Gail Ann Brandyberry, 69 of Lenora, Kansas,was born to parents John M. and Mary Margaret(Lightfoot) Cossman in Jetmore, Kansas.
Gail began her education at Pleasant View Country School.
She occasionally rode horses, and delighted in racing the neighbor boy home on his go-cart— she always won.
In school, Gail enjoyed the arts; in the summers, she worked on her tan, driving an open-station Minneapolis Moline tractor for her dad. She hung out in the kitchen with her motherand learned to be an excellent cook.
Gail graduated from Jetmore High School in 1973. She attended Emporia State University,where she was active in the theater department, developing a passion for costume design. That passion carried over when she made Halloween ensembles for her children.
Gail married Roger Fernandez, and the pair welcomed Brent Mathew in 1979. Gail worked as a bank teller, worked at the business office for Saint Mary of the Plains College, she sold cars at a Chevrolet Dealership, and created ads for High Plains Public Radio.
Gail met David Brandyberry, one of her father’s harvest hands, by chance. She originally disliked him because he had taken her job driving the truck. She changed her opinion; the two were married in 1985. The pair’s 40 years of married life started in Kalvesta, as proprietors of the ‘Ol Home Fill’er Up and Keep on Truckin’ Cafe.’
Their daughter, Amanda Lacey, was born in 1987. After three years of running the cafe, they moved to Cimarron, Kan., and opened a retail store. In 1991, Kerby David was born. The next year, the family moved to a farm north of Lenora. On the farm, she showcased her green thumb, knack for preserving food, and talent for serving great meals. Gail was a certified master gardener. In Norton County, Gail worked as a school secretary and part-time helper at Sunshine Day Care before becoming a major force behind B-bar-K Tree Services. In her life, Gail planted literally hundreds of thousands of trees throughout Kansas and Nebraska.
In 1995, Gail started working for the US Postal Service as a postmaster relief or PMR (an acronym she affectionately joked stood for “peon must report”). After 14 years working at post offices in Norton, Graham, and Decatur Counties, she was appointed postmaster in Jennings in 2007. Gail later served as postmaster in Hill City (beginning in 2012) and Norton (2015-2025).
Gail fiercely loved her only grandchild, Jasper Eames Fernandez, born in 2009; her daughters-in-law, Natasha Fernandez (of Chicago, Illinois), Sierra Brandyberry (of Spearfish, South Dakota); and soon-to-be-son-in-law Elias Zamora (of Tulsa, Oklahoma).
She is survived by brothers Max and Nick Cossman, numerous nieces and nephews, five sisters-in-law, and one brother-in-law.
She is preceded in death by her parents and brother, Gary; her maternal and paternal grandparents; and in-laws Frank and Edna (Swank) Brandyberry.
Gail’s passing leaves a very large hole for those who knew and worked with her. She will be remembered fondly by those who knew her best.
Go rest high on that mountain.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made care of Stinemetz Funeral Home, 522 N. Pomeroy, Hill City, KS 67642. A Memorial Service for Gail will be held September 13, 2025, at the United Parish Church in Lenora, Kansas, at 11:00 A.M. Luncheon to follow in the church basement.