Barbara Jane Bradley

Barbara Jane Bradley, of Rose Bud, passed away Tuesday evening, November 26, 2024 At Greenbrier Nursing and Rehabilitation after an extended illness. Barbara was born August 8, 1933 in Mount Vernon to George and Ollie (Hawkins) Bell. She graduated from Mount Vernon High School and earned her degree in education from Arkansas State Teachers College, now known as UCA. 

Barbara taught Home Economics at Rose Bud for 30 years, in many cases teaching multiple generations of families in the community. It was at Rose Bud where Barbara met the handsome but very shy agri teacher who turned out to be the love of her life, James (Brad) Bradley. After retirement in 1983, Barbara devoted much of her time to Rose Bud First Baptist Church. She worked on multiple additions and renovations to the facilities there, cleaning and painting side-by-side with Brad. She and her beloved friends on the “Special K” committee worked many happy hours cooking food for the construction teams as well as for holidays, funerals, and community events. In 2005, after the encouragement of the Texas Builders who constructed the RBFBC Family Life Center, Barbara published a cookbook, Homemade with Love from Barbara Bradley. The cookbook was printed twice, with all proceeds going to the RBFBC Building Fund. People were still contacting her in the past year hoping to find a remaining copy. In her later life she worked weekly during the school year to fill backpacks for the Rose Bud Elementary food program. In her spare time, Barbara liked to sew, craft, and cook. Many in the community received homemade gifts from her, whether something wooden she’d painted, a dress, shirt, teddy bear, or clown doll she’d made, potholders she’d crocheted, or cookies she’d baked. She loved to bake and was especially famous for her homemade bread and cookies.

 Barbara was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, James (Brad) Bradley, her parents, George and Ollie Bell, half sister Lucille Gresham, and a half brother, Oscar Bell. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Leah and Randy Ward. She was Nanny Bradley to many, but Gran only to her granddaughter Miranda and her husband Nick Armstrong, and great-granddaughter Amelia Armstrong. 

Family visitation will be held at Rose Bud Assembly of God at 10:00 am on Saturday, December 7th, followed immediately by a memorial service at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Arkansas Children’s Hospital. 

The family would like to say a special thank you to the caregivers who stayed with Barbara in her home over the past year: Sarah Smart, Tara Hallett, DeAnne and Adrienne Hartzell, Angela Wilkinson, Kerrie Rose, and Glenda Hargis, and to the staff at Greenbrier Nursing and Rehab for their kindness and care.

Arrangements entrusted to Searcy McEuen Funeral Home.