What makes someone popular?
The way they look? The amount of money they have? Who they know? Where they live?
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| Mary Stratton Bradley |
Nana Bradley (1) did not have money, looks or influential friends. She was born in rural Sutton, Ma and moved to Providence as a baby. (2) She moved frequently and lived in over 10 places in Providence spending her last years in the High Rise apartments at 100 Atwells Avenue.(3) She never owned a home or a car . In fact she could not even drive. She wore a shoelace in her hair to contain the curls. She was a simple person without much education who lived a challenging life.
Yet, when you mention her name people go out of their way to tell you what a wonderful person she was. They smile and recount fond memories of the kind things she did. It is those simple things she did every day that made her so popular.
She died when I was 5 years old so my memories of her are dim yet I have heard stories all my life about her. Immediately she came to mind when this weeks theme of "popular" came up.
These are some of the stories I have heard from her daughter, Kathy Walker.
Nana Bradley had a friend , Kate (Gibbons?) who lived in a boarding house. She was very poor and would often eat dinner at the Bradley home on Plainfield Street, Providence. On Saturdays, Nana Bradley would make a big pot of molasses beans. May Ridgewell (4) and Kate would come over, eat beans and play the card game Canasta. Nana Bradley loved to laugh and would often get very silly. Kathy remembers at some point in the night the laughs would let loose with the farts. At the time Kathy did not get how they could think this was funny but looking back now she says," I can see they were just enjoying life. Nana had a great sense of humor and always looked on the bright side of life! "
Later in life Nana Bradley would babysit her many grandchildren and would teach them card games. She may not of been able to give them fancy gifts but she gave her love and her time. She was also known for the birthday cards she sent with a stick of gum inside and a note that said "Have a chew on me!"
Does anyone still have a card sent by Nana Bradley? If so snap a picture and share it with us.
After Pop died in 1954, Nana Bradley went to work in a factory on Dexter Street, Davol Manufacturing in Providence. This was not far from where she lived on Caldor Street. Nana was about 55 when she began working on the assembly line. You would think she would be bitter over all the blows life had given her. Her grandmother died when she was just 16 (5) and her mother died when she was just 18. She had lost 3 babies. Her son Donald had been paralyzed and then died after living for a year in Howard State Infirmary when he was 17 years old. Her husband died a terrible death from stomach cancer leaving her no choice but to get a job for the first time in 34 years. But she didn't get upset. She embraced the experience and grew to love her coworkers. When she would get home from work she would recount all the things she had learned from these women. Her face would turn red. This 55 year old women was completely naive to the ways of the world.
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| Co- workers Davol Manufacturing Providence, RI |
By the mid 1960's when Nana Bradley was in her 60's she was living in Senior housing on Atwells Ave. Nana Bradley had a friend who needed help to get to the doctors. She would take two buses to her friends home in Riverside. Once there she would help her friend get back on the bus and go with her to her doctor's appointment. Her friend was unable to get there on her own. That was the kind of person Nana Bradley was.
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| Mary Stratton 1903 |
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| Mary Stratton Bradley, Nancy Bradley and Allen Bradley 1942 (Note shoelace in hair) |
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| Bradley family at the beach Mary, Donald, Rita, Alfred, Ralph, Allen Sr. holding baby Mary, Not pictured is Allen who ran down the beach when photo was taken. 1932 |
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| Nana Bradley, Patsy, Rita, Mickey and Mary "Legs" |
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| Allen Bradley and Mary Stratton Bradley |
Matthew Kelly
(1) Nana Bradley was born Mary Elizabeth Stratton on August 2, 1900 to Ira Emery Stratton and Mabel Ellen Brown. She married Allen Edward Bradley on April 7, 1920. They had 11 children:
Ralph Joseph 1920-1970
Allen Edward 1921-1968
Alfred Francis 1924-1979
Rita Lillian 1925-1996
Joseph 1926-1926 ( lived 3 days)
Raymond 1927-1929
Donald Gordon 1929-1947
Mary Ellen 1931-2011
Theresa 1934-1934 ( lived 2 days)
Kathleen May 1935-
Nancy Beatrice 1939-2010
Mary Elizabeth Bradley died March 31, 1969 of a heart attack . She was 68 years old.
(2) See #52ancestors Week #1 "Mabel Makes a Fresh Start
(3) High Rise apartments were called Bradford House when Nana Bradley lived there.
(4) The Ridgewell's were neighbors and lifelong family friends of the Bradley's
(5) See #52ancestors Week #9 "Loss of the Mrs"
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