Guerrero Clinic
ABOUT WALTER BRANSON
Walter Branson was born on August 2, 1949 in Louisville, Kentucky. Walter is an only child adopted by Jack M. and Mary Ruby Branson, now McKeever. Jack was an insulator and in 1950 moved his family to Velasco Texas, now Freeport, when he took a job with a contractor at Dow. His father passed away from a heart attack when Walter was 9 years old. This began hard years for Walter and his mom. His Mother worked as a soda-jerk at Garrett’s Pharmacy making $35 a week. Walter helped by picking up bottes and selling them for 2 cents each at the Minute Market. Walter attended St. Mary’s Catholic school, Velasco Elementary and Freeport Junior High. When he was 11, the contractors who ate lunch at the Drug store offered to bring him to work with them to earn some extra income. There he learned valuable construction skills and became a handy-man and contracted small jobs throughout his years at Brazosport High School.
Walter went on to Sam Houston State University. While in college, Walter worked for a couple of senior pre-med guys that had a painting contracting business. When they left for medical school, they gave him the business for free. Walter also worked at the Prison Hospital and became friends with the nurse anesthetist, who offered him a partnership if he would go to nursing and anesthesia school. In 1974 a spot became open for him at Galveston college of nursing. Walter gave the business away in Huntsville and moved back home to attend nursing school.
With his biology degree from Sam Houston, he only needed one course. He managed a mobile home park, worked the emergency room at Brazosport Memorial, did side construction jobs, started a collection service for local doctors and started an insurance physical business during this time. Walter requires only five hours of sleep per night, but inactivity results in inability to stay awake.
After working in the operating room at the hospital with the anesthesiologist, Walter realized that sitting monitoring patients, was the wrong path for him. He continued to work at the emergency room for five years while building his business. Walter ran Branson Construction out of his home’s 2-car garage for a while. In 1982 he purchased a 15,000 sq. ft. building in Lake Jackson. Branson Construction consisted of residential, commercial, and industrial contracting. In 1980, Hurricane Allen hit Brazosport and Walter got a call to repair a beach house. After Walter gave him the repair bid, the owner said he was tired of worrying about storms so Walter suggested that he sell him the house as is. He paid seventeen thousand dollars. This would be the first of 61 properties now owned under the Branson Real Estate auspices.
Walter married Elsa on March 13, 2010 in Lake Jackson Texas. The Branson’s have kids between them. Beth Ann Davis, Kellie Sims, Nathan Sims, Sara (deceased), Meghan (deceased), Blake Branson, Pamela Mascolo and Valeria Rodriquez. This big family also includes ten grandchildren.
Walter had a portable carpet cleaning machine for the rental houses, but in 2004 he purchased his first truck mount, dehumidifiers, fans, and some other restoration equipment that began Branson Xtremly Clean.
On the giving end of things, Walter has been an active Rotarian since March, 1982. He has served as President of the Brazosport Rotary Club, served on a District Committee to improve Mexican/American relations, chaired several District Ambassador Committees, has been “Rotarian of the Year” for Brazosport Rotary as well as for District 5890. Walter was also awarded the “Service Above Service” award in 1996. He is a Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation, a Paul Harris Fellow and benefactor. Walter is currently the Director of the Guerrero Surgery and Education Center located in Guerrero, Chihuahua, Mexico, a Rotarian enterprise, which benefits the less fortunate of that region.
Walter always tried to give his customers outstanding service, a great product and always gives them a human to speak with. After 54 years in business and over 20,000 customers, that philosophy seems to be working. His advice to others is, “Hard work, Hard work, Hard work. Honesty, and Integrity” He believes his faith in God, following the Boy Scout Law, and the Rotary motto and four-way test are good principles to follow.
As you can see his career path was an evolving journey and after 20 years in business, he went back to Le Tourneau University and got a degree in business. He said, “if you are going to be a businessman you should learn something about it.”