Cover photo for James  Allen Braden's Obituary
James  Allen Braden Profile Photo
1935 James 2022

James Allen Braden

June 29, 1935 — March 2, 2022

James Allen Braden, age 86, of Council Bluffs and Macedonia Iowa, passed away March 02, 2022, at home in
Council Bluffs.
James (Jim) Braden was born June 29, 1935, to the late Bruce and Vola (Hendrix) Braden of rural Macedonia,
joining older brother Robert at home. He was raised on the family farm south of Macedonia, graduating from
Macedonia High School in the class of 1953. The family lost Robert to a car accident in July 1949 shortly after he had
graduated from Macedonia High School.
The fall of 1953 brought a change of scenery, attending the University of Iowa in Iowa City as a freshman
student. It was during this time that he met Dorothy Anne Bopp of Oxford Junction, Iowa, who was also a student at the
University of Iowa. They started dating, culminating in their wedding at the Braden family farm on November 27, 1954.
Immediate family gathered at their home in Council Bluffs this past November and celebrated their 67th wedding
anniversary.
After marriage they lived/worked in several locations before landing in Chicago, Illinois where James had taken a
customer service agent job with United Airlines at Midway Airport on June 15, 1956. During their time in Chicago, they
welcomed their two sons, James Allen Braden, Jr and Robert Bruce Braden.
A United Airlines agent position became available in Omaha, Nebraska, so in September 1959 the young family
moved into their home in Macedonia where they remained for nearly 61 years. Daughters Lisa Jo and Darci Ann joined
the family and all four siblings attended and graduated from Carson-Macedonia High School and Northwest Missouri
State University in Maryville, Missouri.
Over the decades in Macedonia, James was very involved in the community. He was a member of the volunteer
fire department as well as a town councilman, mayor, scout leader, and announcer for C-M football games and Donia
Day parades over the years. James was an active board member in several Macedonia organizations including the
Macedonia Community Development Corporation, the Macedonia Cemetery Board, and the Macedonia Historical
Preservation Society. He was always willing to do whatever he could to make Macedonia a good place to call home.
He retired from United Airlines in July 1990 but kept busy with wife Dorothy on the family farm, as well as
attending/hosting United Airlines retiree functions and participating in city government activities and involvement with
the various organizations with which he was associated. James was a significant contributor to the Pottawattamie
County efforts for the 1996 Iowa Sesquicentennial celebration that culminated with hosting the Mormon Trail 150th
Anniversary Wagon Train on the family farm.

James was preceded in death by his parents Bruce and Vola (Hendrix) Braden and his older brother Robert Bruce
Braden.

James is survived by his wife Dorothy, sister-in-law Amy Brosh, son James, Jr (Sharon), son Robert (Karen),
daughter Lisa Jenkins (Scott), daughter Darci and grandchildren Angela Custodio, Andrew Braden, Jennifer Braden, Beth
Jenkins (Kevin Gerby), and Matt Jenkins, great grandchildren Eva and Braden Custodio, numerous nieces, nephews, and
cousins, honorary grandchildren Natalie and Tyler Steelman and honorary great grandchildren Laila Jane and Benjamin
Steelman as well as fur child Petey, granddogs, and other critters great and small that loved him.

No funeral services are planned at this time. A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date. Memorials may
be directed to the Macedonia Historical Preservation Society or the Macedonia Volunteer Fire Department.

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