The Bradleys of Schuylkill County

Wow, I didn't realize that it had been three weeks since my last post.  Time flies when you have five kids or when you're having fun (which is usually the same thing in my house).  I know my last post was about my home town in the 1940 Census, but I have uncovered some new information since then that I want to share.

Remember that I had mentioned that I found date of death for my Great Great Grandmother Anna Bradley in the Pennsylvania Archives website?  Well, while looking through that same year, I found another Bradley who died in Minersville on May 22, 1928:  James Bradley.  Last weekend I drove to my sister's house near Scranton Pa, with two of my sons, to visit for the weekend.  On my way back, I gave the boys a thrill of a lifetime by taking them by the Pottsville Free Public Library to search through microfilm of the Pottsville Republican for 1928 for obituaries.  They were nearly thrill to tears.  But it turned out to be a short sentence for them - only an  hour, because I had to get Jack home so he could get to work.  He has a real appreciation for work now.  My search was successful and I found two obits for the Bradley family, the first one was for Anna:

Don' you just love the way that she is treated as a second class citizen.  She is listed as the "widow of the late James Bradley", no mention of her maiden name and the killer (no pun intended) is that the funeral will be held at the home of "his" son, Joseph Bradley of Carbon St in Minersville.  It doesn't happen to mention that he is "her" son also.  Now I could be wrong, but I think the US government even allowed women to vote in 1928, but I guess citizenship and voting doesn't trump dead.  I was expecting to maybe see it mentioned that she lived in Pottsville with her daughter, that she had other children still living and some who predeceased her.  I also expected to see grandchildren and great grandchildren (my father and his siblings), but nothing.  Even in death she was still only the widow of James Bradley.

On to the more important obituary (just kidding) James Bradley, her son.  Here is his obit:

Now that's an obituary.  Well known Minersville Man - he must have been an important guy.  Remember, that this was May 1928 - prior to his mother's death, and she is not mentioned by name in his obit either.  He is survived by his mother ("what's her name" Bradley), brother Joseph, who is starting to have a real bad 1928, and sisters: Mrs Chas Long of Philadelphia, Mamie McMurtha of Pottsville (this is the daughter that Anna lives with until her death in December) and Susan of Gordon.  Gordon is the same town that James Brady and Madge (Maggie Bradley) Brady lived in when Maggie died in 1892.  How would you like to be Joseph having to have two funerals in his home in 1928 - I guess it beats the hell out of being James or Anna, but a pretty depressing year when you think about it.

I just feel compelled to mention that perhaps in the twenties and thirties, women were treated as second class citizens and just an extension of her husband (unless of course she was unmarried by the age of 16 or 17, then she was a "Spinster"), I think the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction today.  You can't watch a television show or commercial without seeing the husband or boyfriend or baby daddy, depicted as a complete moron.  Wives or girlfriends or baby mamas are all infinitely wiser and relish every opportunity to make him look stupid.  His children are smarter and have a higher IQ than he does.  Hell, most of the pets can hold a more intelligent conversation than he can (except the fish - cause you can't understand them speaking underwater).   I guess the times are changing, and I'm not so sure it's for the better.

One last thing to note about these two deaths: they are both interred in St Vincent de Paul Parish cemetery in Minersville.  You may remember that this is the same cemetery where Madge (Maggie Bradley) Brady was buried in 1892.  The same cemetery that charged me a $20.00 genealogy fee to obtain information about where in the cemetery she is buried - only to find out that they cannot find any record of her burial.  I called the church and found that several of the local churches have merged, and now I must write to St Michael the Archangel (the church not the saint) for any genealogy information - burials, baptisms, etc... Being that St Michael the Archangel is the Patron Saint of  Police Officers and I am a retired cop, perhaps I'll get a little professional courtesy - I better get out my PBA cards.