Obituary for Mac Bradley

Mac Leone (Mac) Bradley, 87, died early Monday morning, November 17, 2014, at her home in Blackwell.

Mac was born January 15, 1927 in Sherman, TX to Thomas Milton and Ruth Erlynne Ramsey Hefton. At age 2 years the family moved to Oklahoma where she made her life-long home; first in Oklahoma City, then Muskogee, Blackwell and full circle once again. She attended Harding Jr. High and Classen High in OKC and finished her last year at Muskogee Central. She attended Mary Harden Baylor College, Belton, TX her first college year; OU- one year and completed her BA-Journalism at then Oklahoma A&M (OSU) in 1948 then became graduate editor of the “Redskin,” the university yearbook. She was a charter member of the OSU chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

She and Kenneth L. Bradley, of Muskogee were married there July 17, 1948, and returned after Mr. Bradley, a WWII combat veteran, completed his degree at OSU. She returned to work as a reporter on the Muskogee County News and society editor for the Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times Democrat newspapers. Mr. Bradley was associated with the Hunts’ Department Store operation there. They moved to Blackwell in the early 1950’s when Mr. Bradley joined in the management and ownership in a local Hunts’ Dept. store which Mr. Hefton opened in 1950. They remained partners until Hefton retired and Mr. & Mrs. Bradley became sole owners.

Mac resumed her professional life circa 1961 when she was hired part-time by then-president of Northern Oklahoma Jr. College (NOC-Northern Oklahoma College) at Tonkawa to take charge of the school’s public relations. That duty was followed by a draft to teach classes in journalism. Added classes in English resulted in full-time service and a requirement for advanced degrees. While managing a household, with a husband and three young children and a full-time classroom career she took on regular round-trips to Stillwater to earn a Masters in English Literature. While continuing to sponsor the college newspaper and other publications, she concentrated on that discipline during her remaining happy years on the NOC faculty. Her love for literature; for knowledge; her love for the young people she influenced; her devotion to the institution can only be defined as legendary.

So devoted over her thirty-one years at NOC, seeing the need and opportunity for alumni and public support, she led the formation of the now successful NOC Foundation and is honored as founder and faculty emerita in Public Information, Journalism and Freshman Composition.

Mac’s faithfulness to God, church and service touched many, many believers and unbelievers. Always the encourager, Mac truly cared about her fellow man. When she asked, “How are you?” she really meant it. She was an active member in all areas of the First Christian Church in Blackwell.

Her indelible mark on the past, present and future of NOC was struck In Mac’s fourteenth year at NOC when she was commissioned to research and author the 75 year history of the historic college which coincided with the nation’s Bi-centennial celebration. Her detailed history titled “”FROM UPS TO NOC- 1901 to 1976” not only heralds the times of the small state college, it remains an archive for the virtual origin of higher education administration. In his tribute to Mac Hefton Bradley in the book’s foreword, then-president Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, issued “the fervent hope” another volume would follow for the school’s centennial to come in 2001! Hope accomplished: Volume II, “A CENTURY OF EXELLENCE – 1901 – 2001, by Mac Hefton Bradley was copyrighted 2001.

To paraphrase his Prologue in the original edition, he wrote: “There are few ways in which an individual can attain immortality. One is to create, build, develop or influence the evolution of an institution. Institutions, like ideas or art may become immortal – or at least enjoy an extended life far beyond the life of any person.” To that institution, her founding influence on the initialization of its foundation, the lives she touched in her teaching, mentoring, her Christian service and enlightened bible lessons and the many European literary trips she hosted in an educators role and later as a travel consultant, how descriptive of a bountiful life of service she endowed!

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Kenny Bradley; and eldest child, Nancy Lee Bradley.

She is survived by her son; Tommy Lee Bradley, Bartlesville; grandchildren, Andrea Rhodes, Oklahoma City, and Payton and Jake Bradley, Muskogee; her son, Brooke Bradley, Oklahoma City; brother, Richard Ramsey Hefton and wife Rhonda of Oklahoma City; and several nieces and nephews.

Services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m., Thursday, November 20th in the First Christian Church in Blackwell with Rev. Jeff Koch officiating. Burial will follow in the Blackwell Cemetery.

Honorary casketbearers will be Dr. Robert Morgan, Dr. Wayne Ghormley, Connie Mac Hullett, Frank Dyer, Rex Ackerson and the P.E.O Chapter AB. Serving as casketbearers will be Jim Langdon, Bill Rodgers Jr., Joel Dyer, Mike Briggs, Wes Childers and JoDel Shepherd.

Memorial contributions can be made in her honor to the Northern Oklahoma College Foundation in c/o Roberts and Son Funeral Home, 120 W. Padon, Blackwell, Oklahoma 74631.