Gene Bradley

Gene Bradley, 89, a Seward resident since 1964, died April 11, 2011, at Mt. Haven Residence in Seward.

A celebration of life will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the AVTEC Student Service Center on the second floor, 519 Fourth Ave., Seward.

Virginia Gene Bradley was born in Corvallis, Ore., Nov. 22, 1921.

Her decision to move north to Alaska was a long time coming. Alaska had intrigued Gene ever since, as a young girl, she saw a 1920s silent movie on Natives building igloos in Alaska.

Gene moved to Seward from Seattle in the fall of 1964 with her son Brad.

Her husband-to-be, Rod Bradley, bought the New Seward Hotel one week before the 1964 earthquake. They married soon after she came to Seward. Rod and Gene Bradley owned and managed the New Seward Hotel together until he died in the late 1980s.

Through the years, Gene Bradley exemplified a true pioneer spirit and generated business for the hotel by providing housing for the Alaska Railroad, fishing permits, driving licenses, Avon products, a gift shop, bus station, dry cleaning, book store, weather station, sundries store (open 24 hours a day) and, last, her video store.

Perhaps the most successful of these businesses was the video store, 1st Video. Gene started 1st Video at the age of 62 and operated it successfully for more than 20 years. It is said she had more than 20,000 movies in her store at one time. Gene walked to and from her home to the video store every day.

She loved serving and interacting with people within the community.

Gene also loved birds. At one time she was noted as the "Bird Lady" in Seward. She fed the eagles, ducks, pigeons, seagulls and ravens. Today a flock of pigeons sits perched on her rooftop awaiting her return, and don't forget her cats. ...

Gene is loved and missed by many within the community of Seward. She will always be remembered as a very independent woman with a strong pioneer spirit.

Gene was preceded in death by her father, Harry Herman Lehrbass; mother, Jenny Sharp; brothers, Al and Harry Du Ross; and her oldest son, Terry Tolson.

Gene is survived by her son, Brad Snowden; grandson, Paul Snowden; granddaughter in-law, Lisa Snowden; granddaughter, Shanna Springer; grandson-in-law, Jonathan Springer; and great-granddaughters, Chloe and Annabelle Springer.