Laura Mae Bradford - Blytheville

Wednesday, April 9, 2003

Laura Mae Bradford, 82, of Blytheville died Friday, April 4, 2003, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Blytheville.

Born in Mississippi, she was a longtime area resident and a member of Fairview Baptist Church. She was a nurse for 34 years, where she worked for Dr. Robert Ratton in Manila and Dr. E.H. Ball in Blytheville and worked at Walls Hospital, Chickasawba Hospital, the former Geriatrics Nursing Home and the former Mississippi County Hospital.

Survivors include three sons, Charles Wade Bradford of Paragould, Calvin Leroy Bradford of Southaven, Miss.; and Odis William Bradford of Rochelle, Ill.; three daughters, Mary LaFolia Bassett of Jonesboro, Wilma Ruth Bradford of Blytheville and Shelba Jean Derryberry of manila; a sister, Helen Ann Gibson of Leachville; 14 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Wayne Bradford; her parents, Charles Leroy and Bertha Mae Howard; two sons, Robert Dean Bradford and Johnny Lee Bradford, and a brother, Elmer Lee Howard.

The funeral was held at 11 a.m. Monday at Cobb Funeral Home Chapel in Blytheville with the Rev. Larry Haynes officiating. Burial was in the Manila Cemetery.