Donald E. BRADEN

BRADEN, SWAIN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/21/2011 at 15:18:36

March 13, 1932 -- December 9, 2008

Donald E. Braden
Mr. Braden was born at Goldfield, Iowa on March 13, 1932 the son of Bee W. and Eva (Swain) Braden. He attended school at Waterloo, Iowa where he graduated high school in 1950. He served in the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict from January 1951 until receiving his Honorable Discharge in December of 1954. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1954 as a speech and hearing therapist and achieved membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Honorary Scholastic Society. He worked in the Iowa public school system from 1958 to 1965 with one year back at UNI for graduate work. He joined Phillips Petroleum Company in 1965 in the Sales Department at Omaha, Nebraska. He moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 1971 and held various positions with Phillips including Director of Sales Training 1971-1975, Corporate Personnel 1975-1978, Management Training 1978-1985 and as Director of the Employee Assistance Program from 1985 until his retirement in May of 1992. Over the years he was active in Junior Achievement, Junior Chamber of Commerce, Toastmasters, PTA, the Alcohol and Drug Center, and a number of state and national organizations in which he held various offices. Survivors include his wife, Sharon Braden of Bartlesville, one son; one daughter and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Bee W. Braden of California and one daughter, Susan Braden at the age of 11. Memorial services for Mr. Braden will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the St. Luke's Episcopal Church with Father T. Lee Stephens officiating. Cremation arrangements were under the direction of the Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory, Oklahoma.