Harrisonburg Daily News Record
April 29, 1940
R.W. Bradford Passes Away
Pioneer Bicycle Dealer Long Ill
Funeral Services Today
R. W. Bradford, 82, pioneer bicycle dealer of the Valley and a well known resident of Harrisonburg, died Saturday afternoon at 5:00 o'clock at his home on West Water Street following a lingering illness. Death was due to complications.
Mr. Bradford, who was a son of the late James and Elizabeth Bradford, was born Aug. 17, 1857 at Orkney Springs, which his father then owned.
On Dec. 27, 1892 he was united in marriage with Miss Lucy K. Lincoln, of Lacey Springs, who survives him.
Mr. Bradford was a pioneer in the bicycle business in this section of the state and owned the first bicycle in the Shenandoah Valley.
Starting in business at Tenth Legion about 60 years ago, he later moved his business to Harrisonburg where, he operated a shop on North Main Street for years. For the past 15 years Mr.Bradford had operated his bicycle business in connection with the electrical business of his son, Norris Bradford.
In his younger days Mr. Bradford traveled up and down the Valley on his bicycle selling and repairing the two-wheeled vehicles which were then just coming into wide use. During his 60 or more years in the business he saw the bicycle industry reach its zenith in the latter part of, the 19th and early part of the 20th century, then dwindle to a point where few of the vehicles were seen on the streets. In the past few years, however, he had witnessed the return of the bicycle's popularity and was kept busy reparing the hundreds in Harrisonburg until his health failed.
Through his long connection with the bicycle business he was widely known among persons of all ages as each succeeding generation, if at some time or other they owned bicycles, usually bought them from, or had them repaired by Mr. Bradford. He was affectionately known by his many
friends as "R.W." or "Uncle Bob."
Mr. Bradford was a man of splendid character and was held in esteem by all who knew him.
He was a life long member of the Mt. Jackson Episcopal Church.
Besides his wife, he is survived by three sons, Norris L. Bradford and Claude W. Bradford , of Harrisonburg and Miller H. Bradford, of Blacksburg and two daughters Mrs. Ralph Crist, of Bridgewater and Miss Katherine Bradford, at home; four grandchildren. Norris L., Jr., Charles Robert, Joan Ann and Robert Edward Bradford. He is also survived by two half-brothers, T. C. Bradford, of Wilmington, Dela. and J. C. Bradford, of Tenth Legion, and one half-sister, Mrs. Cornelia Smith, of Stephen City. One sister, Mrs. Sallie Bradford Branner, preceded him in death.
Funeral services will be held this (Monday) afternoon at 2:30 from his late home at 475 West Water Street.
Services will be conducted by Rev. A. B. Clark.
Burial will be in Woodbine Cemetery.
Members of Mrs. Bradford's Sunday School class will act as flowerbearers.
Pallbearers will be: Claude Baugher, C. B. Rhodes, William Nair, L. A. Dickenson, W. D. Kerlin and Ernest Butler.
April 29, 1940
R.W. Bradford Passes Away
Pioneer Bicycle Dealer Long Ill
Funeral Services Today
R. W. Bradford, 82, pioneer bicycle dealer of the Valley and a well known resident of Harrisonburg, died Saturday afternoon at 5:00 o'clock at his home on West Water Street following a lingering illness. Death was due to complications.
Mr. Bradford, who was a son of the late James and Elizabeth Bradford, was born Aug. 17, 1857 at Orkney Springs, which his father then owned.
On Dec. 27, 1892 he was united in marriage with Miss Lucy K. Lincoln, of Lacey Springs, who survives him.
Mr. Bradford was a pioneer in the bicycle business in this section of the state and owned the first bicycle in the Shenandoah Valley.
Starting in business at Tenth Legion about 60 years ago, he later moved his business to Harrisonburg where, he operated a shop on North Main Street for years. For the past 15 years Mr.Bradford had operated his bicycle business in connection with the electrical business of his son, Norris Bradford.
