Gertrude Bradford

Gertrude Dale Owen Bradford passed away in Waco, Texas, on February 3, 2019, at the age of 94. She was born in Robertson County, Texas, on April 17, 1924, but her family soon moved to Waco where she spent the rest of her life. She attended Waco public schools. During World War II she worked as a seamstress in a Waco area defense plant.

After the war, in 1945, she married the love of her life Aubrey Marshall (Buck) Bradford, Sr., and they were married for 56 years, most of which she devoted to being a homemaker and mother. After Buck’s retirement, they enjoyed the “R. V. life,” travelling extensively throughout the Southwest, especially to Colorado during the hot Texas summers.

She was predeceased by her parents, Anthony Foster Owen and Rushie Bell Otwell Owen, siblings Verney Owen Flanagan, William George Owen, Bessie Ruth Owen, and Dorothy Marie Owen.

She is survived by the lights of her life, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. They are her children, Dr. Ron Bradford (Dayna) of Elgin, Texas, Betty Bradford (Rowdy Dandridge) of Hewitt, and step-son Aubrey M. Bradford, Jr. (Vilma), of Ft. Wayne, Indiana; grandchildren Kelly Michelle Sumner Bennett (Brent) of Waco, Reid Marshall Bradford (Maggie) of Austin, Alexander Ross Bradford (Vanessa) of San Antonio, and Frankie Bradford of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Her great-grandchildren are Tristen Allen Bennett and Brenden Mikell Bennett.

Visitation is scheduled for 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Thursday, February 7, at Connally/Compton Funeral Directors, 4400 West Waco Drive. The funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Friday, February 8, also at the Connally/Compton Funeral Directors. She will be laid to rest at Rosemound Cemetery next to her Buck.

The family would like to thank the staff at Senior Care of Hewitt for their kindness and loving care of our mom and grandma during her time there. If you wish, the family suggests memorial donations may be made to charities whose focus is Dementia/Alzheimer’s or childhood illness research and treatment.