1.RobertStewartBrauer, Jr., born November 6, 1926 in Glen Burnie, Maryland; died March 29, 2002 in Dundalk, Maryland1. He was the son of 2. RobertStewartBrauer, Sr. and 3. RoseElizabethKeys. He married (1) JosephineSala July 5, 1957 in Tanglewood, Annapolis, Maryland. She was born October 8, 1919 in Low Street, Baltimore, Maryland2. She was the daughter of Vincent Sala and Lena Peker.
Notes for Robert Stewart Brauer, Jr.:
"Robert Steward Brauer was born on November 6, 1926 in Glen Burnie. He was the middle son of Robert Steward Brauer and Rose Keys. "He lived on Aisquith Street with his parents and two brothers Carroll and Fred. He Had two sisters who died very early in childhood. He served in the Navy. From January, 1943 to June 1946 as a Seaman first class. He was station in Guam and was injured in the knee. He received an Honorable Discharge And the World War 11 Victory Medal. He also was in the South Pacific during World War 11. After his discharge he met Josephine in 1947 and One by one she introduce him to her children. I guess she didn't want to Spring all of them on him at once. Stu as he liked to be called work at Owens Yacht Company as a boat builder until they closed up and then as a Electrical Salesman for Dormans Electric until his retirement. During this time period he married Josephine on July 5, 1957 in Tanglewood, Anna-
polis. They purchased a house on Kavanagh Road and together he helped to raise four of her children. He has three nieces and a nephew. He enjoys fishing and golfing and loves old songs and movies. One of his favorite songs is Danny Boy. In 1974 he wrote and put to music a song called "Don't Ever Call It A Day for Josephine. There are two copies of this song and one of them will be included into his history for future generations to see and enjoy and maybe one day it will be air for all to hear. As of this writing, Stu and Josie are still living at 8434 Kavanagh Road enjoying their retirement. Stu and Josie had no children together." (A)
"Stu became part of the family around 1947. The children were still young and he raised them as his own. Stu served in the South Pacific in the Navy during World War II. He served on a ship that was stationed on Guam. He was wounded in the knee while there. After the War, he returned to Baltimore and worked as a boat builder in Dundalk. He later became electrical salesman and worked for Dorman Electric. He has always been handy with electrical work, and enjoys playing golf and good movies." (B)
"His grandson, Brian, remembers that he always seemed to especially enjoy playing with the little grandchildren and then the little great-grandchildren, teasing them with the "tickle-bug"." (C)
Pop Pop Stu's 70th Birthday Party:===============================================================
On Sunday November 3rd, 1996 the family celebrated our Dad and PopPop's 70th birthday with a party at the Long Point Community Club in Pasadena, Maryland. In attendance were all of Stu's step-children, Fred & Doris Deaver, Gloria & Salvatore Fama, Grant & Sue Deaver, James & Sharon Deaver, Pat & Colleen Deaver. Also in attendance were most of Stu's grandchildren, Fred & Gail Deaver, Nina & Mark Mitton, Robert Deaver, Domenick & Donna Fama, Mary Jo & Jeff Griffith, Grant & Yvonne Deaver, Brian Deaver, Allen Deaver, Tracy Deaver, & Jennie Deaver. A number of great-grandchildren were also in attendance including Christine Deaver, Nichole Deaver, Mathew Mitton, Aaron Mitton, Christopher Fama, Sarah Fama, Lauren Griffith, and Cherish Deaver (C)
Pop Pop's SSN:======================================================================
BRAUER, ROBERT S
219-18-6654
Birth: 06 Nov 1926
Death: 29 Mar 2002
Pop Pop's Obituary:===================================================================
On March 29, 2002, ROBERT STEWART BRAUER, JR; beloved husband of Josephine (nee Sala) Brauer; devoted step-father of Frederick E. Deaver, Gloria F. Fama, Grant E., H. James and Patrick A. Deaver. Also survived by 16 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. A Funeral Service will be held at the Duda-Ruck Funeral Home of Dundalk, Inc., 7922 Wise Avenue, on Monday at 11 AM. Interment Oak Lawn Cemetery. Friends may call on Saturday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 PM.
Pop Pop's Funeral:===================================================================
It was a particulary cold April 1st in 2002, when Brian, Pamela, Cherish, Brian II and Benjamin attended the funeral of our "Pop Pop Stu". All of his children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, who loved him so much, were in attendance. Each of his children went to the podium to tell the family how much Pop Pop meant to them and how lucky they were to have had him for their "Dad". One by one, the families went to the coffin to tell Pop Pop one last time how much we loved him. At the Oak Lawn cemetery, his 8 grandson's - Brian Deaver, Chris Deaver, Fred Deaver, Bob Deaver, Domenick "Mickey" Fama, Salvatore "Tony" Fama, Grant Deaver and Scott Weaver, served as the pall bearers. Grandson Allen Deaver was not in attendance due to military committment.