In his younger days Mr. Bradford traveled up and down the Valley on his bicycle selling and repairing the two-wheeled vehicles which were then just coming into wide use. During his 60 or more years in the business he saw the bicycle industry reach its zenith in the latter part of, the 19th and early part of the 20th century, then dwindle to a point where few of the vehicles were seen on the streets. In the past few years, however, he had witnessed the return of the bicycle's popularity and was kept busy reparing the hundreds in Harrisonburg until his health failed.
Through his long connection with the bicycle business he was widely known among persons of all ages as each succeeding generation, if at some time or other they owned bicycles, usually bought them from, or had them repaired by Mr. Bradford. He was affectionately known by his many
friends as "R.W." or "Uncle Bob."
Mr. Bradford was a man of splendid character and was held in esteem by all who knew him.
He was a life long member of the Mt. Jackson Episcopal Church.
Besides his wife, he is survived by three sons, Norris L. Bradford and Claude W. Bradford , of Harrisonburg and Miller H. Bradford, of Blacksburg and two daughters Mrs. Ralph Crist, of Bridgewater and Miss Katherine Bradford, at home; four grandchildren. Norris L., Jr., Charles Robert, Joan Ann and Robert Edward Bradford. He is also survived by two half-brothers, T. C. Bradford, of Wilmington, Dela. and J. C. Bradford, of Tenth Legion, and one half-sister, Mrs. Cornelia Smith, of Stephen City. One sister, Mrs. Sallie Bradford Branner, preceded him in death.
Funeral services will be held this (Monday) afternoon at 2:30 from his late home at 475 West Water Street.
Services will be conducted by Rev. A. B. Clark.
Burial will be in Woodbine Cemetery.
Members of Mrs. Bradford's Sunday School class will act as flowerbearers.
Pallbearers will be: Claude Baugher, C. B. Rhodes, William Nair, L. A. Dickenson, W. D. Kerlin and Ernest Butler.
Harrisonburg Daily News Record
April 29, 1940
R.W. Bradford Passes Away
Pioneer Bicycle Dealer Long Ill
Funeral Services Today
R. W. Bradford, 82, pioneer bicycle dealer of the Valley and a well known resident of Harrisonburg, died Saturday afternoon at 5:00 o'clock at his home on West Water Street following a lingering illness. Death was due to complications.
Mr. Bradford, who was a son of the late James and Elizabeth Bradford, was born Aug. 17, 1857 at Orkney Springs, which his father then owned.
On Dec. 27, 1892 he was united in marriage with Miss Lucy K. Lincoln, of Lacey Springs, who survives him.
Mr. Bradford was a pioneer in the bicycle business in this section of the state and owned the first bicycle in the Shenandoah Valley.
Starting in business at Tenth Legion about 60 years ago, he later moved his business to Harrisonburg where, he operated a shop on North Main Street for years. For the past 15 years Mr.Bradford had operated his bicycle business in connection with the electrical business of his son, Norris Bradford.
In his younger days Mr. Bradford traveled up and down the Valley on his bicycle selling and repairing the two-wheeled vehicles which were then just coming into wide use. During his 60 or more years in the business he saw the bicycle industry reach its zenith in the latter part of, the 19th and early part of the 20th century, then dwindle to a point where few of the vehicles were seen on the streets. In the past few years, however, he had witnessed the return of the bicycle's popularity and was kept busy reparing the hundreds in Harrisonburg until his health failed.
Through his long connection with the bicycle business he was widely known among persons of all ages as each succeeding generation, if at some time or other they owned bicycles, usually bought them from, or had them repaired by Mr. Bradford. He was affectionately known by his many
friends as "R.W." or "Uncle Bob."
Mr. Bradford was a man of splendid character and was held in esteem by all who knew him.
He was a life long member of the Mt. Jackson Episcopal Church.
