Person:Ralph Braught (1)

No middle name. Ralph was president of Kiwanis Clubs in Pocahontas and Pella, IA, and Rockford, IL. He was Lt. Gov. and then Governor of Nebraska-Iowa Kiwanis. Served IA National Guard (lied about age and entered at age 15 during Great Depression) and U.S. Navy (WW2 medical corps; South Pacific- see extensive military documents on file). Completed medical school on G.I. Bill after honorable discharge. Practiced medicine at Pocahontas, IA, Rockford, IL, Ames, IA, and Pella, IA. Director of physical medicine for Veteran Administration Psychiatric Hospitals at Knoxville, IA and Waco, TX. (grandson, Mike was attending Baylor Univ. at Waco during part of that period and often visited them). Moves after Rockford, IL mostly stimulated by heart problems which he generally ignored, except for family reminders.

President of Tide View Estates Retirement Community at Ellenton, FL in retirement. Active leader in Boy Scouts of America, Big Brothers, Texas Boys Ranch, Rosecrance (Rockford, IL) Boys Home and church (Methodist, Disciples of Christ and Baptist at various locations).

Graduated Des Moines East High School, Drake Univ., and Still Medical College (D.O). Ashes of Ralph and wife Betty buried at Des Moines, IA Woodlawn Cemetery near other family stones block 17, Lot 124 (has headstone with Ralph and Betty-see photo). As young man he worked as a carpenter and director of his own dance band (called Ralph Braught and His China Boys - he was drummer).

After returning from WWII Pacific war (26 months overseas) he was stationed at Fallbrook, CA Ammo. Dept. and managed a small community hospital on the side. Using G.I. Bill, he returned to Des Moines for college and medical school. While at East High he was the drum master setting a precedent of throwing baton over goal post in stride entering half-time football games and in four years never missed catching the baton, His younger brother, Gene, repeated the tradition and the perfect record for another four years when he was drum master there.

Des Moines, IA 1932 Directory shows Ralph Braught (Betty E.), lbr. Hubbell bldg. living at 1309 - 56th. This was the year that they officially married (eloped in 1932 but did not reveal that until they graduated from East High School, so this must have been surveyed after April 1932) I think they lived at the north end of Des Moines E. 9th St. when I was born in 1934, but have not searched that year Directory yet.

Des Moines, IA 1941 Directory shows Ralph Braught (Betty A.) pntr. Hubbell Supply Co., living at 952 - 25th.

It was fun that he was a strong Republican and Mom was a strong Democrat (they voted their minds rather than straight tickets in general elections).

His brief 2nd marriage on Mother's Day after wife Betty died was held in Sarasota, FL to Helen «u»Ruth«/u» (Clark) Rook was a disaster from the onset and promptly ended in a very bitter divorce. I have copies of some of those details, including her report to authorities that Ralph was practicing medicine at Ellington without license (he had not renewed his Florida license).

His third marriage to Ella Alice Ferguson was soon after divorce from Ruth Rook, but had no connection to the divorce. That marriage may have officially been recorded as held at Ella's Tideview home in Ellenton, FL. She and Dad seemed happy together for the few years before his death.

I considered myself extremely fortunate to have had him for a father and friend. In his last 61 days at the Manatee Hospital the staff was continually amazed at how much fun we shared despite the disappointment about his terminal condition. Uncle Gene came to Sarasota just before Dad died to share in the good fellowship. His last wife, Ella, did not understand or appreciate our happiness at all, so we contained it considerably when she was there. All of his material assets were left with her. I know that Dad felt very blessed and comfortable with such love and joy surrounding him in his final days.

Ralph was reared in economic depression era, but in a rich and loving family environment. Among his events were his falsifying his age to join the 113th Army Cavalry National Guard Medical Division (with help of his brother Loran, a Sgt. in that unit). Actually, the official record shows that he joined, then took discharge because he could not attend meetings, but then reenlisted. When WWII arrived he was reassigned to the US Navy Medical Corps. to be trained at Great Lakes, IL Naval Training Base, then to the Naval Base at Norfolk, VA. before being sent to the Pacific Ocean war zones with the Seabees 11th Construction Battalion Medical Corps.

Ralph was an avid member and leader of Kiwanis. President at Pocahontas and Pella, Iowa; and at Rockville, IL (perhaps also at Knoxville and/or Ames, Iowa). He was a Lt. Gov. and Gov. of Nebraska-Iowa Kiwanis and earned many honors in Kiwanis. He was active in BSA as Des Moines (Tallcorn Council) Cub master, Camp Mitigwa week-long Camp Director, etc. and after the war served on BSA boards (including director of fund raising at Waco, TX, etc). He was very active in the protestant churches he attended where ever he lived (mostly Methodist, but some Church of Christ of Baptist). He was an active Board member of the Rockford, IL Roscrance Children's Home. He was president for several terms of the Tideview Estates subdivion Board at Ellenton, FL, organized many recreational activies there, and donated an organ for the main lodge there in memory of his wife, Betty.His memorial gifts were designated for the Florida Youth programs.

