Rubena Bradley

1930 - 2021

Rubena Bradley
February 17, 1930 - March 30, 2021
Wichita, Kansas - With gratitude for her life, her daughters inform you of the passing of "Ruby," formally known as Rubena Lavina (Pauler) Bradley. Our dear Mother parted life peacefully of natural causes in her childhood home, on March 30, 2021. She was 91 years old.
As the first child of Anton and Esther Pauler, Ruby had 6 siblings. Three of them preceded her, brothers Mervin Pauler and Donald Pauler and sister Armeda Tedlock. Surviving Ruby are brother Merlin Pauler and his wife Vera Pauler, Charles Pauler and sister Marlene Webster.
Ruby is survived by her 6 daughters and their families: Deanna and Dave Hofsteen, Leanna Scott, Judy and John Grosso, Janice Bradley and Tim Young, Joni Bradley and Wayne Fisher, and Debra and John Cullom. Our dear Mother is also grieved by 8 grandchildren and their families: Michael, Kristine, Jacob, Estelle, Jared, Celia, Abraham and Seth. Sadly, Ruby's namesake grandchild, Ruby Eileen preceded her. Ruby was also blessed with 5 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild: Aaron, Emma, Jack, Sam, Jesse and great-great Scarlett. In addition to her immediate family, Ruby is survived by a multitude of beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Rubena Lavina Pauler, Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Sister and Friend, and widely known as "Ruby," was born in Emporia, Kansas on February 17, 1930. She was the first of seven children born to Anton and Esther Pauler. Twins Mervin and Merlin, Donald, Armeda, Charles and Marlene soon followed. Rubena was named for her half-sister Ruby and her mother's sister Lavina.
In 1942, Anton was offered a position with the Wichita Eagle Newspaper and the family decided to move to Wichita, Kansas. Although the house they bought was not Ruby's favorite style of architecture, the home has been in the Pauler family for several generations. Anton ran his news and delivery business in Wichita for over two years, but he died unexpectedly after surgery in 1945. In their grief, the family struggled to survive without their beloved father. Ruby was only 15 years old at the time. Although she was attending North High School, she took a job at the Hollywood Candy Kitchen and was later hired as an operator at Southwestem Bell. Her young brothers continued working in the newspaper business started by their father and the family was able to make ends meet.
Ruby became a mother for the first time with the birth of twins Deanna and Leanna. They were followed by Judy, Janice, Joni, and Debra. Throughout the fifties, she excelled in the arts of making a children centered home. There were cookies and cupcakes delivered to school classrooms and sewing of costumes for Halloween, talent shows, proms and dolls. Ruby could take a scrap of old cloth, dye it, cut it to a pattern and like a master designer create the cutest outfits. She was an excellent cook and we all have memories of gourmet food and candies that she also taught us to prepare. Ruby always had a love of the arts and when she could find a quiet moment, she would draw or paint pictures. She shared this love with her children and grandchildren through lessons and projects. Her creative style and talent were apparent in all her endeavors, whether it was making something for us, decorating our house, or painting beautiful commercial signs, such as the lovely diving swimmer on the billboard she created for Meadow Lake Beach.
As Ruby struggled to balance being a single mother with the necessity of earning a living, she began contemplating a professional career. One day she happened to look at the engineering drawings her husband had completed and thought, "Well, I can do that." She began to teach herself basic drafting skills and also took classes at Wichita Vo-Tech School. When she took samples of her drawings to Boeing Aircraft, she was hired immediately, quite a feat for the time. She was a groundbreaker in this position and among the first women hired to do engineering drafting and design for a major aircraft manufacturer. She later travelled across the country doing contract work for AT&T, IBM, and Martin Marietta, which, included a NASA contract for the space shuttle. She took many courses and mastered several skills. Although she excelled in drafting/design, Ruby pursued many occupations. Among these were cosmetology and hairdressing, serving in the hospitality industry and earning a real estate license.
All of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren have enjoyed doing artwork at "Grandma Ruby's Studio". They remember special times painting seashells gathered from Florida beaches, swimming in the apartment pool, and even learning how to make Jello and other treats.
We have been inspired by Ruby's struggles for women's equality through the years; and have learned through her independence and tenacity to be strong, creative and self-sufficient women. Ruby strived to teach her daughters and grandchildren to persevere no matter what the challenge and to stand up for social justice for ourselves as well as for others. We will never stop saying "Thank You" in Ruby's memory for all she did for us and for the lessons in strength and compassion she taught us.
Your Loving Daughters
Services: Saturday, May 15, 2021, 11:00 A.M. Cochran Mortuary, Chapel of Roses, 1411 N. Broadway, Wichita, Kansas 67214.