James Darrell Bradshaw, 84, of Indianola, passed away Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at South Sunflower County Hospital in Indianola due to injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.
Mr. Bradshaw was born in Reyno, Ark. on January 10, 1933 to James Asa Bradshaw and Mona Marie McGuire Bradshaw. On March 12, 1952, he married the love of his life, Willodean Dowdy, affectionately known as “Deanie”. He began farming at the age of 18 while still in Arkansas. Mr. Bradshaw was a Christian, baptized into Christ at Greenway, Ark. in 1959. In 1962, he and his beloved “Deanie” moved to Indianola and began to raise their children. Mr. Bradshaw owned and operated Bradshaw Planting Company. During his 66-year farming career, he grew row crops, planted over 32 million trees, and built the first cotton stripper. James was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He taught all his grandchildren and great grandchildren how to drive by letting them sit in his lap and drive home from church on Sundays. Mr. Bradshaw was an avid bass fisherman and enjoyed traveling to New Mexico on hunting trips to hunt elk and bear.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Jimmy Bradshaw.
James leaves to cherish his memory his wife of 65 years, Willodean “Deanie” Dowdy Bradshaw; two sons, Darrell Bradshaw of Indianola and Jamie Bradshaw and his wife Karri of Sunflower; one sister, June Ubel and her husband Jack of Eads, Tenn.; nine grandchildren, Tamara Billingsley and her husband Brian, Dee Bradshaw and his wife Paige, Seth Bradshaw, Lauren Austin, Caleb Bradshaw and his wife Terra, Patton Bradshaw, Hunter Bradshaw and his wife Ali, Sarah Chapman Bradshaw, and Allen Dowdy Bradshaw; and seven great-grandchildren, Tristen Bradshaw, Presley Bradshaw, Peyton Bradshaw, Conner Austin, Emerson Austin, Owen Bradshaw and Paxton Bradshaw.
The family will receive friends today from 2 p.m. until the 3 p.m. funeral service at Indianola Church of Christ. Burial will follow in Indianola City Cemetery. Burton Funeral Home of Indianola is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Indianola Church of Christ, PO Box 521, Indianola, MS 38751; Magnolia Messenger, PO Box 1578, Kosciusko, MS 39090; and Children’s Home, Inc., 5515 Walcott Rd., Paragould, AR 72450.
Online condolences may be shared with the family by visiting www.burtonfuneralhome.net
