Minnie Lou Bradley
Encyclopedia
Minnie Lou Ottinger Bradley (born December 15, 1931) is the matriarch of the 11500 acres (47 km²) Bradley 3 Ranch in Childress County in the Texas Panhandle
. An inductee of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
in Fort Worth
, she is a trailblazer for women in the field of livestock
breeding and ranch
management. She is the first woman to have been president of the American Angus Association
. The Bradley 3 is located entirely in Childress County but has a Memphis
address and an Estelline
(both in Hall County) telephone
connection.
, in Caddo County
in western Oklahoma
, to Ralph Thomas Ottinger (1904–1970), who was employed in road construction, and the former Zulema Young (1903–1987), a teacher
. Bradley had three siblings: Helen, born March 20, 1930, Ted Calvin, born August 27, 1938, and Linda Sue born November 24, 1943. Bradley later lived on a wheat
farm near Hydro
on the line between Caddo and Blaine
counties. Even as a nine-year-old, Bradley participated in the 4-H Club, having shown lambs and pigs. At the time, girls were not permitted in Future Farmers of America, but, spurred by her uncle
, Ted Ottinger, she became focused with a career in livestock and ranching, She graduated with distinction from Hydro High School, where she was a member of the state championship girls’ basketball
team in 1948.
From 1949-1953, Bradley attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater
, where she was the first female student to major in animal husbandry
and where she met her future husband, Billy Jack Bradley (also born 1931). The couple married in 1955 and had two children, Monte Jack Bradley (1958–1984), who died in an automobile
accident, and Mary Lou Bradley-Henderson, an accountant
by profession who came to work with her mother at the ranch on her brother’s death. Billy Jack Bradley left the ranch in the middle 1990s for personal reasons and resides in Vernon
, the seat of Wilbarger County
west of Fort Worth.
The Bradley 3 Ranch began in 1955 during a time of drought
with 3000 acres (12 km²) purchased by Minnie and Billy Bradley, and his parents, Raymond Jack “Rusty” Bradley and the former Lois Chaney, originally from Electra
in Wichita County
, Texas. The family maintains that Rusty Bradley’s father, Rufus Jack Bradley, had in the 1870s been a wagon boss on the famed XIT Ranch
west of Amarillo
, although that ranch did not actually exist until 1885. The Bradley 3 (originally three ranches) began raising Angus cattle
some two years after its founding. The ranch uses Angus bulls to increase the production of the Hereford
heifer
s.
In the center of the ranch is a slightly elevated area on which one can see the lights of Childress
, the seat of Childress County, eleven miles (18 km) to the south and Memphis, the seat of Hall County, some nineteen miles (30 km) to the west. On that same spot during the day, one sees only endless ranchland covered in short grass, mesquite
, juniper
, and the black Angus. Not even a water tower dots the horizon from the Bradley 3. The Panhandle has been described as one place on earth where one can see the fartherest and still see the least.
s and two hundred bulls. The ranch is owned by Bradley and her daughter, Mary Lou, and Mary Lou’s husband, James Henderson. Mary Lou is hence the fourth generation of Bradleys to ranch in north Texas. The Bradley 3 supplies seedstock to commercial ranchers in the Southwest. There
are only two full-time workers for the ranch, Phil and Bob. The cows require human assistance at birth, a process known as “pulling calves” from the womb. At 2 a.m. during calving season, Bradley boards her pickup truck and drives past the pens, and with her searchlight looks for pregnant cows in distress and, as needed, summons for help. She cooks all three meals for the ranch, sometimes serving a half-dozen persons. For each meal, she uses beef
from her own feed yard and packing facility. In 1986, the Bradleys developed B3R Country Meats in Childress. They were instrumental in defining national standards for natural beef products. In 2002, the company was sold to George Gillette. Bradley, supplied the steaks for the January 20, 2001, presidential inauguration
of George W. Bush
.
