- Date Of Birth: April 8, 1928
- Date Of Death: October 12, 2021
- City: Palatka
- State: Florida
Clarkie L. Branam, 93, of Palatka, passed from this life on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at her home following an extended illness. A native of Toombs County, Georgia, she and her husband left the farm life in Georgia to pursue a living in the Catfish industry in Florida.
In 1947 they moved to Cross Creek and then in 1951 to Lake Apopka before returning to Island Grove in Alachua County. In 1957, she transitioned to Putnam County where she remained for the past 64 years. Clarkie worked as a cafeteria manager in the Putnam County District School System from 1960-1991. Over the years, she had worked at Silver Lake Elementary School now known as Kelley Smith Elementary School, Interlachen Elementary School, and Palatka High School.
After retiring from the School System, Clarkie assisted her daughter Melba at her business, Cannon’s Bookkeeping. A member of New Beginnings Baptist Fellowship, Clarkie was a Christian woman who loved the Lord and served him by teaching Sunday School in her earlier years. In her leisure time, Clarkie enjoyed gardening (roses) and reading her Bible, shopping, and spending time with her family. She was also an excellent cook and always had a cake ready for visitors who might stop by. She was so proud of her children anyone who had conversations with her, quickly realized that her biggest accomplishment was raising her children to be successful.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Joseph H. “Joe” Hutcheson and 2nd husband, Paul Branam, her parents, William Spurgeon Benton and Edna Lucille Bailey Benton, and her siblings, Bobby Benton, Pauline Banks, Bernice Mosley, and Frankie Benton and a son-in-law, Reddick “Bill” Cannon.
Clarkie is survived by her children, Melba Cannon of Palatka, Jerry Hutcheson (Debbie) of Bunnell and Silva Smith (Stuart) of Palatka, 2 step-children, Brenda Harvey (Tommy) of Port Charlotte and Tommy Branam (Delinda) of Hollister, her siblings, Joyce Darus of Orlando, Faye Griffis of Archer, William S. Benton, Jr. (Marilyn) of Lake Como, Jesse Benton (Kathy) of Green Cove Springs and Betty Jean Wright (Archie) of Beverly Hills, FL, 5 grandchildren, Randal Cannon (Tammy), Amy Smith (Todd), Ashley Sherwood (Chris), Greg Hutcheson (Lisa) and Becky Simmons (Doug), 5 step-grandchildren, Russ Branam (Stacie), Crystal Burkes (L.J.), Scott Harvey (Ellen), Heather Kelly (Matt) and Brad Harvey (Kim), 8 great-grandchildren, Shelby White (Cole), Cody Cannon (Kelsey), Dalton Simmons, Logan Hutcheson, Jakob Sherwood, Joseph Hutcheson, Kati Sherwood, and Bella Glasco and numerous step-great-grandchildren.
