Mrs. Margaret BRADFORD is the widow of the late Sidney C. BRADFORD, who
was born in Maryland September 8, 1829, and died December 25, 1885. His
father, Avery BRADFORD, removed from Maryland to Indiana about 1834,
with his wife and family. A few vears later he came to southern
Illinois, and there resided until his death, which occurred August 7,
1818, when he was forty-three years old. He left a wife and six
children, three sons and three daughters. His wife was Mary PHILLIPS,
of Maryland, born in 1810, and who died in 1851. Of their six children,
Sidney C. was the first-born. All have died but one, Nancy Jane, wife
of Clark CRUZEN.
Sidney C. was reared to agriculture and had but limited educational
facilities. He was, however, a studious youth, and in his maturer
years a constant reader. At the age of twenty-four, on March 29,
1853, he married Miss Margaret BREEZE, the ceremony being performed
at the home of the bride in Jefferson County, III., by the Rev. John
A.WILLIAMS, a Christian minister. The father of Mrs. BRADFORD was
Richard BREEZE, of Orange County, Ind., and her mother was Louisa
GASTON, of Jefferson County, Ill., the former born in 1811. The latter,
who was born in 1815, died in 1850, leaving eight children, one son and
seven daughters, of whom Mrs. BRADFORD was the first-born. The father
of Mrs. BRADFORD was twioe married, his second wife being Eliza GASTON,
a relative of his first wife. By her he had two children, a son and a
daughter. The grandfather of Mrs. BRADFORD was Robert BREEZE, of North
Carolina, who removed from that State to Indiana and afterward to Illinois. He began life a poor young
man and at the time of his death, in Jefferson County, Ill., when he
was eighty-three years old, he left a good estate and eight children.
His wife was Margaret CAPPEL. The father of Mrs. BRADFORD accompanied
his parents to Grand Prairie, Jefferson County, Ill., October11, 1827,
when he was sixteen years old. He was reared to labor on his father's
farm and was familiar with the hardships of pioneer life. By industry
and economy he acquired a good property and home. He was an exemplary
member of the Christian Church for many years, and lived in accordance
with the Golden Rule. At his death he was mourned by all who knew him.
His wife survived him some years, and died at the age of eighty.
Mrs. BRADFORD and her husband started in life upon a farm of one
hundred acres of Government land, which contained few improvements. On
this place they lived for twenty-one years and within a few years after
their marriage they built a good frame house. In March, 1874, they
removed to the present home of Mrs. BRADFORD, buying forty acres on the
tableland south of New Burnside,and close to the corporate limits. He
paid $1,000 for this farm, upon which there was a poor old house, and
about fifteen acres cleared. The old farm was not sold, and this
forty-acre farm was purchased for the purpose of raising fruit, as Mr.
BRADFORD's tastes were in that direction. Upon this farm he planted
orchards of apple, pear, plum, peach, and other trees, and set out
numerous kinds of small fruits. Soon afterward he added forty acres to
this property. In 1875 and 1876 he erected the present substantial
frame house, where he died at the date above mentioned.
The
union of Mr. and Mrs. BRADFORD was not blessed with children, but they
reared three foster sons and also Jane BRADFORD, who married Clark
CRUZEN. Their first foster son was John W. W. WHITTENBERG, who has been
twice married, and who is a farmer and carpenter in this township. The
next was James A. DEASON,a farmer of Johnson County, who married
Drucilla VAUGHN . The third is Eddie E. HORN, whom Mrs. BRADFORD is now
rearing. He came to her at the age of eight, and is now thirteen
years old. Mr. BRADFORD was drafted into the army at the last call for
troops, and was away from his home three months, when he was
discharged. Politically he was a Republican, and socially was
identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He had been a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for thirty-two years, and had
served as Steward, Class-leader and Trustee, and was very benevolent,
keeping open house for all the preachers. Mrs. BRADFORD resides on her
farm and rents the land on shares. In her religious connections she is
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as was her husband, who was
active in the work as Superintendent of the Sunday-school.
transcribed by Nan Starjak
Source:
The Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope and Hardin
Counties
Chicago
Biographical Publishing Co., 1893
pp. 223-224.
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