Larry Rene Branson of Springtown died July 22 of renal cell carcinoma. He was born December 28, 1953 in Wichita Falls, Texas, the son of Earlene Broom of Pecan Gap, Texas and Hugh L. Branson of Kingston, Tennessee. His family moved from Chicago to the Southwest in 1968 and settled in the Springtown area near Poolville in 1970. He joined the Air Force in 1972 and received an honorable discharge in 1973 after becoming disabled. He was a patient at Pecan Valley for nearly forty years. Rene was a musician at an early age who played the guitar and piano. He started his first band at age 14 and continued to create music throughout his life. He was the inspiration for and the subject of the play Warboots, which premiered at the Hickory Street Annex near Deep Ellum in June 1993. He is survived by sisters Jeana Williamson and Ami Brown; a brother, Les Branson; sons Donnie Carlisle and Danny Branson; granddaughters Sarae Branson and Emma Carlisle; grandsons Dylan Branson, Connor Carlisle, Cooper Carlisle, Cade Carlisle, Braden Austin and Jace Austin; great grandsons Anthony McDaniel, Mikah Johnson, Kastle Branson, Wyatt Austin and Soren Carlisle.