Susan Bradley Campbell 1863 - 1945

Susan Bradley was born on 24 Mar 1863 to James Bradley and Annie Pepper in Minersville, Pennsylvania, which was about three months before the Battle of Gettysburg raged about 95 miles from the family home.  She was the oldest child of the Bradleys seven children.  She was two years old when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.

When Susan was about 19 years old, times zones were introduced the the US for the first time.  Prior to this, most local towns rendered time based on "high noon" - no, not the movie, but when the sun was actually at its highest point.  As railroads made faster travel and commerce between distant locations, a lack of standardized time zones led to confusion with regard to arrival and departure times for train service.  So Railroad Companies created times zones in 1883 to make travel and commerce more organized.  This was very successful and well received.  Within a year, international time zones were established and helped organized world navigation.

Susan married Charles Campbell in about 1884 in Gordon, Pa.  Her husband was born three months after Susan, on 24 May 1863 in Gordon, Pa, to John Campbell and Alice McEwen.   He would go on to become an engineer on the Reading Railroad, where he would be employed for 55 years.  By the time Susan and Charles married, views on marriage were changing.  Prior to to this time, most marriages were prearranged or negotiated ahead of time, but as America expanded and became more of a melting pot, views on marriage began to change.  Love became the guiding principle for most relationships. Previously marriage was more of a civic event, but as people brought their faiths to the states throughout the 19th century, religious ceremonies became more common.

While Susan and Charles were married and living in Gordon, they had 11 children, yeah you read it right, 11 children: Charles S, Raymond, Leah F, Mary M, Vincent J, Paul A, Rosella, Catherine, Marie, Alice, and Marcella.   Two of their sons, Raymond and Vincent, went on to become Catholic Priests and two of their daughters, became Catholic Nuns.  The funny part is that I am trying to figure out which daughters are nuns, but its tough since they change their names when they enter the Order. I can rule out Rosella, because I found her obituary, and she was a bookkeeper for the Vallish Furniture Company in Mount Carmel. I can also rule out Alice, because the same obit says that she is an RN in Gordon.  That's as close as I can get to figuring it out, so far. Here is Susan's obit from the Mount Carmel Item 9 Mar 1945.

If you can figure out who Sister Miriam Delora, from St. Joseph's Convent and Sister Mary Narcissa are from the list of children I gave, let me know.  I am not being sarcastic, I would really like to know.

The last thing I would say about Susan is that her life spanned from the American Civil War to nearly the end of WWII.  Not to mention travel changes: from horseback and trains to cars and Airplanes.  Quite an amazing time to be alive and so many changes and advances in science to witness.  The other thing thing that I noticed is that she spent this whole time is Schuylkill County PA, namely Gordon and Minersville.  Two small towns about 11 miles apart, about 17 minutes travel time today by car.  I wonder what she thought about all of these scientific advances, if they affected her at all in this small town.  I know that today, we take all of these things for granted.  We fly across the country because it is faster and more convenient than driving.  Then we complain about how long it took or how much it cost us.  I just wonder what those who came before us would have thought while all of these advances were being made.