Fred Richard Branning Jr., age 75, of Carroll, Iowa, and formerly of rural Halbur, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, September 28, 2013, at his home surrounded by his family.

Funeral service will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, October 2, 2013, at Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia with Pastor Ben Dose officiating. Friends may call at Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia after 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday where there will be a prayer service held at 7:00 P.M. Visitation will resume at the church at 8:30 A.M. on Wednesday until the time of service. Organist for the service will be Rebecca Dose. Casket bearers will be Neil Sibenaller, Doug Kuhl, Brad McCollough, Shane Kraus, Stan Musfeldt, Jeff Cornelius. Honorary casket bearers will be Fred's grandchildren: Sarah Branning, Cassidy Branning, Ryan Branning, Alexis Branning, Eric Sibenaller, Krista Sibenaller, and Emma Branning. Burial will be in the Arcadia Cemetery with military honors by the Arcadia American Legion.

Born on July 4, 1938, in Carroll, Iowa, he was the son of Fred and Hilda (Grundmeier) Branning and he grew up on his family's farm north of Halbur. Fred was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith at Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia by Pastor Theo Tews. He attended Washington Township Country School as a boy and his first three years of high school at Manning High School. Fred was in the first graduating class from the new Ar-We-Va High School in 1957. After high school he enlisted in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Ft. Walton Beach Florida. Following his service in the military he moved back to his home farm where he worked for his father and a neighboring farmer. He was married to Patricia Musfeldt on September 10, 1961, Zion Lutheran Church in Manning. Fred and Pat farmed in the Westside area until moving back to his family's home farm in 1975. He retired from farming 2003 and they moved to Carroll in 2010. Fred worked for the past five years for Custom Builders in Arcadia doing cabinetry work. He was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia where he had served on the board of elders and many other boards. He was a member of the Arcadia American Legion. Fred enjoyed playing cards, socializing with his friends, woodworking, and spending time with his grandchildren and attending their events.

Fred is survived by his wife Patricia of Carroll; a daughter Darcy Sibenaller and her husband Neil of Odebolt, Iowa; three sons: Brent Branning and his wife Patricia of Denison; Kurt Branning and his wife Jackie of Halbur, and Jon Branning and his wife Angela of Chanhassen, Minnesota; seven grandchildren; three sisters: Phyllis Kuhl and her husband Gene of Westside, Beverly Branning and her husband Mike Tomlianovich of Bloomington, Illinois, and Bonnie Cornelius and her husband Ron of Vail, Iowa; two sisters-in-law: Diane Little and her husband Bennie of Bonifay, Florida and Kathy Contine and her husband Jerry of Tombstone, Arizona; a brother-in-law Keith Musfeldt of Winter Haven, Florida; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Fred was preceded in death by his parents, a nephew Michael Musfeldt, and a sister-in-law Carla Darby.