day with a card or a note.) 

Pat Rogers, formerly of Brandon, is now residing at West Village in Independence. Please send her a note or card to brighten her day. 

Pat Rogers 

ABCM West Care Center 

1610 3rd Street NE 

Independence, IA 50644 

Donna Roepke, formerly of Brandon area, is now residing at Prairie Hills Senior Living. It would be nice for her to receive cards or notes from her Brandon Area friends. 

Donna Roepke 

Prairie Hills Senior Living 

505 Enterprise Drive SW 

Independence, IA 50644 

Sharon Noe, formerly of Brandon, is now residing at Windhaven Assisted Living. Please send her a note or card to brighten her day. 

Sharon Noe 

Windhaven Assisted Living 

5500 South Main Street #44 

Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613 

Michelle Erger, Is on the Transplant list and doing home hemo, which is dialysis. Please brighten her day with a note of encouragement. 

Michelle Erger 

308 Main Street 

Brandon, Iowa 52210 

Ross  and Shirley Wiley, are currently residing at the Lutheran home . Brighten their day with a note or card. 

Ross Wiley 

Lutheran Home 

1301 2nd Ave 

Vinton, Iowa 52349 

Shirley Wiley

Lutheran Home Assisted Living

1301 2nd Ave 

Vinton, Iowa 52349 

Berniece Clark, formerly of Brandon, is now residing at Virginia Gay Nursing and Rehab. Brighten her day with a note or card. 

Berniece Clark 

Virginia Gay Nursing and Rehab 

Room 224 

502 North 9th Avenue 

Vinton, IA 52329

 OBITUARIES:

Diana Lynne (Spece) Bagg, 69, of Rowley, Iowa, passed away on Monday, August 31, 2026, at the Buchanan County Health Center in Independence.

Diana was born on July 14, 1957, the daughter of Vernon Keith and Florence Darlene (Masters) Spece. Throughout her life, she valued her family and the time spent with those she loved. She was united in marriage to Roger Junior Bagg, and together they built a life in Buchanan County. In her later years, she enjoyed her retirement and the moments shared with her grandchildren. Diana will always be remembered for her love of Native American Indian culture, often attending the Pow Wow in Tama, turquoise jewelry, and cats.

Diana is survived by her loving husband, Roger Junior Bagg of Rowley; her son, Jason Spece of Rowley; three cherished grandchildren, Aden, Jacob, and Hunter Bagg. She is also survived by her nephew Brad Spece, nieces Laurie Spece and Carissa Spece; her sister-in-law, Julie Spece; and her extended family, including Janet Roepke, Roberta (Paul) Marshall, MaLinda Buchholz, Lila White, and Duane Bagg, as well as many cousins, friends, and her cats Thelma & Louise.

She was preceded in death by her beloved son, Joshua James Bagg, who passed away earlier this year on January 21, 2026. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Vernon and Florence Spece; her parents-in-law, Roger Bagg and Donna White; two brothers, Craig Spece and Larry Spece; her sister-in-law, Penny Spece; her paternal grandparents, William Riley and Nellie (Long) Spece; her maternal grandparents, Jess Marian and Effie Mae (Reed) Masters; and several aunts and uncles, including Wayne Masters, Raymond Masters, Howard Masters, Dorothy Olsen, Julie Groote, Darrell Spece, Eugene Spece, John Spece, Glen Masters, Ralph Masters, Donald Masters, Delbert Masters, Jess Masters, Velma Mervin, and Dolores Novak.

Ruth Ann "Ann" Emberton, 88, of Brandon, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at her home in rural Brandon.

Ann was born on May 5, 1938, in Vinton, Iowa, the daughter of Frank L. and Virginia “Ruth” (Raymond) Arensberg. She grew up in Garrison and graduated from Garrison High School with the Class of 1956. On September 8, 1957, she married the love of her life, Dennis G. Emberton, at the Garrison Methodist Church. In 1961, the couple purchased a farm near Brandon, where they built a life together, raised their family, and created countless cherished memories.

Ann embraced the life of a hardworking farm wife with unwavering dedication. She devoted herself to caring for her family, her home, and the farm, always putting the needs of others before her own. As a mother, she instilled the values of kindness, respect, and good behavior in her children while encouraging each of them to pursue their interests. Whether it was attending school activities, sporting events, or lending a helping hand, Ann was a constant source of love, encouragement, and support.

Nothing brought Ann greater joy than her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her face would light up whenever they were near, and she treasured every opportunity to attend their activities, celebrate their accomplishments, and watch them grow. She was immensely proud of each one and loved being their grandmother and great-grandmother.

Ann found joy in life's simple pleasures. She loved family gatherings and picnics, where she was known for making family favorites like fried chicken and butterbrickle dessert. She enjoyed drives around the square with a stop for ice cream, circle word puzzles, reading, walking with her furry friends, and watching her favorite shows and music on the RFD channel.

A long-time resident of Brandon, Ann enjoyed working election polls, supporting community events, was honored to serve as Grand Marshall of the annual parade, and formed cherished friendships.

