Dorothy Marceline Smith was born Nov 11, 1913 in San Angelo, Texas. Her mother Mary Ella Davis and father, Charles Smith divorced when she was only three. Charles raised Dorothy from that time until he married again three years later. Dorothy often stayed with her grandmother Olive Nettleton during the times her father was away on the Santa Fe Railroad working as a breakman. She grew very close to her grandmother and the cousins who lived in her home. In 1919 Mr. Smith married Grace Balch. A son, Raymond, was born to them a year later. There was a brief move to Hamlin Texas sometime during Dorothy's childhood , but the Smiths returned to San Angelo where the family became involved with the church and community.
At age 15, Dorothy met Lewis Bradford. One particular summer there was a Baptist Youth Training Union group activity meeting in Christoval. It was on this particular occasion that Lewis first saw Dorothy and then decided to go to church regularly in order to see more of her. Well, Lewis so much loved Dorothy that he gave her his full pay check to save for furniture and a car. Dorothy loved Lewis so much that she gave up a full time modeling offer. She was truly a beauty. She had blue eyes and hair so blond it was almost like a burst of sunshine. They were married in 1933.
In 1938 she gave birth to her first son William Lewis Junior. He was 2 months premature and weighed only 4 pounds. Many nights she stayed up all night keeping watch. They had only one gas burner in their small house. She prayed all night that Bill Junior would stay warm enough. Her all night vigils kept Bill comfortable and stable. Slowly but surely he grew stronger. Dorothy, however, became physically weakened and developed an over active thyroid. After surgery, she had no voice for over a year and was extremely nervous. She recalled calling to her son with a small bell. Four years later, a second child was born, Ruby LouAnn. It was a very difficult pregnancy and the child died shortly after birth. Dorothy was distraught over the tragedy. With prayer and determination she was once again restored to good health. In about 1940, the family of three moved to Harlingen. Then moved back to San Angelo where Lewis worked for Snow White Creamery.
In 1946 Jennifer Louise was born. This was also a difficult pregnancy, but because of better medical treatment and better prenatal care, and lots of prayers, somehow mother and baby survived. This child, Dorothy and Lewis believed, took the place of the one that went to heaven. The four lived in San Angelo until 1948. While there Lewis built a house known as the "Austin Stone". At that time they moved to Harlingen and lived there until 1948 when they moved to Lampasus. For two years Lewis worked in a Creamery in town. But because of a dispute over the management, Lewis decided to quit that business and go out west. There was family in Califorina. A sister, Vera and her husband George, owned a screen shop in Venice and both Lewis and Dorothy found a place of employment there repairing screens and keeping the place clean. By 1955 Lewis owned his own screen shop. In 1956 Lewis worked for a Edgmare Farms as a milkman.
Dorothy's talents were many. She was a nanny, a cook, a screen maker, a packager, a store clerk , and a seamstress, as well as a great MOM. From about 1956-62 she cared for one or two children besides her own two. She became involved in the women's activities of the church in Westchester and taught Sunday School. In her spare time, Dorothy was busy making own clothes and her daughters, and tailor- made fashions for others.
As the children grew older, Bill having graduated from high school, college and now married, and Jenny was in high school, Dorothy and Lewis embarked on their own business venture of the "thread selector" This was actually a brain storm of Lewis' who had seen Grandma Smith's hand carved wooden thread dispenser in her sewing room. A plastics company was soon born and the business did quit will for a number of years. Dorothy helped pack sort and mail thousands of orders all over the states.
In 1970 Lewis decided that he wanted to go back to his roots. So he packed up his belongings, and his wife, sold the house and moved back to San Angelo to finish what he always wanted to do in the first place --build a ranch. That he did and Dorothy was there by his side all the way. With each new occupation came new skills for Dorothy .She learned how to be a farmer planting tomatoes, maize, corn and pecan trees. She fed the chickens, cows, goats and pigs. Most any time of the day you would find her washing and packing eggs. Mind you, they were in their 60's. Lewis designed three beautiful homes on Wall Route and had them custom built. This land was his pride and joy. Dorothy wasn't as thrilled as Lewis about this land (it was hard labor) but she stood by her man.
In 1978 William Lewis passed on. Dorothy still wanted to stand by her man and decided to continue to make San Angelo her home. She was involved in Meals on Wheels, taught English and a Second Language, made casseroles and cakes for students at ASU, and was active at Park Heights Baptist Church.
