Johnnie Bradford

(From Ozark Funeral Home)

Mr. Johnnie (John) Leon Bradford, 85 of Southwest City, Missouri departed this life on Monday, March 15, 2021 at his home.

John was born April 17, 1935 in Baron, OK to the late Charlie Albert & Florence (Goodwin) Bradford. 

In his formative years, John grew up in Baron, OK and attended a three-room school in Baron, as well as Westville High in Westville, OK.

At the age of 17, he left home for Columbus, OH where he worked various jobs, until starting his own business – Bradford Decorators in 1966. John loved all things sports, he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles as a pitcher, but the road life wasn’t for him. John was known around the area as the best sheet rock finisher and painter, which he continued until March 2020.

He met his wife and love of his life, Nancy Ruth Allard on a blind date and they later married December 18, 1954 and to this union 4 children were born. In 1974, he and Nancy moved to the Southwest City area, where they resided until their passing.

To many he was known as John, but his family knew him as “Poppy”, we loved him more than he will ever know, we are forever grateful for the time we had with him.

John had a passion for raising and showing Arabian horses; Serr-Hassan & Koree-Al were his Arabian stallions, his best friends, his pride and joy, everything/one took a back seat to them. If you were around John enough, you were sure to hear a story or two about them.

We can’t leave the 7-8 ladies in John’s life out, they visited every night, patiently waiting for dinner. John rarely made them wait, he had their routine down, but honestly - they really had him trained.

There wasn’t anything Poppy couldn’t beat you at, bowling, baseball, swimming, even Olympic diving. If anyone thought they could do it better, he proved them otherwise, humbly of course. Poppy was a quiet man, but when he spoke, you’d better listen, he had great one liners and even better sense of humor.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Nancy in 1994, brothers; Robert Leon (R.L) Bradford, Jess Bradford, Donald (Gabby) Bradford, A.G. Bradford, Chester Bradford, Mac Bradford, Charles Bradford & Lester Bradford, and sisters Kathleen Kinnan, Leora Imboden, Rowena Bradford, Lydia Mae Bradford, Emma Lee Tumio, Jenny Coughran and Pauline Miller.

John is survived by his 4 children: Brenda Crampton and husband Tim of Pineville, MO, Jason Bradford and Elizabeth Mahoney of Greeley, CO, Paula Thomas and husband Bill of Anderson, MO, Joel Bradford and wife Sherri of Grand Junction, CO, 14 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.

He is also survived by one brother, Wayne Bradford and one sister, Pat Nelson, both of Westville, OK. John had too many nieces and nephews to count, but all loved him dearly.

In Lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the McDonald County Fair in care of the funeral home.

VISITATION

Ozark Funeral Homes - Southwest City
Monday, March 22, 2021
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
S. Main & Broadway St.
Southwest City, Missouri 64863