Joy Elliott Brattland July 22, 1922-December 16, 2011, Carmichael California
After
his discharge from the Army, they moved
to the San Fernando Valley
area of Southern California, where Gordon worked for General Motors
and then for the California Air National Guard (CANG) at Van Nuys
Airport. While living
there, they had two children, Michael Gordon Brattland and Karen Joy
Brattland, born in Glendale and Van Nuys, California respectively. They moved to Sacramento in
1950 as part of the transfer of the CANG unit Gordon worked for to the old Sacramento City Airport.
Gordon rode to work from the Sacramento house on a bicycle until it got
too dangerous. After
several months in the new job, the situation changed and Gordon
found a new position working as a civilian aircraft electrician at
Mather AFB. This meant the family
needed to move closer to Mather Field. They found the family home in
the countryside of Carmichael, buying the little house on a ½ acre
and moving in 1951 where the Brattland Family remains to this day.
Joy and Gordon planted a wide variety of fruit trees, raising all
types of vegetables and berries. Gordon teamed up with the neighbor
to raise beef which they shared, butchering regularly for the needs
of both families. Joy
canned all the fruits grown on the property in the kitchen, making
all matter of things for use by the family including pickles, as
well as baking all the family bread. The family had a large chicken
house and raised chickens for eggs and for the table food. Gordon
would make extra money for the family using the neighbor’s large
Ford tractor and rotatiller, tilling our own property as well as
many local properties. By the mid 1950s the family began doing a lot
of tent camping up at Wright’s Lake off Highway 50 in the Sierras,
but Joy became tired of all the work of packing and unpacking every
weekend and wanted a cabin like the ones at Wright’s Lake. She and
Gordon looked into buying a cabin there, but found out there were no
more cabin lots to be had from the US Forest Service. However, the
Forest Service told them about the new cabin tract at Gerle Creek
near Loon Lake where the family visited in the summer of 1958. Joy
and Gordon picked
Lot 24
in late summer of 1958,
signing a lease with the Forest Service and over the next four
summers building our cabin which was finished in 1961. The cabin
remains in the family to this day and represents an important part
of the
Brattland Family tradition. Joy and Gordon loved that
cabin and every minute spent building and maintaining it. In recent
years, Joy was not able to visit Gerle Creek but still loved it just
the same.
Joy and Gordon raised their children in Carmichael where they
attended local schools while both worked. Joy and Gordon joined the
Carmichael Presbyterian Church in 1951 remaining members all these
years, including being very active in their Mariner group at the
church. Joy was a longtime member of a local PEO Chapter and enjoyed
her many friends and activities over the years. Joy volunteered over
the years with the Sons of Norway lodge making Lefse every year for
the local celebration.
Joy worked early on in the real estate business as an assistant,
later going to work for the California Department of Education in
Sacramento as an assistant. She finished her career over at
California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) retiring in 1987.
Gordon left his Air Force employment to go to work for Education
Technology in 1963 involved in driver training simulators and
language labs for schools. Joy helped Gordon with the business,
Education Technology which they eventually purchased around 1980.
Gordon Brattland passed away in July 1986. Joy is survived by
her son, Cdr Michael G. Brattland USN-Retired and his wife Patricia,
including their three children (grandchildren), Jon, Alan and
Elizabeth Brattland of El Cajon, California and her daughter, Karen
Joy Brattland of Carmichael, California and many nieces and nephews. Services for Joy Elliott
Brattland will be held at Carmichael Presbyterian Church,
5645 Marconia Ave., Carmichael,
California 95608 on Friday, January 6, 2012 at 11:00AM followed
by a reception with food and drink in the church social hall at
Noon. Immediate family members will leave at 1:30PM for 2:00PM graveside services at
the family plot at
Sierra
Hills Memorial Park and East Lawn Mortuary, Greenback Lane,
Sacramento, California. At 4:00PM, there will be an open
house for all friends and family at the
Bratlland Home at 4150 Sangamon Street, Carmichael, California 95608
916 944-1351. In lieu of flowers, donations in the name of Joy Elliott
Brattland should be made to
Joy E. Elliott Funeral Carmichael Presbyterian Church January 6, 2012