Iris Eldean Bradford

Iris Eldean Bradford September 17, 1929 - August 12, 2013 Iris Eldean Bradford of Waco passed away Monday, August 12, 2013. Services will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, August 15, at First Baptist Church Hewitt with the Rev. Roy Marshall officiating. Burial will follow at White Hall Cemetery. Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 14, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey. Eldean Bradford was born on September 17, 1929, in Coryell County, Texas, to Ruby and Ella Mae Kitchens. She graduated from McGregor High School in 1945. After graduation she moved to Waco and began working as a waitress at the Lions Tea Room. It was there in the spring of 1946 that she met Robert Bradford, a young soldier recently returned from occupation duty in Germany. Eldean and Robert were married later that year on September 25, 1946, at First Baptist Church Waco. Eldean and Bob had four sons: Edward, Robert Jr., Stanley and Mark. All of Eldean and Bob's friends simply knew them as #1, #2, #3 and #4. While they were raising their family, Eldean pursued another of her dreams, to become a teacher. In the late 1950s she began her studies at Baylor University in elementary education. Upon graduation Eldean began teaching fourth grade at Bells Hill Elementary School in the Waco ISD. Shortly after this she accepted a position as a Remedial Reading teacher at R.L. Smith Elementary School. She remained a Remedial Reading teacher for the remainder of her 20 years teaching in the Waco ISD. Upon retirement she enjoyed travel, community service, and volunteering at her church. Eldean was a supporter of Woodway Beautiful and Carleen Bright Arboretum. She was an active member of the First Baptist Church Hewitt and the Gideon Auxiliary. Her greatest joy was found in her grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. One special memory each of her grandchildren have are their Christmas Pockets. Each grandchild had a fabric wall decoration with 24 pockets sewn into it. Each of the 24 pockets would contain a present for that day and would be opened each morning as a "count-down" to Christmas. Eldean is survived by her sons, Edward and wife, Jan, Robert Jr. and wife, Shirley, Stan and wife, Debbie, and Mark; grandsons, Edward Jr. and wife, Julie, and Blake and wife, Ashley; granddaughters, Ferrah Horton and husband, Travis, Velissa Dean Whitlock and husband, Andrew, Lindsey Bradford and Brittney Bradford; and five great grandchildren, Laurel and Islay Horton, Isabella and Brock Bradford, and Keira Grace Kutscherousky. In lieu of floral arrangements, memorial gifts may be directed to the First Baptist Church of Hewitt, 301 South First St., Hewitt TX 76643. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WilkirsonHatchBailey.com.