Leonard E. Braden, 97 yrs, 7 months, of Bay City, TX passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at the Eagle Lake Nursing and Rehabilitation in Eagle Lake, TX.

Visitation will be from 3:00-5:00pm on Sunday, October 23, 2016 at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City, TX. Funeral services will be at 10:00am Monday, October 24, 2016 at First Presbyterian Church in Bay City with Rev. Tracy Williams officiating. Interment will follow at Cedarvale Cemetery in Bay City. Leonard chose as his pallbearers nephews, Earl L. Braden, Jr., Dwight L. Hadley, great-nephews, Brian L. Hadley and Russell R. Hadley; close friends Louis Kopnicky and Gerald Hackfield. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the charity of your choice.

Leonard was born March 5, 1919 in Eagle Lake, TX, the second son of Edmund J. and Julia Elizabeth (Polcheck) Braden. He married Mildred Ellis on January 29, 1981. She passed away February 13, 2008. There were no children born of this marriage. Leonard is survived by his brother, Charley Braden of Eagle Lake, TX, nephews and nieces Earl L. Braden, Jr. and wife Ann, Susan Braden Hadley and husband Dwight, Sandra B. Dutcher, Patti B. Hough and husband Jack, Betty Navarro and husband Rudy and Bobby Braden. There are eight great nieces and nephews. He will also be missed by a close friend Louis Kopnicky of Markham and next door neighbors, Gerald and Stephanie Hackfield and Sarah of Bay City. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, oldest brother Earl L. Braden, Sr., and youngest brother, Emanuel (BB) Braden.

Leonard graduated from Eagle Lake High School in 1937. He, along with his brothers, played football in High School. They all had nicknames and Leonard's was Zephyr. After graduation he went to work for a gas company out of Bellville, TX and later went to work for the Texas Highway Department out of Columbus, TX. He helped to build the highway between Columbus and Sealy (Hwy 90) and the helped build the highway between Eagle Lake and Hallettsville (Hwy90-A).

On November 18, 1940 he joined the National Guard and then on May 24, 1943, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and became a First Lieutenant of the 81st Troop Carrier Squadron on the 436th Troop Carrier. He served in Northern and Southern France, Rhineland Ardenas; Normandy Rome-Arno and Central Europe. He flew flights on D Day (June 6, 1944) across France's Normandy Region to begin the liberation of Europe in World War II and also flew and dropped the squad in who went in search of Private James F. Ryan. He was honorably released from active duty on October 13, 1945. During his service to our country, Leonard received the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Unit Citation Badge and the EAME Campaign Medal with 7 Bronze Service Stars. He was received medals for his sharp-shooting.

When he returned to Eagle Lake, TX in 1945, after his service to our country, he owned his own short haul trucking service and a short time later began his career with Phillips 66 Refinery in Sweeny, TX, where he worked for 36 years before retiring in 1981. He loved occupying his spare time with the game of golf where he played almost daily and where he met Mildred Ellis. They played many games of golf, which they both enjoyed tremendously and they won many tournaments. When he was no longer able to play golf, he occupied his time by watching golf on TV. He was a member of the Bay City Country Club, Ne Gulf Country Club and Freeport Golf Club and would also come to Eagle Lake to play golf and visit his family. He reported that a friend once told him "Leonard, you have very little ability in playing golf, but you can always score!".

He enjoyed visiting with old friends and his Eagle Lake family who were very near and dear to him. He drove to Eagle Lake once a month to check on everyone up until the age of 96 ½. He loved talking politics and kept up with current events and was very knowledgeable about many subjects. He enjoyed getting out in his yard and working on things around his house and reading. He was a member of five bowling leagues in the area while working for Phillips Petroleum, which he said he had the highest average.

He and Mildred loved dancing, along with his brother and his wife, Ruby and Earl Braden, Sr. of Eagle Lake. They enjoyed getting together and dancing every weekend. They belonged to dance clubs in Wallis, Sealy, Bay City and Brazoria. Once a month they played in a domino club with close friends in Bay City. He especially enjoyed visiting with Raywood and Eleanor Brasseaux, formally of Bay City, and Ruby and Earl, Eating Bar-B-Q ribs on Sunday afternoons.

When his niece Susan would ask him how he was feeling and if he was oaky, he would always reply to her "I guess I am well, I have never been this old before." Then they would smile and laugh.

He had been a faithful member of the Holy Cross Catholic Church of Bay City and upon marrying Mildred Ellis, he became a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bay City.