In an informal interview with Dad on 3 Aug 1984 when he was visiting us in Terre Haute, IN he knew that he was facing serious (likely terminal) cancer, but he had driven that distance. Some of the items he mentioned related to his and Mom's histories. He said that when he was born the family was living on Park Ave. in Des Moines. His father had worked as a railway worker, dairy farmer, and finally personnel director for Bankers Life Insurance. Before WWII the entire family lived on the East side of Des Moines (Lee Twp). The family lived at 1204 E. Fillmore ST, then East 17th and Capitol and after he married they lived at 1354 E. 9th St. For income after high school graduation and marriage, he worked as a milk carrier on Orville Braught's dairy in a Model A Ford. At the same time he played drums in his own band (Ralph Braught and His China Boys) routinely at the Paramount Theater on Grand Ave downtown.

He had joined the National Guard 113th Cavalry Medical Corps. at age 14 (with help from his older brother, Loran), but was later caught at being too young and was given an honorable discharge with the ruse that he had to quit because he could not attend drills. When finally old enough he rejoined that unit and earned the rank of Sgt. (see official records in his folder), but again resigned in 1940 to work more hours for his brother-in-law, Roy Riley, as bookkeeper and manager of both Roy's 4th Street and Ft.Des Moines Parking Garages.

He also moved to West Des Moines where they joined College Ave Church of Christ (44th and College) at the enticement of the Guard army chaplain who was pastor of that church. He also became BSA Cub Master of the Pack there that became the largest in the Tallcorn Council and also as Asst. Scoutmaster there. His brother Loran had entered professional Scouting and he served as Camp Mitigwa Summer Camp Director. He sometimes worked as a handyman. They moved to 31st & Brattoboro in a large house where they became legal Foster Parents to temporarily care for children from the juvenile court (mostly very young children waiting for court decisions about dependency, etc.). He still did some milk delivery, handyman jobs, and dance band gigs.

After returning from the Pacific Theater war shortly after Iwo Jima was won, he was stationed at Fallbrook, CA Naval Ammo. Depot attached to Marine Camp Penalton where Mom, Gramma Rose, and I moved. He moonlighted as manager of the Fallbrook Hospital run by a few of the Naval doctors and Mom worked at the Fallbrook US Post Office clerk (perhaps her title was Post Mistress). All of the doctors enticed him to leave a navy career and pursue a medical degree on G.I. bill. One of the Navy Osteopaths (Phil Green of Arcola, IL) there offered special advise to attend pre-med at Des Moines Drake Univ where he could have family supports and then attend Des Moines Still Osteopathic College, which he did. Briefly we moved in with my grandparents Braught at 1810 York St., but soon moved into a Drake Univ. family trailer court across from the Drake Football Statium on Forest Ave. Dad flew through premed in half time and was admitted to Still College. While at Drake, he worked part time as a Arrow Co. freight truck driver for my god-father, Roy Wilson (serving Van Meter, Clive, Earlham, etc.). I sometimes helped on the truck also, but I was working a stock boy at a grocery store on Ingersoll and 31st. more than on the truck while attending Callanan Jr. High at 31st snd Crocker St. I also spent summers as counselor at Des Moines YMCA Camp near Boone, Iowa.

We moved to an upstairs apartment at 32nd and Woodland Ave. Dad worked part time as a Yellow Cab driver while attending medical school. After medical graduation and successfully passing Iowa State Medical Exams, he and wife Betty moved to Pocahontas, IA for private practice while I entered Iowa State College at Ames, Iowa on Swimming scholarship. They were in Pocahontas for about 9 yrs. when Dad had a first and severe heart attack that demanded that he decrease work loads as a country doctor.

While at Pocahontas they were active members of the Methodist Church and close life-long friends with Rev. Robt. Moss and wife Charlotte. Rev. Moss was a US Army survivor of the famous Battle of the Buldge and a rare Army Reserve Chaplain (rank of Col.) with an Infantryman and purple heart on his his uniform.

Meantime, Rev. DeLoss Marken in Des Moines returned as a Brig. Gen. having served Gen. Eisenhower and was later honored with his name for the Iowa Military Museum at Camp Dodge. After Dad's severe heart attack, Dad and Mom moved from Pocahontas, IA to Rockford, IL where his friend, Dr. Stan Adamson, and he hired three young M.D. to create a medical clinic at Rockford, IL. Already living in Rockford were Tay and (aunt) Fran Taylor with gramma Rose and their three children. That was considerable influence upon the selection of Rockford as their new residence and practice. Dad was supossed bot be semi-retired, but he was handling a full practice there and also serving as the clinic manager, bookkeeper, etc. that stimulated more (but less severe this time) heart problems. He separated from the clinic and opened personal practice at Loves Park suburb of Rockford. One of "uncle" Tay Taylor's friends at Rockford Screw Co., and fellow member of Rockford Methodist Church was Don and wife June Hunt. They became close friends with Dad and Mom and agreed to create a shared fine women's appearal business on the east edge of Rockford. They built a mini-mall type complex centered around the Fashionette Women's Shop, an apartment for Ralph and Betty, two dental office, Dad's medical office, and a bath and bedroom supply shop across the busy street from a popular Rockford Sweded House Restaurant an. Mom and June managed the Fashionette while Dad and Don handled administrative matters of the entire complex. Of course, in time the old heart threat returned to Dad and they had to abandon that successful venture. Dad remained very active in the Kiwanis Club there (president, chair of huge annual Pancake sales, etc.) They moved from there to Ames, Iowa because it was a nice community we had become fond of during my two student stints there. The intend was to fully retire, but that lasted only about a year before Dad got bored with retirement and opened a "part-time" medical practice at Pella, Iowa. Of course, that soon grew way beyond part-time into overload. Gramma Rose moved there with them after Fran and TAy divorced and there had been their family tragedies at Rockford; Fran remarried, etc.

