William Thomas “Bill” Braudrick passed from this earthly life on Sept. 22, 2021, at the age of 88. Bill was born on Jan. 26, 1933, near Caddo, Okla.
He is the oldest son of Richard and Mabel Baudrick. His Choctaw heritage came from his great grandmother, Mary Eliza Patterson Robinson, an original enrollee.
Bill’s boyhood was spent in the country around Pleasant Hill and Caddo during the Great Depression. He attended schools at Pleasant Hill, Caddo, and Durant. During his senior year at Durant, he was president of the FFA Chapter. Bill represented the Chapter on the livestock and meat judging teams. He placed second in the state resulting in the offer of a scholarship. Bill continued to work at the Southeastern Packing, later he worked and managed the meat markets at Piggly Wiggly, and Keener’s Food Store.
In 1969, Bill became co-owner of Southeastern Packing. In 1973, he and other investors built the American Packing on S. Ninth Ave. in Durant, Okla. He sold his interest in the business in 1977, then moved to McKinney, Texas, where he managed Longhorn Packing Company from 1977-1989. Bill went on to be a buyer for the Lone Stare Packing traveling all over southern Oklahoma, and northeast Texas to auctions buying cattle. He always had cattle and horses of his own, he was a talented roper and at one time ran a weekly rodeo. Bill had a reputation as a hard worker, in 1996 he was given statewide recognition as the Texas Worker of the Year by the Dickies Clothing Company.
He was the father of eight children, many grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. Bill lived east of Durant at Pirtle on Braudrick Lane. Bill was personal friends with many famous rodeo entertainment personalities.
Bill is survived by his children: Mechelle Howard and husband Blake of Calera, Okla., Katherine Ashley and husband Michael of Durant, Okla., Cody Braudrick and wife Natalie Meismer of Denison, Texas, and Roger Baudrick and wife Ann of Burleson, Texas; grandchildren: Steven Braudrick, Kelly Braudrick, Kelsey Howard and husband Chance, Lindsay Thompson and husband Brandon, Blake Howard and wife Jen, Jake Howard, Burney Anoatubby, Larry Anoatubby, and Lili York, Andrew Braudrick, Brandon Braudrick, James Braudrick, Celeste Perez, Rey Perez, and Ashley Norris; great-grandchildren: Autumn York, Aslyn Norris, Kaden Thompson, Natalie Thompson, Leslie Anoatubby, Lillian Merch, Luke Howard, Adalynn Howard, Caleb Norris, Mason Howard, Millie Howard, Dillon Braudrick, Dawson Braudrick, Dakota Blake Braudrick, Johnathan Braudrick: great-great-grandchildren: Karson Norris, Bayleigh Norris, Kendrix Rodriguez, Ethan Rodriguz, sisters, Imogene Williamson, Marylou Sherrod, and Dorothy Johnson, and he is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. He also had many that he considered his sons and daughters: Matt Davis, Billy Wells, Bonnie and Johnny Rowland, and Brenda Honeywell.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Richard Paul and Mabel Braudrick; and children, William Thomas Braudrick, Donna Kay Braudrick, Karen Sue Cass, and Ricky Braudrick.
A visitation for family and friends will be from 3-4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, at the Holmes~Coffey~Murray Funeral Home in Durant, Okla. There will be a family reception following the visitation, on Braudrick Road.
Services are under the direction of Holmes~Coffey~Murray Funeral Home in Durant, Okla. www.holmescoffeymurray.com