Howard Branham

Howard Duffy Branham was born on May 5, 1923, in Indiana. Contrary to William Branham's "Life Story" accounts in some versions of his stage persona (ex 60-0312), Howard was born long after the Branham family migrated from Kentucky to Indiana, and would not have been part of the nine siblings in the Kentucky log cabin William Branham used for his campaign promotions. By the time Howard was born, William Branham was approximately sixteen years old.

I was born in a little mountain cabin, way up in the mountains of Kentucky. They had one room that we lived in, no rug on the floor, not even wood on the floor, it was just simply a bare floor. And a stump, top of a stump cut off with three legs on it, that was our table. And all those little Branhams would pile around there, and out on the front of the little old cabin, and wallowed out, looked like where a bunch of opossums had been wallowing out there in the dust, you know, all the little brothers.  There was nine of us, and one little girl, and she really had a rough time amongst that bunch of boys.[1]

Howard was used as a "prop" in Branham's healing revivals.  Howard suffered from heart trouble, and Branham told audiences that Howard was healed.[2] People who knew Howard and his family, however, admit that Howard was never healed[3] and suffered from the same condition until it ultimately led to his death.[4]  To make it difficult for the audience to investigate Howard's medical condition, Branham falsely claimed that Howard was medically discharged from the army[5] instead of the Navy.[6]  During the early part of William Branham's ministry, Howard traveled with William both in the United States and abroad as part of William Branham's evangelistic team[7] and was featured in many of the early photographs used for marketing as well as in Branham's newsletter, The Voice of Healing.  When the Branham Campaigns were affiliated with Latter Rain, photographs captured Howard Branham alongside many familiar faces: Gordon Lindsay, Ern Baxter, Jack Moore, and others.

During this time, as early as March of 1948, Howard Branham remained actively brewing, promoting, and selling liquor. In 1948, he found himself at the center of legal issues as Robert Hutsell and Earl Neal filed an injunction against Paul Jacob's and Howard Branham's Beech Grove nightclub and dance hall. This continued until as late as 1952. In March of 1952, Howard proudly advertised his tasty "Irish Shillelagh", an Irish mixed drink, at his nightclub, the Galway Bay. Howard had partnered with Harold Stockhoff and Kenneth Miller and invited everyone to "Greetin's on St. Patrick's Day March 17th Bock Beer".[8]  ("Bock" is bottom-fermenting, and takes extra months of cold storage. As a result, bock beer is stronger than other beers).[9]

And I was setting there, and my brother, Howard… Many of you knew Howard. He was kind of, real typical Irishman, he said, “Now you set still. ” Standing right behind me, and two police standing there… And just as he said that, I felt Something going, Whew! I thought, “Oh, no. Huh-uh, I can listen so far, but that’s first. I felt It again coming down, going Whew! Something just picked me up. My wife started crying. I said, “Don’t cry, honey. ” And Howard said, “Set down. ” I said, “It’s the Holy Spirit, Howard,” and he dropped back.[10]

Like some of his other siblings, Howard had been remarried after divorce, which was strongly forbidden in the doctrines of some versions of William Branham's stage persona.  In many instances, William Branham himself performed the wedding ceremonies for his divorced brothers and their new wives.[11] Though touring with William Branham, Howard had also been divorced and remarried.  After Howard's divorce in 1944, Howard was married to a sixteen-year-old Grace Wathen[12] [13] and had a daughter, Linda Louann.

According to William Branham, Howard was a war veteran that was sent home to die, allegedly healed from his affliction. He died at the early age of 34, however, contrary to Branham's healing claim. On November 7, 1957, Howard died in the Clark County Hospital of rheumatic heart disease and heart failure.