Ramona G. Branch

Ramona Geraldine Thompson Branch 

On a sunny and unusually warm day for the season, Ramona Geraldine Thompson was born November 25th, 1929. Named after the popular ballad “Ramona” by crooner Gene Austin, Ramona was the third child of six children of George and Mamie Thompson. The family lived in a home at 9317 S. Perry Ave in Chicago’s Lilydale community. Being the third girl in a row, Ramona was designated as her daddy’s helper. That meant short hair, overalls, outdoor chores and wrangling live chickens for dinner. It also meant learning to drive at age 14 and taking odd jobs to help support the family. Ramona was taught very early that women can do anything. 

As a family living through the Great Depression and deeply connected to the Church of God in Christ and the prestigious Roberts Family, Ramona described her childhood as both privileged and challenging. Her mother Mamie, daughter of the popular Bishop William Roberts, was accustomed to a high status and comfort. Her father, gentle and industrious, was from rural Tennessee and worked many jobs to support his family during those difficult times. Ramona and her sisters were expected to be ladies but also to be resilient, strong and independent women. Ramona would often say that her siblings were her best friends, and they were constant companions throughout her life. She often remembered her fenced in backyard where they played together every day after school in the playhouse built by her dad. When they would ask if neighbors could come to play, her mom would say “play with each other.” 

Ramona’s love for storytelling and history was greatly influenced by her mother. Mamie wrote poetry and flowery letters to family and friends expounding the values of love and family. For several years Mamie hosted a radio program on Jack Cooper’s WSBC station entitled “Little Mother of Friendship” where she solicited letters from listening mothers, reading pleas for help on air and offering her wisdom. As a child, Ramona would hear the clicking of Mamie’s typewriter late into the evening hours in preparation for her program. 

Ramona attended Gillespie Elementary School and DuSable High School. At 16 years old, she met Charles Branch. Chuck was just back from serving in the war and Ramona was smitten by this young man still in uniform. He and his brother Harold visited the household at the advice of a friend who told them about the “pretty Thompson girls”. Ramona and Charles became an item and after a year of dating, were married in a double wedding on April 6, 1947, in an Easter Sunday service along with Ramona’s sister Gertrude and Clarence Woodruff. Ramona and Chuck were married for 73 years prior to his passing in 2020.

Working Girl 

One of Ramona’s earliest jobs was as a comptometer operator for Aldens magazine company. Mastering the use of this early calculator, she learned that math came easy and she soon was elevated into a training role where she taught new hires the skill. This was one of several jobs she held as a young adult. 

As a young couple, the Branches were not without challenges and to many they were known as the “battling Branches”. Charles and Ramona decided to make a change in their lives and subsequently joined the Morgan Park Assembly Church. It was only then, after many years of marriage without children, that the Branch family expanded, eventually adding seven children to the household. The family lived in the Englewood neighborhood at 6541 S. Sangamon from 1956 to1969 and then lived at 10911 S. Sangamon in 1969 to1994. 

Teaching

After briefly working in the post office, and at the urging of Patricia, Ramona decided to go to college and pursue her dream of being a school teacher. The commitment was an intense period as a full-time student while also raising her family. 

For over 30 years, Ramona poured her heart into teaching elementary school, with specialties in  the fields of math and science. She believed that education was more than a profession—it was a calling to uplift, inspire, and prepare young minds for the future. With her trademark grace, humor, patience, and firm belief in her students' potential, she transformed classrooms into places of growth, confidence, and curiosity.

In the late 1960’s, Ramona’s teaching journey began at Mt. Vernon Elementary School, near the Morgan Park neighborhood in which she and her family lived. Six of her seven children were students there during that time, which gave her joy and an advantage. Some might call it built-in babysitting; for Ramona, it was simply part of being a devoted mother and educator all at once.

In the 1980s, she joined the faculty at Mt. Greenwood Elementary School, where she remained until her retirement. There, she taught math and science on the second floor—just steps away from the music classroom where her son Carl had the honor of teaching as her colleague. Sharing that space with her, walking in the same halls, and witnessing the deep respect she earned from students and staff alike was a privilege that Carl treasures. Ramona became the heart and soul of every school event, organizing countless school plays, teachers luncheons and school fundraisers that brought the entire community together.

Ramona attended Chicago State University graduating with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education. Even while raising seven children and earning both her degrees, Ramona remained steadfast in her mission to educate with excellence. As a leader in the education community, Ramona organized Chicago Teachers Union activities. Her influence is etched in the minds of countless students and colleagues, and her legacy continues through every life she touched.

Ramona was a constant student of the Christian bible. She taught Sunday School classes at both Morgan Park Assembly Church and at Bellevue Baptist in Chicago where she and her family were members for many years. She also served as the chairperson for Bellevue’s music committee. 

In retirement, Ramona and Chuck settled in Bolingbrook and joined the New Hope Baptist Church family where Chuck served as its first pastor and Ramona as First Lady. In this role, Ramona enjoyed years of service in many capacities. She organized the church’s AIDS Walk team to raise money for AIDS service organizations. She was a founding member of New Hope’s Women Agape Inspirational Team (W.A.I.T.).  Ramona also volunteered for shelters and participated in sign language ministry. She was especially proud to create the Easter Sunday Sunrise Service. 

For almost a decade Ramona dutifully documented each service and published the weekly newsletter “New Hope Happenings”. The entries were an assembly of sermon summaries, reminders, lamentations, prayers and celebrations. The collections were later compiled for a book entitled A Month of Sundays.

As the family preservationist, Ramona spent years collecting photos, life events, legal documents, genealogy information, census records and obituaries to tell the histories of the Roberts, Thompson and Branch families. Each book is filled with rich history and stories that traced lives of relatives as early as the 1830s. Shared with her large Roberts, Thompson and Branch families, these histories continue to provide invaluable insight and information about our families’ roots. Ramona is also featured in the documentary 40th: The Story of Roberts Temple.

Always up for adventure and fun, Lana convinced Ramona to participate in TikTok by making humorous videos about her family, the aging process and her life lessons. She gained TikTok celebrity status with several popular videos garnering millions of views. With an online audience of over 80,000 followers, Ramona became a surrogate mother and grandmother to many around the world.  

Legacy

In her later years, Ramona remained active. She was an avid reader and gardener and loved to have visitors at the house. Ramona’s health began to decline over the past years but she never lost her faith or sense of humor. While Ramona frequently talked about besting her great-grandmother’s life record of 106 years old, she would also say, “God willing”. The family is grateful to have had the support of family, friends and dear members of the New Hope community. The family is especially grateful to granddaughter Lynita Stamps who lovingly cared for Ramona over the past year and ensured her final days were filled with warmth.

Ramona is survived by her children, Patricia Cohen, Harold (Patricia) Branch, Ronald Branch, Lora (Simone) Branch, Carl (Howard) Branch and Lana (Bekime) Branch. Ramona also leaves 21 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, many cousins, and beloved nieces and nephews.   

She is reunited in eternal rest with her husband, Chuck and her daughter Lynn, her parents, George and Mamie, and her siblings, Alice, Gertrude, Lyndall, George, and Faith, as well as a host of loving family and friends.

Ramona would want all to know that she is grateful for your presence in her life and for your love. If she was here, she would remind us, “I love you more.”  

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