Dad was always deeply involved with Kiwanis, church and other civic activites (Shriners, BSA, etc.) where ever they were. While living in Pella (where he as both club president and Kiwanis Lt. Gov) Dad was elected Nebraska-Iowa Kiwanis Governor.

Of course, the heart problem reentered the need to "retire". However, someone lured Dad into considering completing military retirement qualifications as doctor for the VA Hospital at Knoxville, IA just a few minutes from Pella. It looked great and the VA even provided housing there. He needed barely three years of VA service for his full military retirement status. Two years at Knoxville as assist medical director allowed him to demonstrate exceptional administrative skills and he was offered the position of medical director for the huge VA Hospital at Waco, TX. Too enticing to refuse, so they transferred there and continued there for about three years to complete his one year of needed service. While there one grandson, Mike, attended Baylor Univ. as a music major and played in the univ. bands. They finally agreed to retire to Ellenton, FL where some Rockford friends had relocated at Tideview Adult Retirement Village near Bradenton, FL.

At Tideview Estates, it was not long until Dad became multi-term president of the corporation Board, organized recreation events (dinner shows at St. Petersburg, Caribbean cruises, etc.). Mom taught some crafts and they were of course busy with local church and Kiwanis. Dad contracted chronic Leukemia that was controlled with chemotherapy. At Tideview Dad did some personal medicine practice, provided huge discounted prescriptions, etc. on his Iowa medical license and did not apply for Florida medical license (came to haunt him). Mom died of massive heart attack there (expected since birth).

Dad could not endure living alone and remarried in about six months. A very unfortunate decision and terrible mate selection. The marriage stuggled for six months and ended in bitter divorce that included his second wife, Ruth Clark Rook reporting Dad for practicing medicine without Florida license in the process of the divorce proceedings. Dad paid fine, completed volunteer medical service at a local hospital (ironic sentence), and provided volunteer time with Meals on Wheels to meet court penalties. Very soon after the divorce, Dad married a Tideview Estate friend (and former "patient) who recently lost her husband; Ella Thompson Ferguson. That union was going fine for them for about three years until Dad contracted Brain and Lung cancer, which he was facing during this interview (he soon had 51 days at Bradenton Hospital where he died.

I was lucky to manage much of those final days with him by flying from Indiana (where I was SE Polk, IA School principal) to Bradenton several times. Uncle Gene also visited there for about five days. While his wife, Ella, and I decided to take recess from the hospital and leave my wife, Ruth, with Dad, he died. I know that he was at peace with God.

As a typical amateur genealogist, I documented birth, marriage, and death certificates for my parents plus any obituaries, etc. Census records, Directory reports, photos, etc. are on file.

(Research):Des Moines, IA 1932 Directory shows Ralph Braught (Betty E.), lbr. Hubbell bldg. living at 1309 - 56th. Des Moines, IA 1941 Directory shows Ralph Braught (Betty A.) pntr. Hubbell Supply Co., living at 952 - 25th.

(Medical):I had stored cremation ashed of my mother and father for some time until I could bury them at the Woodland Ave. national registered cemetery in Des Moines. We purchased their grave stone and in 2006 registered that we had the deed adjacent to that grave and intended it to be used for our two cremation urns. On the other side of their grave are the graves for Cortes and Ida Braught, his grandparents.

1. ↑ Delayed Certificate of Birth, Military documents, death certificate.
2. ↑ Death Certificate Martha Owen Motley Turbett.
3. ↑ Manatee County, FL Health Unit Florida Certificate of Death 7s-5102 shows all genealogy data as I have recorded. It shows that he was cremated at Sara-Mana Crematory of Sarasota, FL. He officially (Dr.Y. Nadiminti, MD) died of Metastatis Cancer in Renal Cells of brain and lung. He also had chronic Lymphocytz Leukemia which was not a cause of death (I recall several severe heart attacks starting at Pocahontas in records of Ft. Dodge, IA Hospital, also at Rockford, IL, and perhaps elsewhere.
4. ↑ Ralph was cremated at Bradenton, FL. Son, Loran took his ashes with ashes of wife Betty Ann to Woodland Cemetery for interment with a grave stone there on 28 July 1900.