Johnnie Leon Bradford
April 17, 1935 March 15, 2021
Johnnie (John) Leon Bradford, 85 of Southwest City, Mo., died Monday, March 15, 2021, at his home.
He was born April 17, 1935, in Baron, Okla., to the late Charlie Albert and Florence (Goodwin) Bradford. He grew up and attended schools in Baron, as well as Westville High in Westville, Okla. At the age of 17, he left home for Columbus, Ohio, where he worked various jobs, until starting his own business, Bradford Decorators in 1966. He enjoyed sports and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles as a pitcher, but the road life wasn’t for him. He married Nancy Ruth Allard on Dec. 18, 1954, and they moved to the Southwest City area in 1974. He raised and showed Arabian horses.
He 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.
He is survived by his four children, Brenda Crampton (Tim) of Pineville, Mo., Jason Bradford and Elizabeth Mahoney of Greeley, Colo., Paula Thomas (Bill) of Anderson, Mo., Joel Bradford (Sherri) of Grand Junction, Colo.; 14 grandchildren; one brother, Wayne Bradford; and one sister, Pat Nelson, both of Westville, Okla.
Visitation services were held Monday, March 22, 2021, at the Ozark Funeral Home in Southwest City.
In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the McDonald County Fair in care of the funeral home.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www. ozarkfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements were by Ozark Funeral Home in Southwest City, Mo.