Marie Emma Brand's Obituary
Marie Emma Weber was born in Tacoma, Washington on July 23, 1921 – the first child of Arthur Herman Weber and Emma Ida Schumock.
She attended Whitman Elementary, Stewart Jr. High and Lincoln Sr. High School, graduating in 1940.
Her father built their home on 37th Street, and growing up in Tacoma brought a sense of pride to Marie. Their family struggled like all families during the depression, so her father made their toys at Christmas. He often created large scenes of trains and pull toys around the Christmas tree. He would pick up pieces of metal, reflectors, buttons etc. as he walked to work and he saved each object in specially marked drawers in the basement where he would later make toys from them. Marie’s father was a gifted artist and musician [publishing a song “Your Eyes, Your Smile, Just You”] and mom in herited his love of music and art. She often remarked how well he played the violin during those times long ago when family members came over to dance.
Marie admired architecture and would point out interesting buildings as well as cloud formations where she could imagine great scenes taking place. She loved Mt Rainier and never wanted to live anywhere where she couldn’t see the mountain.
Mom also loved dishes. We would always spend time at the Bon Marche on the 3rd floor looking at all sorts of patterns and stemware. Before the Tacoma Mall opened, we would take many bus trips to downtown Tacoma: Rhodes, Peoples Store, Kresses, Woolworth. We did a lot of walking and shopping.
Marie’s mother, Emma, was the 13th child in a large Bohemian family from Boone, Iowa. Her family loved to dance. Art and Emma spent many weekends going down to the Point Defiance Pavilion in the early 1900’s, but at home they would roll up the rug and the living room was their dance floor. Art played the violin and when mom was old enough she played the piano trying to keep up with him.
She often said she loved her brothers and sister. She recalled a time when they all had their tonsils taken out right in the doctor’s office!
Mom especially remembered her Uncle Jim Schumock, who used to bring her dolls. When he came to visit he would turn all of her dolls upside down just to tease her. She always remembered his tragic death and she held special feelings for him her whole life.
She loved her parents and understood their struggles during the Depression and WWII. She admired her mother for always helping neighbors, preparing meals for anyone who would stop by and for providing for and opening up their home to a young man [Harry Palmer] whose parents didn’t have enough money to support him.
My mom once said, “I always looked up to my parents, that’s all. It was my privilege to do so.”
Grandpa Herman Weber was a tailor and Grandma Bertha [Kalies] was a seamstress; they were conservative and stern, but loved and cherished their family. Grandma Bertha made clothes for the kids. Mom would sit upstairs while Grandpa Herman would sew military uniforms and listen to him tell her Bible stories while he worked. Both grandparents were born in Germany and attended the Lutheran church. Mom would recall that the saddest times of her life were the deaths of each of them. Mom was the first grandchild and I’m sure she was deeply and adoringly loved by the only grandparents she had known. She fondly remembers both of them speaking in German and singing German songs.
Mom’s maternal grandparents died early on. Joseph Schumock died at age 57 in Iowa and Rose Mary Newton Schumock was struck by a car in 1924, on what is now South Tacoma Way. Grandpa Art Weber said that no one was to blame and that was that. Cars were new at the time and people challenged them.
Marie excelled in business classes and worked at McChord Air Force Base and Fort Lewis during WWII. She loved to dance and spent her spare time at the USO clubs where she met her future husband, Arthur Brand who was stationed at Bremerton in 1945. They were married February 9, 1946 and left for Rhode Island by train. Dad had a 1939 Plymouth that he had put in storage before he joined the Navy. They took a long route back stopping by Niagra Falls and traveling all the way to the Grand Canyon on a very tight budget, before returning to Tacoma. My Dad accounted for every penny along the way and journaled every expense.
Marie and Art had a family of three: Gary Arthur [1948]; David Wayne [1950] and Robin Lynn [1954] and were married for 62 years. They lived in Lincoln Heights [1 California St.] and when the family outgrew their small house, they moved to 6829 S. Wapato Street and kept the same phone number for 60 years – GR or Greenfield 2-3535.
Lots of home projects followed and many camping vacations, including two trips to Rhode Island – a long way to go with three kids in the car. The journey of 1,000 miles always started when Dad would say, “I know a shortcut.” We took many car rides, especially in Washington. Mom was a good sport about trying everything at least once. She skied, rode horses, camped, ice skated, hiked - we had lots of fun.
Mom loved her home and every year she and dad would have a home or yard project to accomplish in the summer. Whether it was painting, pouring cement, remodeling, or putting in a carport, they did everything together. Mom even helped Dad dig out a crawl space under the house for months one summer because Dad wanted to make a small area where he could stand and have access to the furnace or plumbing. We had many BBQ’s and good times at our house: teatherball, wooden swing, pumpkin [structure from a daffodil float – which Dad and my brothers built a fort on top of]. We had a lot of city property behind the house with acres of woods for hours of playing. Dad even made a backstop for a small baseball field.
Mom stayed home and made sure we had sit down meals, holiday gatherings, music lessons. Each of us played an instrument [piano, drums, accordian]. And few people knew that mom played the piano very well. As she got older and the arthritis in both hands made it hard to strike the piano keys, we bought her a keyboard so that she could play her favorite music with a lighter touch.
Mom taught Sunday School for years at the Presbyterian Church on 66th Street. She would have 40 children in a Christmas Program, all with angel wings that she ironed and starched, singing songs and praising God. She always prepared a story with the flannel graph figures that seemed magical at the time. Children loved her.
Mom is remembered for: chocolate chip cookies, tuna fish sandwiches, brownies, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, delicious apple pies, horseback riding, and reading the Childcraft books over and over to all of her children and grandchildren.
Marie never set out to change the world or call attention to herself. She was always supportive, kind, and understanding. Her joy was being home for her children and being devoted to her family. She loved Dad and it was obvious. They both sacrificed for the good of our family; they both had faith in God and faith in people to do the right thing; they encouraged all of us and were present and helpful in all the ups and downs in our lives. They kept the Golden Promise that love can last a lifetime.
Mom asked me one day, in the later stages of dementia, if I had any children. I said, yes, I have three. She said, “would you want another child?” I said, who are talking about. She lowered her head as though fearing the answer would be no and said “me.” I told her I would love to have another child. What an honor to be chosen by my mom to take her hand and care for her for the rest of her life.
“. . . it is natural that the chord of love should be left vibrating at the close of a life . . .”
Marie, child of God, passed into the arms of Jesus on Sunday morning, September 15, 2013.
‘And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ – Phillippians 4:7
Marie was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur D. Brand and her brother, Alfred G. Weber.
Grandma Brand is lovingly remembered by: Jennifer, Erik, Kacy [Nick Miller], Treg, and Alyx [Randy Ladrido]
Great Grandchildren: Jordan, Carin, Lauryn, Christine, Collin, Grace and Adia
What’s your fondest memory of Marie?
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