|
Brandes, Charles William "CW" (1922-2009)
Brandes, Charles William "CW"
Life Sketch
2009
THE FAMILY REMEMBERS
By MARY HOGAN, SEALY NEWS Staff Writer Waddel Brandes still remembers the marble his father, Charles William "C.W." Brandes used to carry in his pocket. "The golden rule was on the marble - ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,'" Waddel Brandes said. And throughout his life, C.W. did just that, dedicating his time to serving his community and family. C.W. Brandes, 86, passed away Jan. 28 in Brookshire. He leaves behind a legacy of building up his community, having served for 40 years with the Austin County Fair Association as one of the founders, among other commitments. His daughter-in-law, Sharon Brandes, still remembers how C.W. began the tradition of bringing big-name talent to the Austin County Fair. He had an eye for stars from the very beginning. She looked forward to his return every year from the convention where he would book musical talent. One year, C.W. came back with the news that a new country artist would perform at the county fair. "And I can remember saying, ‘I've never heard of him,' and he said, ‘Well, you wait and see he's up and coming and he's going to be big,'" she said. And C.W. was right. A week before the fair, that new country artist - Garth Brooks - won the Country Music Association's Horizon Award for best new artist. It was his ability - and willingness - to get things done that made him a leader, according to Waddel Brandes. "He was the kind of person who would leave an impression," he said. "He was a doer, he would get up and get things done. He never complained. "He was a good leader," he added. "Whenever he got involved in a group or organization, he generally wound up being the president or secretary." And he encouraged his family to take an active role in the community, as well. Sharon Brandes remembers when he asked her to take over the responsibility of coordinating the Austin County Fair Parade. She agreed and spent 19 years working to make the parade a success. As a Boy Scout volunteer, he also tried to impress those values of supporting one's community on the youth of the county. For his efforts, he earned the Silver Beaver, which is the highest honor bestowed on a Scout volunteer, according to his son, Bruce Brandes. "He wanted the best for Austin County," BrucesBrandes said. "He wanted to see everybody succeed. He really took to heart the youth of Austin County." Along with working to make the community better, C.W. also spent time working to make his family strong. "He was always doing something for somebody," Bruce Brandes said. "He valued his friendship. He valued his family. He was a terrifically honest person and was always honest in his dealings with everybody. That's one thing I got from him was honesty." And there were other life lessons Bruce picked up from his father along the way, as well. "Work hard to get what you want. Don't talk bad about people. Give everybody the respect that they deserve - that's an important aspect in life in your dealings with people," he said. "And be a responsible adult. Just be a good person - that was important to him and that's what he taught us," he added. Those lessons led Bruce Brandes to join the U.S. Navy. C.W., who was very patriotic, couldn't have been more proud. "He said, ‘Son, that's the best thing you could have done for yourself,'" Bruce said. Family pride was important to C.W., who enjoyed family barbecues and get-togethers. His love of being around loved-ones rubbed off on Waddel Brandes, who still enjoys getting together for birthdays and other holidays. The presence of his father will be missed at those events, though. "He was always somebody that you could discuss things with," Waddel said. "He was like a sounding board. He was somebody to sit down with and talk to about different ideas and opinions and I'll miss that." Throughout his 86 years, C.W. Brandes lived through a lot: the Depression; the early days of automobiles when he drove a Ford Model T; and riding a horse to go to the Roach Prairie School, a small one-room school in the Burleigh community. He served on the Austin County School Board, which served as the governing body of all the rural schools in the county, and later saw the consolidation of those small school districts into the present-day school districts of Brazos ISD, Sealy ISD and Bellville ISD. He saw a man land on the moon, faithfully served as a member of First United Methodist Church of Sealy, married Lillie Schubert of Sealy, and raised a family of three sons and a daughter along with countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren. "He was something else," Bruce Brandes said. |
|
Brandes
Charles William "CW"
14318
|