Mrs. A. E. Bracken passed away suddenly Monday morning [July 15, 1935] at 2:25 o’clock at her home on South Main Street. While Mrs. Bracken had been in ill health for about three years, death came as a shock to her family and many friends.
Mrs. Bracken was a true pioneer of Kingfisher, having come to this place with her father and mother on the day of the run, April 22, 1889, and resided here since that time, where she has made a large circle of friends by her kind consideration of and friendliness to all with whom she came in contact.
Funeral services were held at the home Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock conducted by Mrs. Joseph Coffer, Christian Science Reader of Oklahoma City, when a large congregation of friends gathered to pay their last respects, and many were the beautiful flowers banked around the casket and room.
Ed Hahn, of the Hahn Funeral Home, Oklahoma City, had charge of the funeral arrangements, and was assisted by Ben Hunter of the Capital Hill Funeral Home, Oklahoma City, and J. B. Herrick of the Wilson Funeral Home, El Reno. During the impressive service, Mrs. Archie Stetler and Mrs. Tom Myers of Oklahoma City sang beautiful solos, with Mrs. F. L. Drake at the piano. Interment was made in the family lot at Kingfisher Cemetery.
Mrs. Bracken is survived by her husband, A. E. bracken, one daughter, Marie Bracken, of the home address, one son, George Bracken, of Kansas City, one brother, Harley Lee of Kansas City, all being present at the funeral, and other relatives and friends.
When notified of the death of his sister, Harley Lee was in Green Mountain Falls, Colo. He charted an airplane to fly him to Kingfisher for the funeral services and then return him to Colorado. Those from out of town who attended the services were: Oklahoma City: Dr. and Mrs. Cyril Clymen, Mrs. Robert K. Johnson, Mrs. Duffy, Mrs. J. W. Pemberton, Mr. and Mrs. Burgess Purdum, Mrs. P. G. King, Mrs. Thomas J. Stewart, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Otis Garrett, Mrs. Mabel Wagner, Mark Wagner, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Brown, Mrs. Ed Hahn, Mrs. Tom Myers, Mrs. Mock, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Coffer, and Mrs. Mary Kettering. Enid: Mrs. Joe B. Rowland, Mrs. J. R. Ball, Betty Carrol Ball, and Miss Helen Throckmorton. Mrs. Chas. Canon, El Reno; Mrs. Vincent Brennan and Miss Aileen Breman, Apache; Mr. Louis Shore, Guthrie; Mrs. Leo. Lee and Mrs. Bernie Lee of Kansas City; Mr. and Mrs. Grant, Hennessey; Mrs. Lillian Miller, Dover.
Nellie Lee was born September 16, 1869 at Ottumwa, Iowa. She with her family came to Kingfisher, Okla., April 22, 1889. In the fall of 1889, Miss Lee, together with Miss Anna Ward, organized and taught the first school ever conducted in Kingfisher, it being a subscription school and was held in a tent near where the post office now stands.
On April 10, 1898, she was united in marriage to A. E. Bracken, also an ’89er who came to Kingfisher on April 10, 1889. To this union were born one son, George, and one daughter, Marie. She was preceded in death by her father and mother, three sisters, and four brothers.
Kingfisher Weekly Free Press, July 18, 1935
Contributed by: Shelli Steedman