Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Martin Bracken , Doris Irene August 31, 2004 ********************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/obits/obitsca/obitsca.htm ********************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: K T bluewolf@onemain.com September 3, 2005, 1:54 am The Bakersfield Californian Bracken, Doris Martin 1916 - 2005 Doris Irene Martin Bracken Born December 23, 1916 Passed Into Gods Kingdom August 31, 2005 Doris was born in the small farming town of Xenia, Illinois. She was the youngest child of Maude and Ellery Martin. She was the sister to Rex, Lois and Zota Martin. Her father passed away when she was 3 years old and the family moved to Alfalfa, Oklahoma to farm as her mother had inherited some land in Oklahoma. Doris always had a love of the piano, and the music of her generation (ragtime) always flavored the music she loved to play. She loved playing the piano so much that she picked cotton to raise the money to continue piano lessons as the Great Depression made taking lessons a frivolous expense. After high school she met the love of her life Ray Bracken. He was working in a gas station, and she was the only person in her family that drove; so, the romance was inevitable. They married and their honeymoon was the trip to California that would remain their home for the rest of their married life. When WWII began Ray was offered a job maintaining the trucks and pumps in the oilfields of Taft. They raised four children in Taft, Ronald, Deanna, Myrna and Pam. Ray later started his business on Kern Street and Doris was his bookkeeper. Ray passed away in August of 1974 after a long battle with cancer. Doris was very active in the Rebekah Lodge having joined the group at the age of 18. She served as the State Musician in 1972-73. She was very active in the First Baptist Church in Taft, and has been a member since 1946. She became a traveling church musician in the late 70s gracing the keyboards of the piano and organ at a minimum of 3 churches every Sunday. She still attended the First Baptist Church every Sunday also; so, Mondays were her day of rest. After the death of her husband she became a technical assistant at Taft Union High School. She retired from this job at the age of 68, but the music gigs continued until health issues in April of this year made it impossible to play any longer. She suffered a heart attack in May of this year, and during her rehabilitation at Rosewood and Hallmark, she played the piano for all the residents and made many new friends. She touched many lives and even though her own health was failing, she still brought the love of music and religious music (with a hint of rag time) into the lives of many. Her life ended in the Evergreen at Arvin where she was incapacitated by a stroke in June. The family wishes to thank the caregivers at the facilities where Doris spent her final months. She will be missed for a long time by her family, friends and community. In lieu of flowers gifts may be made to the American Heart Association. Doris is survived by her son, Ronald Bracken; daughters, Deanna Harris, Myrna Denny, Pamela Cressey; 5 grandchildren and 2 great-granddaughters. Besides her husband, Doris is preceded in death by her parents, her three siblings, 2 grandchildren (Lacy and Kirk). Funeral services will be held in the First Baptist Church, 220 North Street, Taft, on Tuesday afternoon, at 2:00 p.m., and burial will follow in the West Side District Cemetery. Friends are invited to pay their respects on Monday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and again on Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon at the Erickson & Brown Funeral Home. Erickson & Brown Funeral Home Legacy.com Published in the Bakersfield Californian on 9/2/2005. Additional Comments: Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased. Obituaries http://www.legacy.com/bakersfield/LegacyHome.asp File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/obits/martinbr8959gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/ File size: 4.2 Kb