, the American Angus Association, the largest beef organization in the world with 36,000 mostly male members in all 50 states. She became its first and thus far only female president in 2004. Nevertheless, Bradley rejects the role of "pioneer for women". She has no plans to retire so long as her health permits her to continue operating the ranch.
In 2006, Bradley was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, having joined the ranks of some 180 other trailblazers, including Dale Evans Rogers, Patsy Montana
, and Patsy Cline
, and Sandra Day O'Connor
. Bradley was honored principally for her role in encouraging women to enter the fields of livestock breeding and management. On receiving her award, Bradley retorted that she was unaccustomed to being in a room with so many women, for most of her life had been spent in the company of men on the ranch.
She teaches students in the ranch management program at Texas Christian University
in Fort Worth. Andrew M. Bivins, part of the management team of his family’s historic JA Ranch
near Amarillo graduated from that same program. Bradley also hosts students from other universities.
season. Minnie Lou has issued ten suggestions to her temporary tenants. One is “No litter
”; anyone caught littering, and that includes cigarette
butts, will not be invited back to hunt on Bradley 3 land. She insists that guests treat her as a friend, not as a business associate, and that they stay in communication: “We have a busy ranch, so I like to have hunters call ahead of time and let me know when they’ll be there. All of my hunters are great at communicating when they plan on being out and are always quick to let me know if they see any problems on the ranch.”
Bradley said that the ranch leaves no time for hobbies. “I’m always trying to improve the ranch. It’s not the biggest, but I want it to be one of the best. It’s only 11,500 acres, but there’s a lot of work to do – controlling brush, improving the grass. We’ve gone from 250 cows to about 400 cows and that takes some work. We’re in the heart of the Texas deer
and quail
country, too, so we lease out some land to hunters.
George W. Bush. In 2004, the Bradley 3 was listed among the top forty beef producers in the nation by ‘’Beef’’ magazine.
The Bradley 3 also won the Outstanding Rangeland Stewardship Award presented jointly by the Texas division of the Society for Range Management and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
in Fort Worth. The award recognizes a TSCRA member with outstanding land management activities. Bradley protects the forage that feeds her beef and the brush that sustains the wildlife population.
Bradley accepted the award at an awards chuckwagon
luncheon held at the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge
south of Muleshoe
, the seat of Bailey County
near the New Mexico
boundary. “My lifetime goal has always been to leave the ranch in better condition than when I came here,” she said.
Bradley is included in the "Listing of Great Texas Women" sponsored by the University of Texas. She has been featured in various ranch magazine
s. She was the focus as “trail boss” in a February 23, 2008, segment of Bob Phillips
’s Texas Country Reporter
syndicated
television series.
Bradley is Methodist. On July 22, 2008, she underwent successful heart
by-pass surgery
in Amarillo.
On March 18, 2011, Bradley addressed a symposium, "The Heritage of Ranch Women in Coleman County", sponsored by the Circle C Cattlewomen of Coleman
in Coleman County. The event was held in the Coleman Library.
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
. An inductee of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is a museum and association which honors women of the American West who have displayed courage or spirit and who have distinguished themselves while exemplifying the pioneer spirit...
in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, she is a trailblazer for women in the field of livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
breeding and ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
management. She is the first woman to have been president of the American Angus Association
American Angus Association
The American Angus Association was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1883, with 60 members. Its original name was shortened in the 1950s from the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association...
. The Bradley 3 is located entirely in Childress County but has a Memphis
Memphis, Texas
Memphis is a city in Hall County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 2,479. It is the county seat of Hall County.Memphis is the birthplace of former U.S...
address and an Estelline
Estelline, Texas
Estelline is a town in Hall County, Texas, United States. The population was 168 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 155.-Geography:...
(both in Hall County) telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
connection.
Early years, family, education
Bradley was born in HintonHinton, Oklahoma
Hinton is a town in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,175 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hinton is located at , elevation 1,676 feet ....
