Helene Jones Bradley--Volunteer Spotlight

PETEETNEET VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

                                                     HELENE JONES BRADLEY

            This week the Peteetneet Museum would like to spotlight one of our long-time volunteers, Helene Jones Bradley.  Helene is one of the delightful tour guides who will greet you when you visit the museum.

            She was born in Deseret, Utah on July 30, 1927.  She will soon be celebrating her 88^th birthday.  When meeting with Helene, you would probably guess that she was only in her 60s.  She is a very young 88.  She is the daughter of Samuel Ellicock and Alice Laural Moody Blake.  She later moved to Hinckley while she was in the first grade.

            As children, she said, they would build bonfires and roast corn, potatoes and hot dogs.  She said there was something about cooking them over the open fire that always made them taste so good.  Marshmallow were always a special treat.

            Helene always loved playing the usual childhood games of the period. “ Hide and Seek,” “Kick the Can,” “Marbles,” and “Annie I Over” were some of her favorites   She was an expert and winning marbles from many of the boys.

            Since they only took baths on Saturday night, they would be really clean for Sunday.  It was great until her brother, Neil, was born when she was eight and then when he was old enough he got the first tub of water.  However, so was lucky because she always got a tea kettle of hot water added to her bath.

            Helene was a regular tom boy.  She loved to climb trees and was always trying to prove to her boy cousins that girls could climb higher than boys.  She loved to do boy things as well as girl things while she was growing up.

            Her family would go to the Sand Dunes for Easter each year.  The would go to the mountains for wood, pine nuts or a Christmas tree.  Each event always seemed to be her favorite time of the year.

            She used to go to her Grandma Blakes to play the piano and the Victrola.   She learned how to do 27 imitations that she did in the Hinckley and Deseret schools.  She even stopped a basketball game one time with her imitation of a whistle.

            She begged her dad to let her play his trumpet in a beginner’s band and two months later she became a member of the high school band.  She was also in involved in drama in school.  In one three-act murder mystery, she had to scream 13 times in the first act.

            She moved to Covina, California which at that time consisted of large orange groves.  She joined the band and was solo 1^st chair and was always being challenged by the boys in the section.  She also played in a dance orchestra.  She won medals at USC fir trumpet competitions

            She was always called out of school to play “Taps” for military funerals.  As a senior, she was in a three-act play.  She was always asked to play in all the parades and one year was the Queen of the local Gold and Green Ball.

            She met her husband when she was home for Christmas from BYU.  Their first date was on New Years Eve where they attended a dance.  On the stroke of midnight, her date swept her off her feet and planted a kiss.  They corresponded for two years while he was in Japan for the occupation after World War II.  Their love story was quite unique.  They were engaged on March 19, 1947 and married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 20, 1947 by Apostle Spencer W. Kimball.  They honeymooned in Paris (Paris, Idaho that is).  They were headed to Yellowstone but their car broke down.

            Thirteen years later, they had five children.  The ended up adding one more later for a total of three boys and three girls.  This followed with 20 grandchildren and a larger number of great grandchildren.

            Helene has held every position in MIA at the ward level and also served 18 years on the Stake MIA Board.  She has also been in the Primary presidency, been a Blazer leader, ward Relief Society as well as serving in the Spanish Branch in her LDS Stake.  In addition she served in a school PTA presidency.  She taught Seminary in two different wards and was over employment for the stake for five years.

            Helene and her husband moved to Payson in 1992 and moved into their new home.  She has been active in the Daughters of Pioneers since 1985.  She has been involved with the Cultus Club and has played trumpet with the Payson City Band.

            She and her husband loved camping, hunting and especially fishing He had a stroke in 1995.  He had a massive stroke August 25, 2001 on his 80^th birthday and passed away as a result.

            She married Hugh Bradley in February 2008.  They love to travel as much as they can.  She has served as a Tour Guide for a number of years at the Peteetneet.  She has enjoyed meeting people from all over the world while here.  Some of the visitors have commented that the Peteetneet is one of the finest museums they have ever seen.

            Come visit the Peteetneet and meet this lovely lady with the twinkle in her eye.  She loves to share the exhibits with everyone.