Lois Casbeer Brandt

Lois Casbeer Brandt, age 101, a resident of Albuquerque since 1998, passed away peacefully in her home on November 24, 2021. She is survived by her two daughters, Linda D. Brandt, and Dr. Susan Brandt Graham, both of Albuquerque; grandson Brandt G. Graham of Andrews, TX; and brother Col. Arthur M. Casbeer (USAF Retired) of Arizona and Montana.

Born in Arizona in December of 1919, she was the only member of her family for generations before and even generations after to be born outside of Texas. Her siblings teased her about that. Nevertheless, she was raised from infancy in San Antonio, Texas. Her favorite thing in childhood was riding her pony on her father's ranch on weekends. At age 11 she helped her father drive some horses down Fredericksburg Road from the stockyards toward his ranch. She and his hired hands drove the horses, while her father followed in a car to make sure none of the horses got away. Her father expected that she could do everything his hired hands could, and she could.

In Albuquerque she loved the Arabian Horse Shows when held here. Once she almost had to be physically restrained to keep her from running down to the arena floor and trying to ride off on one of those magnificent horses. She dressed for those shows and loved being a showstopper when she wore a pair of her fancy boots made by her grandson.

As Valedictorian of her high school class, she was offered a full scholarship to the University of Texas. Instead of taking it, she and her high school sweetheart, Clinton Brandt, eloped in Alice, Texas in August of 1938. They had planned to remain in San Antonio for the rest of their lives.

World War II came along, however, and altered those plans. After Pearl Harbor the newly developing Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma was recruiting people who could maintain the planes that would be needed for the war effort and keep them flying. Her husband fit the bill. In 1942 they moved to Oklahoma "just for the duration of the War..."

Their first child, Linda, was born in Oklahoma City in November of 1943. Their second child, Susan, was born after the War in October of 1946.

When the girls started school, Lois decided to try college. She began at what was Central State College in Edmond, OK. In her second semester there, Watson and Crick published their landmark paper on the structure of DNA, and Lois was hooked on science for the remainder of her life. In 1956 the family moved to Norman so she could continue her education at the University of Oklahoma. The first in her family to graduate from college, she received Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from OU.

Lois never applied for a job. The jobs came to her. She first taught Biology and Advanced Biology at Norman High School. She loved the job and her students. After some time, however, she learned the male biology teachers were paid $300 a year more than she was. She quit. Lesser pay because she was a woman was not something she was willing to settle for. Of note, this was several years before the Women's Movement began in 1970, and the call for equal pay for equal work. As soon as the word got out, she received a call from a former professor asking her if she would like to teach in the Botany Department at OU and run the National Science Foundation grants for Academic Years and Summer Institutes to improve the teaching of Biology in high schools. She loved that job also.

A gifted teacher, Mrs. Brandt inspired a generation of students to pursue careers in science: as teachers, doctors, nurses, lab techs and med techs, and in the National Parks, Forest Service, land management, and others. Many remember her oft‐used "I know you can do better..." and thank her for showing them that they could.

She continued to work for a couple of years after her husband retired, but then she too retired so they could travel. They often spent three months in Tucson to be with Susan and her family.

They took three‐month trips with lifelong friends to the US National Parks, the Canadian National Parks, through Mexico, and shorter trips to wherever they pleased. They were planning a trip through the Canadian Rockies when her husband died suddenly in June of 1992. Lois and Linda moved to Albuquerque in January of 1998 to be closer to Susan. Lois built her house, the first home someone else hadn't picked for her. She loved it. She became interested in arranging flowers and joined the Ikebana Society. She became interested in roses and, in her 80's, became a Consulting Rosarian, ARS Accredited Horticulture Judge and Arrangement Judge. She loved traveling to judge rose shows. When she wasn't judging, she won awards for her arrangements.

In her later years she developed an interest in genealogy. She was proud that she descended from multiple Patriots of the American Revolution, including a fourth great grandfather who was a member of Daniel Morgan's elite Rifle Regiment in the two battles near Saratoga, New York, when the British were defeated there. In 2021 she became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was also proud that she descended from multiple people who settled in the Republic of Texas before it became a State. She became a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. She appreciated that those lineal memberships validated the genealogical work, even when she didn't always agree with everything her ancestors had done. She contributed her DNA to the Very Early and Early Texans DNA Project of the Texas State Genealogical Society.

An interest she kept to the very end was Oklahoma football. She and her husband began going to football games in the Bud Wilkinson era. They often went to Dallas for the OU‐Texas game. She was always for OU but laughed about the time she automatically stood up when the Texas band began playing "The Eyes of Texas." Giving up her OU season tickets was one of the hardest things for her to do when she moved to Albuquerque. She was engaged to the end and wouldn't miss a televised game. She enjoyed this year's game very much.

Lois lived a very long and very good life. She never had a major illness. In the end, her body just wore out. She was ready to go. Three days before she passed, she awoke from a nap with a look on her face like a child on Christmas morning, asking "Am I dead now?" When told she was still among the living she angrily replied, "I don't know why this is taking so long. It shouldn't take this long to die." She was chiding Death in the way she often encouraged students: "I know you can do better..." That was the last time she spoke coherently. She slipped into her own world. She passed away peacefully in the home she built when she moved to Albuquerque, 12 hours after her grandson arrived to say Good‐bye. She died the way she had lived, on her own terms.

Mrs. Brandt was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Clinton Hargis Brandt; parents Newton I. and Louise L. Casbeer; brother Brig. Gen. Roy N. Casbeer (USAF Retired); and sister Lucille Casbeer Bazar.

She will be laid to rest beside her husband in Resthaven Memory Gardens, Moore, Oklahoma. Private graveside services will be held at a later date. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to their favorite charities.