In January, two brothers, James Arthur Branch Sr. (Jimmy) and Paul Lawrence Branch (Dumpling), were feeling very weak because of health problems. They had a talk over Zoom, helped by a family member, and decided it was time to say goodbye to their amazing lives.

These two were the last ones left out of 12 kids in a big family called the Branch family. They grew up really close and shared a lot of experiences, especially being part of the Black community in Washington, D.C. They were also really involved in their church and loved fishing and bowling.

They were born in a house close to Washington, D.C., in the years 1930 and 1933, and grew up going to a church where their dad was a helper to the minister and their mom helped lead the church. Their church had to move around a lot because the neighborhood was changing a lot back then.

They went to the same high school as Duke Ellington, a famous musician. Jimmy worked in a shop making cabinets right after high school, and that’s when he met Ann Waiters, his future wife. Around the same time, his parents passed away, and he joined the Army.

When Jimmy came back from the Army in 1953, he married Ann. Dumpling, who was much younger, ended up being taken care of by all his siblings because their mom asked them to before she passed away.

Jimmy fought in the Korean War, came back, got married, had kids, and worked at the Naval Research Laboratory. Dumpling got married to Hazel Hill, had kids, and worked as a machinist.

The family loved getting together for big meals, going fishing, and spending holidays together. But then, Ann passed away, leaving Jimmy to take care of their three kids by himself. The family helped him out, especially Dumpling.

Both brothers loved taking their kids fishing and even took them to a big march in Washington, D.C., in 1963. Jimmy later worked at a military medical center, helping fix things around the place.

They both retired but kept doing things they loved, like coaching sports and teaching at church. They always went fishing together and were really close all their lives.

For Dumpling’s 90th birthday, they had a big party at home because they were both not feeling well. Sadly, they both passed away on the same day, January 15. Dumpling passed away first, and Jimmy followed just 45 minutes later.

Their funeral was a big event with lots of family and friends, celebrating their long lives full of love and togetherness. It was a sad time, but also a celebration of two lives well-lived.