Dorothy Bradford has been blessed by many, many friends who helped to sustained her during her ordeal with the brain tumor. And Dorothy blessed others with her joyful, saucy, simplistic, and optimistic attitude. She turned sorrow into joy and comforted us along her journey.
My mother was a wonderful person. She was the most unselfish person I have ever known. Whenever she was needed, she was there. When the neighbor's dog suffered a foot injury, she rushed him to the vet. When another neighbor was having a baby, she took care of the other three children. She gave rides to church, or the store when a friend or elderly person couldn't get around. When someone was ill, she took them food.
My mothers' favorite time of life was when we lived in Westchester California. The climate there was 70 degrees all year round. We grew up in a fine neighborhood with good schools. We lived near relatives that we saw often and our neighbors were terrific. Mom saw to it that we had piano lessons. Grandpa had purchased a piano for Mom to play and paid for a few lessons, but with the depression, it was just too expensive, so he sold the piano. From then on it was Mom's wish that her children would learn to play the piano. Bill was quite a good pianist, and I so wanted to learn to play like him. I started studying at age 7. It made a great impression on me when I learned of Mom's musical dream. Mom and Dad enjoyed many concerts in which Bill and I performed in the schools. It was a fun time in all our lives.
My father's dream was to move back to Texas, his first love. In August of 1970, two months after Steve and I married, Dad persuaded Mom to pack everything up and make the move. She really hated to go, but her unselfish nature and devoted love to her husband told her to follow him. This move brought about very difficult times. They were in their 60's during the building of the houses, and the barn, the planting of the trees and the crops, the raising of the chickens and selling of eggs. Dad loved his farm even though it was very hard work. Dad's heart condition and diabetes worsened until in 1977 at age of 66, he passed away.
Mom's parents were in their late 70's at the time. They needed more attention such as rides to the doctor and the grocery store. She could have decided to move back to Westchester, but thought it best to stay close in case her parents needed her. It turned out that both Grandma and Grandpa died in 1980 just three days apart. Grandpa was in the hospital suffering from leukemia. Mother went to pick up Grandma at her home on S. David to go visit Grandpa at the hospital. Grandma didn't come out to the car when she honked. When Dorothy went inside, she found her step-mother on the floor. She had died of a heart attack. Grandpa was not told of the death or the funeral. Grandpa died 3 days later and was joined with his wife in heaven.
Mom's uncle John (Charles' brother) was also having health difficulties and was placed in a nursing home. She visited often, taking food and other needed items. At about the same time, her aunt Rose on her step-mother's side, was also experiencing a decline in health. She would wander away from her home in the middle of the night. Rose was deaf and had poor eye sight. She fell one night and was placed in the hospital. Right away Dorothy searched nursing homes to find the right one for Rose. She chose Lakeview Manor. Rose was a particularly difficult patient because of the deafness and never understood why she was placed in a home. Mom saw that the Manor was doing an excellent job with Rose and was especially patient with her.Dorothy then vowed that if the time came, she would go to Lakeview Manor nursing home.
In about 1992, Dorothy learned that she had a brain tumor. She could have had a operation at the time, but she thought about the problems her children were having and didn't want to interrupt "our" lives with stopping to take care of her. She did speak to 2 doctors about the prognosis. They said that she had a 50/50 chance of recovery. Her heart and kidney problems seemed to be a more serious threat. She decided against the surgery.
Until 1994, Dorothy got along pretty well with a walker. Then she began falling almost daily. Dorothy decided to call Lakeview Manor and rent a space there. She was a very brave lady. She stayed there two years when she died.
1. 1920 census - Tom Green Co., TX: San Angelo, 1201 Orient St., E.D. 197, p. 5B, 112/119 [age 6; b. TX] [parents b. TX].
2. 1920 census - Tom Green Co., TX: San Angelo, 114 E Highland Blvd., E.D. 226-4, p. 10B, 202/254 [age 16; b. TX][parents b. TX].
3. SSDI [454-12-9465 TX].
Family links:
Spouse:
William Lewis Bradford (1910 - 1977)
Children:
Rubye Luanne Bradford (1943 - 1943)*
*Calculated relationship
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=52460132
