Mary Lou Branam

Mary Lou Branam, age 86, passed away peacefully at her home in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. Born in 1939 to Fred and Estelle Walker, Mary Lou was one of thirteen children and carried a lifetime of love, strength, and resilience.

She loved fishing, thrifting, and spending time with her family. One of her greatest joys was attending the annual family reunion — a tradition she never missed and had attended every year since it first began in 1949.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Edward Branam Sr.; her parents, Fred and Estelle Walker; her children, Cindy Ellison, Nellie Sharp, Jackie Dawson, and Gerald “Jerry” Walker; her grandchildren, Krista Walker and Danny Jay Branam Jr.; her great-grandchildren, Atreus Bradshaw and Avian Bradshaw; and all thirteen of her siblings: her brothers Clarence, Ronnie, Charles, Andy, Fred Jr., Ernest “Jay,” Frank, James “Floyd,” Walter (and his wife, Doris), Tommy “Joe” Walker, and her sisters Faye and Naomi.

Mary Lou is survived by two children, Kenneth Edward Branam Jr. and Danny Jay Branam Sr.; eight grandchildren: James “Jimmy” Sharp II, Robert Sharp, Shatara Ellison, Elizabeth “Beth” Walker, Delano Ellison, Raheem Ellison, Kenneth (Tyquisha) Ellison, and Keyona (Kaden) Bradshaw; and her great-grandchildren: Alyssa Walker, Nathaniel Keen, Elijah Walker, Kaylee Conner, John Conner, Braelynn Walker, Emily Sharp, Akia Ellison, Kamilla Ellison, and Karter Ellison, alongside many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Her family will forever cherish her warm heart, her humor, and her unwavering dedication to those she loved.

Family will receive friends 4:00-6:00pm on Monday, December 1, 2025, at Mynatt Funeral Home, Fountain City Chapel with service to follow at 6:00pm. Family and friends will meet at 12:45pm Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at Walker Family Cemetery in Sharp's Chapel for a 1:00pm interment. Online condolences may be expressed at www.mynattfh.com