, in Caddo County
Caddo County, Oklahoma
Caddo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 30,150. Its county seat is Anadarko. It is named after the Caddo tribe who were settled here on the 1870s...
in western Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, to Ralph Thomas Ottinger (1904–1970), who was employed in road construction, and the former Zulema Young (1903–1987), a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. Bradley had three siblings: Helen, born March 20, 1930, Ted Calvin, born August 27, 1938, and Linda Sue born November 24, 1943. Bradley later lived on a wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
farm near Hydro
Hydro, Oklahoma
Hydro is a town in Caddo and Blaine counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 969 at the 2010 census.Hydro was home to Lucille Hamons, a Route 66 icon dubbed "The Mother of the Mother Road." Her motel and gas station still stand on Old Route 66 just west of Hydro...
on the line between Caddo and Blaine
Blaine County, Oklahoma
Blaine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population is 11,976. Its county seat is Watonga. Blaine County is the birthplace of voice actor Clarence Nash, the voice of Donald Duck....
counties. Even as a nine-year-old, Bradley participated in the 4-H Club, having shown lambs and pigs. At the time, girls were not permitted in Future Farmers of America, but, spurred by her uncle
Uncle
An uncle is a type of familial relationship.Uncle may also refer to:* Uncle , by J. P. Martin* U.N.C.L.E., a fictional organization in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
, Ted Ottinger, she became focused with a career in livestock and ranching, She graduated with distinction from Hydro High School, where she was a member of the state championship girls’ basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team in 1948.
From 1949-1953, Bradley attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
, where she was the first female student to major in animal husbandry
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
and where she met her future husband, Billy Jack Bradley (also born 1931). The couple married in 1955 and had two children, Monte Jack Bradley (1958–1984), who died in an automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
accident, and Mary Lou Bradley-Henderson, an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
by profession who came to work with her mother at the ranch on her brother’s death. Billy Jack Bradley left the ranch in the middle 1990s for personal reasons and resides in Vernon
Vernon, Texas
Vernon is a city in Wilbarger County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 11,660; it was 11,077 in the 2005 census estimate. Vernon is the county seat of Wilbarger County....
, the seat of Wilbarger County
Wilbarger County, Texas
*Harrold *Odell *Oklaunion *Vernon-Notable natives and residents:*Jack English Hightower, Memphis, Texas, native; former member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature, and former U.S...
west of Fort Worth.
The Bradley 3 Ranch began in 1955 during a time of drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
with 3000 acres (12 km²) purchased by Minnie and Billy Bradley, and his parents, Raymond Jack “Rusty” Bradley and the former Lois Chaney, originally from Electra
Electra, Texas
Electra is a city in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The United States Census Bureau counted Electra's population as 3,168 at the 2000 census and estimated it to be 2,891 as of 2006...
in Wichita County
Wichita County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 131,664 people, 48,441 households, and 32,891 families residing in the county. The population density was 210 people per square mile . There were 53,304 housing units at an average density of 85 per square mile...
, Texas. The family maintains that Rusty Bradley’s father, Rufus Jack Bradley, had in the 1870s been a wagon boss on the famed XIT Ranch
XIT Ranch
The XIT Ranch was a cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle which operated from 1885 to 1912. Comprising over 3,000,000 acres of land, it ran for two hundred miles along the border with New Mexico, varying in width from 20 to 30 miles...
west of Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, although that ranch did not actually exist until 1885. The Bradley 3 (originally three ranches) began raising Angus cattle
Angus cattle
Angus cattle are a breed of cattle much used in beef production. They were developed from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, and are known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world....
some two years after its founding. The ranch uses Angus bulls to increase the production of the Hereford
Hereford (cattle)
Hereford cattle are a beef cattle breed, widely used both in intemperate areas and temperate areas, mainly for meat production.Originally from Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom, more than five million pedigree Hereford Cattle now exist in over 50 countries...
heifer
Heifer
Heifer may refer to:*A young cow before she has had her first calf*Red Heifer, in Judaism is a heifer that is sacrificed and whose ashes are used for the ritual purification*Heifer International, a charitable organization...
s.
