Dorothy Hanback Braden

BRADEN, DOROTHY MARIE HANBACK, age 101, passed away on November 15, 2023, after a long life.  Born on September 8, 1922 in Manassas, Virginia to Eldridge and Kathleen Annie (née Purcell) Hanback.  Dorothy was the third of four children.  Her sister Edna and brothers Davis and Clifford all predeceased Dorothy.

Nicknamed Polly as a child, Dorothy attended school in a one room schoolhouse until high school and was the only one in her family to graduate from high school.  Following graduation she moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked in various jobs including at the Department of Justice and ultimately at the newly built Pentagon. 

She met her husband, Joel, in 1942 while he was stationed at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia.  Joel and Dorothy were married on December 24, 1942.

After World War II Dorothy and Joel moved to Pontiac, Michigan and built a house in Waterford in 1947.  She owned and lived in that house for the rest of her life.

Dorothy and Joel had two children: Linda (Ken) Reger and Joanne (Reed) Altenberg.  Linda passed away in 2022 and Joanne survives.  Joel passed away on January 4, 1978.

Dorothy was a housewife until Joel became sick in the late 1950’s, requiring her to take a job with the Oakland County Tuberculosis Sanatorium.  After a few years working there she transferred to the Oakland County Children’s Home as a cook, ultimately retiring from there in 1989.

In addition to her daughter Joanne, Dorothy is survived by her four grandchildren Matthew (Heidi) Reger, Christina Reger, Chad Gates, and Carley (Todd) Gehrke along with two great-grandchildren, Elizabeth and Noah Reger.

Funeral service will be on Monday, November 20, 2023 at 11 AM  at COATS FUNERAL HOME-WATERFORD. Burial follows at Crescent Hills Cemetery, Waterford. Pastor Martin Woody officiating. Family will receive friends Sunday 4:00 -8:00 p.m. To post a condolence, visit www.CoatsFuneralHome.com.

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