Doris Marie Branson was born on December 30, 1927, in Altus, Oklahoma, to parents John B. and Jessie M. Gazaway. Very soon after her birth, the new family moved to Happy, Texas, and shortly thereafter moved to Ennis, Texas, where Marie spent most of her childhood. In her
senior year of high school, she relocated to Dallas, Texas, where she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1944 and enjoyed playing the saxophone in the marching band.

Marie married James F. Evans, a neighbor in Ennis, Texas, in 1948. James and Marie moved to Fresno, California, because of James's cotton broker job. His business required them to move back and forth from California to Texas for several years, but they finally settled permanently in Fresno, California, in 1956. They were married for 14 years.

Marie married Burt Branson in 1977, and they enjoyed many years of gardening on their property in Easton, California, square dancing, and traveling the United States in their RV.

Marie worked for Pacific Telesis for 25 years, first as a telephone operator and then as a communication specialist investigating fraudulent long-distance calls. She retired after 25 years.

She is survived by her children, Linda Stone, and her husband, Darl, James F. Evans, Jr., Susan Christensen, and Jeffrey Evans. Her grandchildren are Patrick Stone and his wife Alyson, Lisa Thurman and her husband Steve, Jodi Morgan and her husband Tom, Tina Rocca and her husband Ryan, Andrea Woodbridge and her husband David, and Elizabeth Evans and her fiance Stephen. Her twelve great-grandchildren are Tyler Morgan and his wife Kayla; Cole Morgan and his wife Mia; Emily Morgan; Rylee, Delaney, and Aubrey Rocca; James Thurman; Max and Sienna Stone; Abigail McFarland and her husband Cole; Kevin and Haisley Woodbridge. Marie welcomed her first great-granddaughter, Tatum Morgan, in November 2024.

We were blessed to have her in our lives for so long. All of her family, friends, and former co-workers will miss her. We rejoice that she is in the loving arms of Jesus and reunited with her mother, Jessie.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to The Leukemia/Lymphoma Society, 7491 N Remington Ave, Fresno, CA 93711