Saturday, July 25, 2020

Winifred Ruth Smith Bradford information

Here is the central place for info on Winifred Ruth Smith Bradford, wife of Lester Ezra Bradford.

Please add your remembrances of Winnie to this shared document.

Here's a short biography, which has a bit more information than her obituary.  In 2011, Winnie wrote a somewhat longer memoir "A Life Remembered" (that link's a 60 Meg PDF of images)!

There's a collection of photos of Winnie and family and friends.  Click on the photo, click the "i" in a circle to get info on the right to see who's in it and when it was taken (if I knew it).  Please tell me (in comments below or email) what I got wrong or am missing!

24 comments:

Ethan Bradford said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jane Chandler said...

Ethen, This collection of photos is fantastic. It helps me feel like I am there with you and your family, celebrating the life of your mother. Thanks for putting this together.
Jane Chandler

Unknown said...

Thank you, Ethan,

I so enjoyed the pictures.
Winnie and Les in their Christian commitment BLESSED THE WORLD (as well as being loving parents.)
With blessings, Lowell

Unknown said...

What a life your parents had! Many memories of them, and your entire family. Kate Wigner

Unknown said...

Ethan, is it possible to leave a comment without having a google account? Asking for your sister.

Sanders said...

My sincere condolences to you, Ethan and your family, on the death of your Mother. What a well lived, long and blessed life! I enjoyed reading her amazing story and seeing all the pictures too! Thanks for sharing. What a gift she was to so many, like I see you being to our community. Blessings. Marita

Ethan Bradford said...

Unknown of July 28, how did you comment?

In any case, I haven't figured how to comment w/o a GOogle account, but you can add notes to the remembrances page (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vFiGjbxdD_WY4O8aPyyhF4knqzrog5EsL-4E17ixTpA/edit) without any login!

Rose Jones said...

What time zone for the Sunday online gather?

Ethan Bradford said...

Hi, Rose. We're meeting at 11:00, Pacific Daylight Time. I didn't think how best to accommodate folks around the world!

Unknown said...

I am a Labor & Delivery nurse at Skagit Valley Hospital. I only met Winnie a few times but what she, Ruth Halvorson and others did for women and babies around the world is amazing. When Ruth passed, my husband and I bought her home. It just felt right to be here. It is in our home that I met her. I also so some trail work with Washington Trails Association. Several years ago I met a woman I was volunteering with at Packwood Lake. Her name is Suzanne Tripp and she knew Winnie and Lester from their joint missionary work in Africa. In fact, Winnie delivered one of her children. They continued to their friendship back here in the Skagit Valley. Such a small, small world. The world certainly did benefit from Winnie and Lesters life work. They will both be missed. My deepest condolences to you all.

Ethan Bradford said...

Thanks for that nice note, Lizzy. Yes, we all know Suzanne. There are a couple of pictures of her on the photo gallery. Interestingly, Lester did a lot of work for Washington Trails Association, too.

Chuck Hart said...

Wow, Ethan. What an awesome group of pictures. Thanks for posting. It was quite a tribute to your mother and my Aunt Winnie. Know that I'm thinking of your family today.

Rose Jones said...

Thanks, Ethan and Julie, for hosting the Zoom remembrance gathering today. So touching. What incredible parents you had! Steve and I hope that all the memories shared will provide you "kids" and grandkids with comfort, pride, and laughter as you continue to say your goodbyes to Winnie.

Ethan Bradford said...

Peanut butter stew recipe:

Ingredients:
1lb. Cooked chicken, pork, or hamburger
Oil, for cooking
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 16oz. Can chicken broth (or vegetable if you prefer)
Small can tomato sauce
Peanut butter (start with two large spoonfuls and add more to taste)
Cooked vegetables (spinach, green beans, okra, basil, squash, Broccoli etc.)
Rice, for serving

-Cook your meat until done (can cook the onions with as well).
-Sauté the onions in oil. When mostly cooked, add the ginger. Be careful because ginger has a tendency to stick. Add some chicken broth to help from sticking, but not enough to make it boil.
- once cooked, add your meat and allow to mix together to get the ginger/onion Flavor. Add chicken broth and tomato sauce then mix together. Add some peanut butter, a spoonful at a time to thicken. Taste as you go until you get the flavor you want. Then add your cooked vegetables and mix together. If you do spinach, add it uncooked to the mixture.
- serve over a bed of rice

Rose Jones said...