Besides his wife, he is survived by three sons, Norris L. Bradford and Claude W. Bradford , of Harrisonburg and Miller H. Bradford, of Blacksburg and two daughters Mrs. Ralph Crist, of Bridgewater and Miss Katherine Bradford, at home; four grandchildren. Norris L., Jr., Charles Robert, Joan Ann and Robert Edward Bradford. He is also survived by two half-brothers, T. C. Bradford, of Wilmington, Dela. and J. C. Bradford, of Tenth Legion, and one half-sister, Mrs. Cornelia Smith, of Stephen City. One sister, Mrs. Sallie Bradford Branner, preceded him in death.
Funeral services will be held this (Monday) afternoon at 2:30 from his late home at 475 West Water Street.
Services will be conducted by Rev. A. B. Clark.
Burial will be in Woodbine Cemetery.
Members of Mrs. Bradford's Sunday School class will act as flowerbearers.
Pallbearers will be: Claude Baugher, C. B. Rhodes, William Nair, L. A. Dickenson, W. D. Kerlin and Ernest Butler.
April 29, 1940
R.W. Bradford Passes Away
Pioneer Bicycle Dealer Long Ill
Funeral Services Today
R. W. Bradford, 82, pioneer bicycle dealer of the Valley and a well known resident of Harrisonburg, died Saturday afternoon at 5:00 o'clock at his home on West Water Street following a lingering illness. Death was due to complications.
Mr. Bradford, who was a son of the late James and Elizabeth Bradford, was born Aug. 17, 1857 at Orkney Springs, which his father then owned.
On Dec. 27, 1892 he was united in marriage with Miss Lucy K. Lincoln, of Lacey Springs, who survives him.
Mr. Bradford was a pioneer in the bicycle business in this section of the state and owned the first bicycle in the Shenandoah Valley.
Starting in business at Tenth Legion about 60 years ago, he later moved his business to Harrisonburg where, he operated a shop on North Main Street for years. For the past 15 years Mr.Bradford had operated his bicycle business in connection with the electrical business of his son, Norris Bradford.
In his younger days Mr. Bradford traveled up and down the Valley on his bicycle selling and repairing the two-wheeled vehicles which were then just coming into wide use. During his 60 or more years in the business he saw the bicycle industry reach its zenith in the latter part of, the 19th and early part of the 20th century, then dwindle to a point where few of the vehicles were seen on the streets. In the past few years, however, he had witnessed the return of the bicycle's popularity and was kept busy reparing the hundreds in Harrisonburg until his health failed.
Through his long connection with the bicycle business he was widely known among persons of all ages as each succeeding generation, if at some time or other they owned bicycles, usually bought them from, or had them repaired by Mr. Bradford. He was affectionately known by his many
friends as "R.W." or "Uncle Bob."
Mr. Bradford was a man of splendid character and was held in esteem by all who knew him.
He was a life long member of the Mt. Jackson Episcopal Church.
Besides his wife, he is survived by three sons, Norris L. Bradford and Claude W. Bradford , of Harrisonburg and Miller H. Bradford, of Blacksburg and two daughters Mrs. Ralph Crist, of Bridgewater and Miss Katherine Bradford, at home; four grandchildren. Norris L., Jr., Charles Robert, Joan Ann and Robert Edward Bradford. He is also survived by two half-brothers, T. C. Bradford, of Wilmington, Dela. and J. C. Bradford, of Tenth Legion, and one half-sister, Mrs. Cornelia Smith, of Stephen City. One sister, Mrs. Sallie Bradford Branner, preceded him in death.
Funeral services will be held this (Monday) afternoon at 2:30 from his late home at 475 West Water Street.
Services will be conducted by Rev. A. B. Clark.
Burial will be in Woodbine Cemetery.
Members of Mrs. Bradford's Sunday School class will act as flowerbearers.
Pallbearers will be: Claude Baugher, C. B. Rhodes, William Nair, L. A. Dickenson, W. D. Kerlin and Ernest Butler.
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