Brainerd Leroy "Bud" Fraser

Brainerd Leroy Fraser, affectionately known as "Bud," was born on April 11, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois, and entered heaven on August 15, 2025, from Stanwood, Washington, at the age of 99.

Raised in the home of a Baptist minister, Bud grew up in various churches and parsonages across the Northwest. His loving, prayerful mother never wavered in her support, even as Bud made rebellious choices in his teens. Eager to serve, he joined the Army Air Corps near the end of World War II but was discharged before seeing combat when the war ended.

Adrift after the war, Bud once borrowed his mother's car to meet friends for drinks in downtown Tacoma. At an intersection, the Holy Spirit spoke powerfully, urging him to turn the car - and his life - around. Returning home, he tearfully confessed to his mother, asking if God would take him back. She assured him God was waiting. From that moment, Jesus guided Bud's life.

This transformation led him to Whitworth College, where he met his beloved wife, Esther May Gray. Together, they served the Lord for 72 years. In 1956, they arrived as Baptist missionaries in the Belgian Congo with their daughters, Joanie Ruth (5) and Sharon Joy (3), traveling by ocean freighter, train, and sternwheeler riverboat to the isolated mission station of Kikongo.

From 1956 to 1970, Bud and Esther trained African pastors and spiritual leaders, whose influence spread across the region. Bud also authored a commentary on the Old Testament in the Kikongo language. In 1958, their son, James Brainerd, was born at the Vanga hospital mission station.

In 1970, the family returned to the Northwest, where Bud pastored a church in Walla Walla, Washington. Later, they served at First Baptist Church in Grand Junction, Colorado. In retirement, Bud ministered as an interim pastor for 11 Baptist churches in the Northwest.

In their late 80's, Bud and Esther settled into condo living in Mount Vernon, Washington, for Esther's comfort. When independent living became challenging, they moved to Brookdale Senior Living in Stanwood, where they continued to share their faith. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they relocated to Camano Island to live with their daughter Joanie and her husband, Don Davis. There, Bud tenderly helped care for Esther until her passing in 2021.

Rather than retreating in grief, Bud embraced life at Camano Chapel, sharing his faith through speaking and personal connections. His love for others was richly returned by his new community.

After a fall on July 24, 2025, he injured his head and speaking became difficult. One of his final sentences was, "It's all about Jesus," a testament to his lifelong faith.

Bud is survived by his daughters, Joanie Davis and Sharon Hall; his son, Jim; and 23 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.