Source for this information:==============================================================
(A) Gloria (Deaver) Fama, 2502 Panorama Heights Road 2, Spring Grove, PA 17362, SalandGlo@aol.com
(B) Robert Stuard Brauer, Jr.
(C) Brian James Deaver, Sr.
(D) Baltimore Sun Paper, March 30, 2002 - from website
Notes for Josephine Sala:
"Josephine went to work for Lamm Brothers as a Seamstress after her divorce, following in her fathers footsteps. She had custody of her five children at the time. Later she met and fell in love with Robert Steward Brauer around 1947 and together they raised four of her children. Her oldest son went to live with his Dad during this time period but still keeping in close contact with the rest of the family. On July 5, 1957 she and Robert Steward Brauer married and they finished raising the children in their home at 8434 Kavanagh Road, Dundalk , Maryland. Robert and Josie still reside as of this writing in Dundalk. Josephine had always had a love for music and dancing and whenever she gets a chance she still loves to kick up her heels. Her favorite past time now is Bingo. I have to say one thing about Josephine Deaver Brauer nee Sala is that she is one generous person. She would give you her last dime if you would need it. She is a survivor of two cancers for more then 50 years now." (A)
"A CELEBRATION OF LIFE - SURVIVOR OF BREAST CANCER FOR FIFTY YEARS IS AN INSPIRATION - When West Inverness resident Josie Brauer was only thirty years old, the vibrant young mother of five children felt a small lump under her arm. Frightened, she shared the discovery with her sister. "Basically, she scared me into going to Johns Hopkins to check it out further," admitted Brauer. "We were poor, so I only saw a doctor when my children were sick." Although Johns Hopkins Hosipital was world renown even fifty years ago for being on the cutting edge of medicine, there was little available then for breast cancer but to get a biopsy done. "They had a system back then of freezing the biopsy to see if it was cancerous, and even after all of that they weren't exactly certain if it was cancer," Josie shared. "I had nursed all five of my children and they felt this and the fact that I was only thirty years old was a sign that it wasn't cancer. In spite of that no one could say for sure." The only thing to do to be certain was a radical surgery to remove the entire breast. Josie was hopeful but had a sinking feeling the outcome would be for the worse because there was a history of cancer in her family. The surgery prooved that the lump was indeed cancerous, and the surgery required several painful skin grafts from her abdomen to replace the removed skin and tissue. Her physician, Dr. Denton Cooley, a respected leading surgeon at Johns Hopkins until his death last year, was only a couple of years younger than her when he performed the procedure. "He became almost like a brother to me. Everyday he would bring me his "blue babies" to bottle feed because he knew I was an experienced mother of five," Brauer revealed. "He did it to help me to be able to move my arms and feel like I was doing something worthwhile. It was my therapy." She spent a total of ten days in the hospital. I went home and gave myself four months to get better. Do you know that they didn't once offer any help, any advice or support, not one single thing after they sent me home." Her ten year old daughter, Gloria, was her nurse maid, changing bandages and tending to her while helping her take care of her four brothers, ranging in age from twelve to four. "We were poor, no one came forward to help and I had five children to feed, so after four months I went back to work." The strong willed mother took a job working in an Itialian Coat Factory, hand sewing coats with her good arm, never complaining about the pain. Her skin grafts didn't heal correctly because they left a stitch in and eventually ruptured. Undaunted, she persevered, cooked and cleaned and raised her children. "They are what kept me going. They probably are the only reason I lived, I went on becuase of them." It was a hard cross to bear. The surgury left her feeling like she wasn't a whole person. The stigma of cancer in those days caused her friends and co-workers to shun her. "Mom was treated just like she was a leper, people were afriad she was contagious," her son Grant remarked. "I can't imagine how she went on, how she took care of us and still ahs this unbelievable outlook on life." "I had terrible bouts with depression. Every day I looked at myself an was reminded of the scars. Back in those days women were more vain. You were judged by your body. Mine was no longer pretty or desirable," she admitted. "I never wore a bathing suite again." She saw a psychiatrist from Hopkins for a few months, another move that was judged in it's day with raised eyebrows. "If you went to a shrink, you were crazy," she laughed. "But I needed the help and I didn't like the pills the doctors prescribed. They told me I was fine, to go home and take care of my children because they needed me. So that's what I did." Today, the American Cancer Society has many ways for patients and their families to cope with the many aspects of the disease. Things are much different, from early diagnosis and treatment, to recognizing the human side of the illness. Cancer survivors often go on the lead support groups and offer their own life experience of combating the disease to encourage newly diagnosed individuals. Technology has provided ways for women to regain confidence in the appearance of their bodies. Research has given women new hope for survival of breast cancer, not like it was in Josie's day when to survive 50 ears was almost impossible. Josie's story is even more remarkable, beacause 26 years after she had her breast removed, she was diagnosed with a second type of cancer. She fought that and beat the odds again and continues to be an inspiration for her family. At the tender age of 81, Josie still finds time to cut her own lawn, dance and play bingo. She is an advocate for cancer awareness and encourages early detection. "If