In the center of the ranch is a slightly elevated area on which one can see the lights of Childress
Childress, Texas
Childress is a city in Childress County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,778 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Childress County. Like the county, the city is named for George Campbell Childress, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, who was the principal author of the Texas...
, the seat of Childress County, eleven miles (18 km) to the south and Memphis, the seat of Hall County, some nineteen miles (30 km) to the west. On that same spot during the day, one sees only endless ranchland covered in short grass, mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
, juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
, and the black Angus. Not even a water tower dots the horizon from the Bradley 3. The Panhandle has been described as one place on earth where one can see the fartherest and still see the least.
Running the ranch
Bradley’s herd usually numbers about four hundred to five hundred heiferHeifer
Heifer may refer to:*A young cow before she has had her first calf*Red Heifer, in Judaism is a heifer that is sacrificed and whose ashes are used for the ritual purification*Heifer International, a charitable organization...
s and two hundred bulls. The ranch is owned by Bradley and her daughter, Mary Lou, and Mary Lou’s husband, James Henderson. Mary Lou is hence the fourth generation of Bradleys to ranch in north Texas. The Bradley 3 supplies seedstock to commercial ranchers in the Southwest. There
are only two full-time workers for the ranch, Phil and Bob. The cows require human assistance at birth, a process known as “pulling calves” from the womb. At 2 a.m. during calving season, Bradley boards her pickup truck and drives past the pens, and with her searchlight looks for pregnant cows in distress and, as needed, summons for help. She cooks all three meals for the ranch, sometimes serving a half-dozen persons. For each meal, she uses beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
from her own feed yard and packing facility. In 1986, the Bradleys developed B3R Country Meats in Childress. They were instrumental in defining national standards for natural beef products. In 2002, the company was sold to George Gillette. Bradley, supplied the steaks for the January 20, 2001, presidential inauguration
Presidential Inauguration
A Presidential Inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. To see detailed information on specific presidents, see the links below:* Brazilian presidential inauguration* Croatian presidential inauguration...
of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Women’s pioneer
In addition to her breakthrough work at Oklahoma State, Minnie Bradley was in 1952 the first woman to win the International Livestock Judging contest held in Chicago. She was one of the first women to serve on the board of directors of the trade associationTrade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
, the American Angus Association, the largest beef organization in the world with 36,000 mostly male members in all 50 states. She became its first and thus far only female president in 2004. Nevertheless, Bradley rejects the role of "pioneer for women". She has no plans to retire so long as her health permits her to continue operating the ranch.
In 2006, Bradley was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, having joined the ranks of some 180 other trailblazers, including Dale Evans Rogers, Patsy Montana
Patsy Montana
Ruby Rose Blevins , known professionally as Patsy Montana, was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first female country performer to have a million-selling single...
, and Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
, and Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
. Bradley was honored principally for her role in encouraging women to enter the fields of livestock breeding and management. On receiving her award, Bradley retorted that she was unaccustomed to being in a room with so many women, for most of her life had been spent in the company of men on the ranch.
She teaches students in the ranch management program at Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
in Fort Worth. Andrew M. Bivins, part of the management team of his family’s historic JA Ranch
JA Ranch
The JA Ranch, jointly founded by John George Adair and Charles Goodnight, is the oldest privately owned cattle ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon section of the Texas Panhandle southeast of Amarillo. At its peak size in 1883, the JA, still run by descendants of the Adair family, encompassed some of...
near Amarillo graduated from that same program. Bradley also hosts students from other universities.
Leasing land to hunters
To maximize the output from their holdings, the Bradleys lease their lands during huntingHunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
season. Minnie Lou has issued ten suggestions to her temporary tenants. One is “No litter
Litter
Litter consists of waste products such as containers, papers, wrappers or faeces which have been disposed of without consent. Litter can also be used as a verb...
