Bradford Stevens

ADAMS, CHANDLER, HANKS, HIX, MATHER, MOSES, SHEARER, STEVENS, WESENAUER

Posted By: Jerry Hale (email)
Date: 12/2/2007 at 22:48:17

OBITUARY

Bradford Stevens

Bradford Stevens, 77, life long resident of the Collins community, died Sunday evening at the Evangelical Hospital in Marshalltown. (March 1, 1959.)

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, March 4 at 2 p.m. from the E.U.B. Church with the Rev. J.A. Ogden officiating. Interment was in the Collins Evergreen cemetery.

Bradford Stevens, son of S. B. and Emily Annetta Hanks Stevens was born September 11, 1881 near Cambridge, Iowa. After failing health during the last two years, he passed away at the Evangelical Hospital in Marshalltown March 1, 1959 at the age of 77 years and 6 months.

He is survived by his wife, Edith M. Shearer Stevens whom he married April 1, 1906; two daughters, Mrs. William (Anna) Wesenauer of Waterloo,. Mrs. A. R. (Helen) Adams of Danville, Illinois, and a son Norman Bradford of Corona, California. There are also seven grandchildren; Richard Moses of Seattle, Washington, Darrel and Robert Moses of Collins, Robert and William Bradford Adams of Danville, Ill., Marilyn and Janet Stevens of Corona, Calif. Surviving are 3 great grandchildren, Bradford Anthony Darrel and Merridee Moses.

His mother and father preceded him in death, as well as a sister, Thelma, two brothers, Winford and Wilbur and an infant sister. These are Squire B., Des Moines; John !., Marshalltown; Edith Mather, Ames; Jennie Hix, Nevada; and Velma Chandler, Omaha.

Bradford spent his youth near Colo and lived the rest of his entire life near Collins. Here he became well known in the state through his untiring work in the Farm Bureau, on the school board and Story county board of education and in his church. Both in these organizations and as an individual his genuine love of people was recognized and valued in the community by young and old alike.

He attended Normal Training School at Nevada and Iowa State Normal School in Cedar Falls. Subsequently he taught many terms in rural schools over the county. After his marriage he began farming, which he followed as long as health permitted. During this period he also frequently served as assessor and in insurance work.

At an early age he joined the United Brethren church. His first and foremost interest in his community service was his church in which he was a Sunday School teacher for over fifty years. In this church, first at Willow Creek in 1904, and later in Collins he served in many capacities, perhaps the more rewarding and interesting of which included his characterization of Seth Parker in a series of religious presentations around the county.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:15.