I had to give anyone going through this what I did advice, it would be don't ignore it and don't be scared of it. Face it and fight it," she insists. "Prayer will get you through, it's your best pal. Talk to God like He is a person sitting right next to you and He will help. You get angry and ask why sometimes, that happens. But believe me, if you pray and fight it, you will live and be able to do for yourself and for others." Last Sunday, October 15, her sons and daughter and their children held a suprise party for her to celebrate fifty years of survival. They presented her with a testimonial plaque, written by her daughter Gloria. Part of the verse sums up her life: "Sometimes we wondered why one person has to bear so much pain in one lifetime but then again, we have to be grateful that we still have that person (YOU) so we can show you how much you are loved. We are all here as your children to show you how much you mean to us and how proud we are of you for fighting this terrible disease all these years. For staying alive and giving yourself to us, your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. You are a tower of courage and strength and an inspiration to all of us. We thank you Mom, for all that you have done and given us. You have touched each and every one of us in some small way in your lifetime. This "Celebration of Life Dinner" is given in your honor for your bravery and courage and strength in fighting and surviving these two horrible cancers. We wish nothing but the best for you Mom and we love you." (B)
Information about Dr. Cooley:========================================
"DR. DENTON COOLEY King of Hearts - The life of Dr. Denton Cooley ('38, Tau, Texas) is centered around hearts: hearts that beat too fast, hearts that don't beat fast enough, and hearts that stop. Many historic events in the evolution of cardiovascular surgery have occurred at Cooley's fingertips. When this world-renowned heart surgeon was a 24-year-old resident at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, he assisted as Dr. Alfred Blalock performed the first "blue baby" operation to correct a congenital heart defect. Cooley didn't know at the time that he was witnessing a historic development in cardiovascular surgery, but he caught on quickly. "I realized that this was the dawn of a real and new specialty--and a whole new opportunity for me as a young surgeon," he says. In the years that followed, Cooley's career was marked with medical milestones. In 1955, he perfected the heart-lung machine. In 1956, he performed the first open-heart operation in the southern United States. In the 1960s, Cooley introduced "bloodless" heart surgery. In 1968, he performed the first successful heart transplantation in the United States; and in 1969, he implanted the first totally artificial heart in a human. Although he says the early years of transplantation were "quite exciting," Cooley takes a pragmatic view about his work. "The heart has always been a special organ," he says. "It has been considered the seat of the soul, the source of courage. But I look upon the heart only as a pump, a servant of the brain. Once the brain is gone, the heart becomes unemployed. Then we must find it other employment." To date, he and his team have performed more than 90,000 open-heart surgeries. As president of the Texas Heart Institute, which he founded in 1962 in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, he is at the forefront of the study and treatment of diseases of the heart. This spare, tall Texan began his medical studies as an undergraduate at The University of Texas at Austin. After he graduated from high school, Cooley, a native Houstonian, had little difficulty choosing a college. He was looking for a large university that would offer great opportunities scholastically and socially. He wanted to be close to his family in Houston, but not too close, and he wanted to play varsity basketball. He knew there was no other place for him but Texas. Cooley quickly found his niche. In addition to his outstanding scholastic performance, he was actively involved in extracurricular activities. He served in student government, and was a member of Kappa Sigma and the Texas Cowboys. He also was able to achieve his goal of wearing the orange and white. Cooley recalls the first time he stepped onto the floor of Gregory Gymnasium as a walk-on for the varsity basketball team. "It was thrilling. It was something that overwhelmed me," he says. He lettered three years and was a member of the team that won the Southwest conference championship in 1939. Since Cooley graduated Phi Beta Kappa in the Class of 1941, the University has bestowed several awards on him, including the 1967 Distinguished Alumnus Award and membership in the Longhorn Hall of Honor and the Natural Sciences Hall of Honor. His successful career has given him the means to provide generously for worthwhile causes. "I think the role of philanthropist is one of the real satisfactions in life," he says. Cooley and his wife Louise have been active supporters of the University and are members of the President's Associates and the Littlefield Society. In addition, the Denton A. Cooley Foundation has supported two professorships and a varsity basketball scholarship at UT Austin honoring the surgeon and his family. Cooley, a member of the UT Development Board, is a strong believer in alumni giving. "By today's standards, our education was almost free. So we ought to have some feeling of gratitude to the University. I feel it's an obligation and an opportunity to demonstrate appreciation for what UT has contributed to my career."" (C)
Sources for this information:=========================================
(A) Gloria (Deaver) Fama, 2502 Panorama Heights Road 2, Spring Grove, PA 17362, SalandGlo@aol.com
(B) East County Times, October 19, 2000, Volume 6, Page 1
(C) article written by Bridget Metzger - Reprinted with permission from the Fall 1996 edition of Texas Tribute - A publication of the University of Texas at Austin - found on internet at http://www.kappasigma.org/caduceus/sp97/cooley.html