Ann is survived by her five daughters, Teresa (Chris) Radley of Des Moines, Shelly (Marc) Cabalka of Independence, Kelly (Terry) Weber of Independence, Tammy (Larry Jr.) Thies of Raymond, and Pam (Tim) Dryml of Independence; eleven grandchildren, Eric, Jennifer, Samantha, Amy, Matt, Jodi, Derek, Bryce, Trey, Melissa, and Tara; twelve great-grandchildren, Rowen, Rylee, Landon, Olivia, Mya, Carrick, Scarlett, Scotlyn, Amelia, Baileigh, Tenleigh, and Jaxson; her brother, John (Jean) Arensberg of Omaha, Nebraska; her sister-in-law, Carol Emberton of Anamosa; and several beloved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Ruth Arensberg; her husband, Dennis; her sisters, Mary Holland and Kay Orr; her brother-in-law, Shannon Emberton; and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Edwin and Beverly Baldwin.

A memorial service was held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at the Brandon Methodist Church in Brandon. Visitation will be held at the church an hour prior to the service. Inurnment will be held at Westview Cemetery in La Porte City at a later date.Memorials may be directed to the family of Ruth Ann Emberton.  Reiff Family Center – Funeral Home & Crematory assisted the family.

Francesca A. Brockmeyer, 96, passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Corridor Crossing in Cedar Rapids, IA

Francesca (Fran) Brockmeyer was born in Hastings, Nebraska, on May 1, 1930, to Gregorio and Marta Natividad (Soto) Berver, who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s. She was the youngest of seven children.

One of Fran’s earliest memories of growing up in Nebraska was having to wear shoes in the summer when all her friends were able to go barefoot. Fran’s father didn’t own a pair of shoes until he came to the United States, and he saw it as a great privilege to be able to provide shoes for his children.

Fran graduated from Hastings High School in 1948. She rarely missed an opportunity to see her school friends and felt blessed to be able to attend her 70th class reunion in 2018.

Fran married E. John Brockmeyer on October 27, 1951, at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado.

Her children, who are left to hold tightly to their wonderful memories of her, include: Kevin Brockmeyer, Mountain Home, AR, Daniel Brockmeyer, Mountain Home, AR, Richard (Tess) Brockmeyer, Eldora, IA, Jeffrey Brockmeyer, Brandon, IA, and Valerie (Quinn) Harrington, Hiawatha, IA. Her grandchildren, whom she cherished so much, include: Tammy (Taylor) Perry, Terra (Anthony) Yannessa, Bessie Brockmeyer, Rory Brockmeyer, Bandi Arp, Jessie Lancaster, Levi Williams, Erik Brockmeyer, Angela Brockmeyer, Frances Brockmeyer, Amber (Joe) McGrath, Jeremy (Jessica) Brockmeyer, Jerred (Devon) Brockmeyer, Jeffrey (Taylor) Brockmeyer Jr., Alexis (Zach) Howard, Hunter Popelka, Alivia (Joey) Brown, Oliver Brockmeyer, Danielle (Curt) Wade, Melissa (D.D.) Rizzio, Hunter (Annie) Livingston, Courtney Livingston, Anden Harrington, Abry Harrington, and Ruby Harrington, Fran was also blessed with 28 great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Gregorio and Marta Berver, her husband, John Brockmeyer, and a son, Joseph Brockmeyer.

Fran and John farmed for several years in Clayton and Delaware Counties until eventually settling in Independence, Iowa to raise their six children. She worked as a cook at the A&W and The Villager, eventually retiring from Davidson’s Fashions after 15 years of customer service.

Fran was very thankful for the opportunity to travel all over the world with a wonderful group of friends who called themselves the “Why Nots”. If someone suggested a trip or an outing of any kind, their response was always, “Sure, why not?” Her travels included Mexico, a land-and-sea cruise to Alaska, several bus trips, including one to New England, and her most memorable trip to Rome. She visited Vatican City, and her beloved Assisi, Italy.

On Fran’s 93rd birthday, she stopped driving and retired, for the final time, from Dr. Vester’s Dental Office, where she had been the “Hospitality Director” for many years. In 2025, she moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to be closer to more family. Her greatest joy came from her seeing and visiting with her children, and especially her many grandchildren.

She was the most loving, caring, and nurturing mother that her children could have asked for. She believed wholeheartedly that “family” wasn’t by blood alone, and she welcomed ALL.

When asked, she often told people she was four feet, ten and a half inches tall, although her children knew that “half inch” was just wishful thinking on her part.

She came in a tiny frame, but by leaving her earthly presence, she left a HUGE hole in our hearts.

Visitation was held on Monday, August 31, 2026, at the Reiff Family Center – Funeral Home & Crematory in Independence, IA. a Rosay will be said at 3:40 PM. A Mass of Chirstian burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday September 1st at St. John’s Catholic Church in Independence, IA. Burial will be held at Floral Hills Memorial Garden in Hazelton, IA at a later date.