When Winnie made this stew for us and others in Sudan, she added hot peppers. We learned rather quickly to be watchful for any those burn-your-mouth-on-contact little ingredients that may not have been removed before the stew was served. Nevertheless, the stew was always delicious.

Rose Jones said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rose Jones said...

When Winnie made this stew for us and others in Sudan, she added hot peppers. We learned rather quickly to be watchful for any those burn-your-mouth-on-contact little ingredients that may not have been removed before the stew was served. Nevertheless, the stew was always delicious.

Rose Jones said...

When Winnie made this stew for us and others in Sudan, she added hot peppers. We learned rather quickly to be watchful for any those burn-your-mouth-on-contact little ingredients that may not have been removed before the stew was served. Nevertheless, the stew was always delicious.

Unknown said...

Dear Bradford Family: Thank you so much for hosting the Zoom memorial for Winnie yesterday. I was grateful to be able to join and hear all the wonderful tributes to her. As noted, Winnie was a trailblazer in so many ways. I admired her adventurous life and dedication to serving others, as well as her wit, warmth, and unflappable manner. Winnie and Lester were a devoted and delightful pair who lived their values every day, simply, clearly, and joyfully.  How lucky I feel to have known them! My condolences to you all. Suzanne Tripp

Unknown said...

Dear Bradford Family,
Marc and I are so sad to hear that Winnie has passed. A mighty oak has fallen!
She and Lester were such an inspiration to us to the very end of each of their lives. Indominable spirits. Resillient. Focused always on the care and nurturing of others. Selfless and courageous (without any bravado). These are qualities we need more of in our world and they provided so much to so many.
sorry to have missed the zoom call -- as we just got word... but wonder if you recorded it? If not, we are there with you in spirit and only wish we could have spent more time with Winnie in these last months, but with our current state of health precautions of course that was impossible.
Glad she was at home.
xoxox and love to all,
Maud

Ethan Bradford said...

Marc and Maud, that's a wonderful testimony!

I'm so sorry I didn't get notice to you sooner. We were able to record the memorial zoom call: https://youtu.be/gQIzrbeNmNU

You can be impressed at the the enthusiasm of the hymn singing, and the cacophony that results from the lack of time sync for the singers!

Unknown said...

Just heard of Winnie's passing and wanted to chime in with my respect and condolences to the family.
I was a Nurse-Midwife who worked at the Mt. Vernon Birth Center from 1979 to 1985. Dr. Bradford was there during my early time there. I learned so much from her quiet wisdom and teaching. Her presence in the birthing room was like no other.
She inspired me by her matter-of-fact bravery in starting the Birth Center. It was needed and she did was necessary to provide for the families of Skagit County and beyond. I'm forever in her debt for creating this place that was a very important part of my life.
Melinda Milligan

Ethan Bradford said...

Thank you, Melinda. Julie speaks highly of you!

Unknown said...


Dr. Winnie Bradford, you always had my utmost respect - for so many reasons: your openness and depth of thought, your willingness to share insights with younger women, for taking time to visit people you had known at other times (the visit you made to visit Dorcas in Jasper and Jack and me in Camrose), for sharing your ways of delivering babies with me, for your love of Les and your children. So many thanks. So much respect.

I do wish Jack and I had known about your death in time to join the Zoom meeting, but maybe it is not too late to watch the recording.

Special thanks to Ethan and his family for visiting us and for staying in touch. Sierra Leone is many years away but is very much alive in my mind.

Jane ross