”; anyone caught littering, and that includes cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
butts, will not be invited back to hunt on Bradley 3 land. She insists that guests treat her as a friend, not as a business associate, and that they stay in communication: “We have a busy ranch, so I like to have hunters call ahead of time and let me know when they’ll be there. All of my hunters are great at communicating when they plan on being out and are always quick to let me know if they see any problems on the ranch.”
Bradley said that the ranch leaves no time for hobbies. “I’m always trying to improve the ranch. It’s not the biggest, but I want it to be one of the best. It’s only 11,500 acres, but there’s a lot of work to do – controlling brush, improving the grass. We’ve gone from 250 cows to about 400 cows and that takes some work. We’re in the heart of the Texas deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
country, too, so we lease out some land to hunters.
Awards
Bradley has received numerous awards, including the Texas Parks and Wildlife Land Stewardship Award, which was presented to her in 1998 by then GovernorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
George W. Bush. In 2004, the Bradley 3 was listed among the top forty beef producers in the nation by ‘’Beef’’ magazine.
The Bradley 3 also won the Outstanding Rangeland Stewardship Award presented jointly by the Texas division of the Society for Range Management and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association was created in 1877, when 40 Texas cattlemen joined together out of their common interest to end unbridled livestock theft and formed what was to become Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association....
in Fort Worth. The award recognizes a TSCRA member with outstanding land management activities. Bradley protects the forage that feeds her beef and the brush that sustains the wildlife population.
Bradley accepted the award at an awards chuckwagon
Chuckwagon
A chuckwagon or chuck wagon is a type of wagon historically used to carry food and cooking equipment on the prairies of the United States and Canada. Such wagons would form part of a wagon train of settlers or feed traveling workers such as cowboys or loggers.In modern times, chuckwagons feature...
luncheon held at the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge
Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge
Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge is the oldest National Wildlife Refuge in the state of Texas, having been established in 1935. It is located about twenty miles south of Muleshoe, the seat of Bailey County...
south of Muleshoe
Muleshoe, Texas
Muleshoe is a small city in Bailey County, Texas, United States. The town of Muleshoe was founded in 1913 when the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway built an line from Farwell, Texas to Lubbock through northern Bailey County. In 1926, Muleshoe was incorporated. The population was 5,158 at the 2010...
, the seat of Bailey County
Bailey County, Texas
Bailey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2010, the population is 7,165. Its county seat is Muleshoe. Bailey is named for Peter James Bailey, a defender of the Alamo...
near the New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
boundary. “My lifetime goal has always been to leave the ranch in better condition than when I came here,” she said.
Bradley is included in the "Listing of Great Texas Women" sponsored by the University of Texas. She has been featured in various ranch magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s. She was the focus as “trail boss” in a February 23, 2008, segment of Bob Phillips
Bob Phillips
Robert Leon Phillips, known as Bob Phillips , is an American television journalist best known for his long-running program Texas Country Reporter...
’s Texas Country Reporter
Texas Country Reporter
Texas Country Reporter is a weekly syndicated television program hosted and produced by Bob Phillips. It airs in all 22 Texas media markets, generally on weekends, and reruns are broadcast nationally on the satellite/cable channel RFD-TV...
syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
television series.
Bradley in perspective
Bradley contends that the Angus have been good to her. In an interview with screenwriteer Anne Rapp, Bradley acknowledged that "Most women don’t want to live out this far. You either love it, or you hate it. I love this old country. It’s the best friend I’ve had for fifty years, and it’s never let me down. It’s taken care of me, this old country. So I take care of it.”.Bradley is Methodist. On July 22, 2008, she underwent successful heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
by-pass surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
in Amarillo.
On March 18, 2011, Bradley addressed a symposium, "The Heritage of Ranch Women in Coleman County", sponsored by the Circle C Cattlewomen of Coleman
Coleman, Texas
Coleman is a city in Coleman County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,127 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Coleman County.-Geography:Coleman is located at ....
in Coleman County. The event was held in the Coleman Library.