Doris Brauner

Doris Clemmer Brauner was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania on December 3, 1928, to Florence and Merle Clemmer. Florence and Merle had two more children together, Pat and Robert, but separated when Doris was young. Florence later moved her family from Pennsylvania to Hyattsville, Maryland.

Florence remarried to Dewitt Weikel, and Doris graduated from Hyattsville High School in 1947. She went to work at the local gas company as a secretary. One of her coworkers, Miriam Brauner, suggested she meet her brother-in-law Glenn. They went on a couple dates and eventually began seeing each other regularly. They married in June of 1948.

Glenn was enrolled in the dairy technology program at the University of Maryland, which he completed with the help of the G.I. Bill. He worked part-time in the post office, and Doris continued to work at the gas company. In 1951, after Glenn graduated, they took a job in Tampa, Florida. Their first child, Rick, was born there. Doris never really enjoyed her time in Florida, so they returned to the D.C. metro area in 1952. Two years later, Glenn accepted a job at a dairy in New Jersey. A series of events, including a serious car accident, caused the family to return to Maryland later that year. Around that time, Doris went back to work at the gas company.

When Rick started first grade, Doris worked as a secretary at his school, Parkway Elementary. She took time off when she gave birth to daughter Karen in 1961, and returned to the school when Karen was a little older. She later took a job at Carol Highlands, where Karen attended elementary school. Doris ended her last job at Ridgecrest Elementary in her late 50s. A hard worker, she took great satisfaction from contributing her share of income and staying active.

Doris was a proud and involved grandmother. Her first grandchild, Megan, was born to Rick and his wife Debbie in 1984, followed by Rebekah in 1992. Karen and husband Keith Brooks had her final grandchild, Kellen, in 1994.

Although she never talked about it, Doris's life was marked by loss: stepfather Witt, brother Robert, brother-in-law Alan, mother Florence, and sister Pat all passed away before her. Despite those hardships, she never indulged in self-pity: she treasured time spent with family, including Pat's children Bob, Debbie, Bruce and Vicky, and their families. Doris greatly enjoyed the large gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In her later years, she enjoyed antique hunting at local thrift stores, especially collecting unique pieces of furniture, silver and china that caught her eye. She and Glenn played cards with friends regularly for years, and went out to eat several days a week. They attended grandson Kellen's high school basketball games, which they greatly enjoyed. Wherever they went, people knew them by name.

Doris loved a full house: granddaughter Megan took a job in Maryland and moved in with them in 2008. Rick also lived with them part-time, commuting home to Pennsylvania each weekend. After Megan moved out in 2010, her younger sister Rebekah moved in, staying with them during and after college. Although many retirees wouldn't enjoy two young adults living with them, most of the time Doris and Glenn loved the noise and disturbance they brought. She sometimes joked that her grandchildren kept her from getting bored.

After battling cancer for several years, Doris passed away on February 21, 2016, in the home she loved and with her family close by. She will be missed every day.