In Memory of Phyllis Anne Cameron Bradford

Phyllis Anne Cameron Bradford, age 84, of St. James, North Carolina (formally of Ida Grove, Iowa) passed away Friday, March 7, 2014.

A Graveside Service will be held at 1:00 PM, Saturday, March 22, 2014 at the Ida Grove Cemetery of Ida Grove, Iowa. The Reverend Kevin J. Freese will officiate. The Christensen - Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove is charge of funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online to www.christensenvanhouten.com

Phyllis Anne Cameron Bradford was born on December 28, 1929 to Alistair Cameron and Mary Oxendale Cameron in Ida Grove, Iowa. She was a 1947 graduate of Ida Grove HS and then graduated from Iowa State Teachers College.

Beginning in 1949, she taught kindergarten in Denison, Iowa. During her teaching career she also taught in Ames, Iowa and San Diego, CA. In the mid 1950’s, Phyllis worked as a Director for the YWCA and in 1957, under the leadership/tutelage of Civil Rights legend Dorothy Height, she helped run the YWCA’s national conference in St. Louis. She graduated with a degree in Education from Winona State College, Minnesota in 1962.

She married John Norman Bradford in San Diego, CA on April 6, 1963. During their 50 plus year marriage, they lived in San Diego , CA , Ames Iowa , Missoula Montana , and Manhattan Kansas , before settling in Lexington , Massachusetts from 1969 to 1996, where they reared their two children and Phyllis substituted in the public schools for a number of years later working at Cary Memorial Library. After her husband’s retirement they moved to St. James, NC in 1996.

Survivors include her husband of 50 years, daughters Janet Bradford of McLean Virginia and Margaret Bradford Pace of Wethersfield, CT, two sons in-law: Christopher Hudson and Paul Pace and four grandsons: Cameron and John Hudson and Andrew and Connor Pace, John’s brother’s Lynn Bradford and his wife Suzanne and William Bradford and his wife Kathleen.

Her brother, William John Cameron and sister-in-law Joan Miller Cameron predeceased her.

The family is grateful to her loving friends and family for the many visits, cards and support and the compassionate care from Lower Cape Fear Hospice. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to The American

Cancer Society.