Stories by Morris's Children

As Written By Jerry Bradley - Son of Morris and Phyllis Bradley.

I was one of four brothers growing up on a dairy farm, first in Racine, Wisconsin and later in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.  I was born in 1946, the second of four boys.  I loved everything about growing up on a farm, except milking cows.  Milking was not bad work, just relentless.  Twice a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the cows controlled our lives.  As my dad would frequently point out to me, they also supported our lives.  So I tolerated the milking and liked the other chores and field work. We were a close knit family with a primary focus on getting the farm work done.  Dad loved dairy farming, and love it or not, the Bradley boys did their part.  By age 10 I became a sports nut.  I never missed an opportunity to play baseball, football, or basketball.  I followed Braves’ games, Packers’ games, and Badgers’ games on the radio and later TV. 

For me, high school, Fort Atkinson, and college, Whitewater, was centered on sports, while recognizing the need to attend classes.  I played football and baseball.  At Whitewater, I met Lynda Zimmerman, from the Chicago area and we were married in 1969. Over the next 13 years we were blessed with Paul, Deanna, and Pamela.  While raising our children, Lynda and I began a corporate journey through Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Dallas, Houston, and Dallas.

With my first job I entered the field of labor relations.  A farm boy negotiating over two hundred labor agreements, quiet a transition.  My first job was at an AT&T plant in Chicago with over 25,000 employees.  That was over half the population of Jefferson County.  I spent 40 years working in labor relations and human resources.  I enjoyed going to work every day.  (It was inside work, with no heavy lifting)  When I told my Dad that I was going to work for AT&T in Chicago, he made a statement I’ll never forget, “Never be intimidated, unless you meet another farm boy, no one will be able to out-work you.”  I did meet some farm boys in my career, and Dad was right, no one could match the work ethic and persistence that a farm background engenders.  My career passed through AT&T, Wilson Sporting Goods, Occidental Petroleum, and Pioneer Companies, a Houston based chemical company.

Paul became a plumber, and Deanna and Pam became teachers.  Deanna and Pam have blessed Lynda and me with five wonderful grandchildren.  We retired to the Dallas area several years ago and live a mile from Deanna, her husband Michael, and their three children.  Pam, and her husband Danny, live in Indianapolis with their two children.  Grandfathering has become my primary occupation.  I love this work also.  I do wish our grandchildren could have some of the wonderful experiences I had growing up on the farm.

Paul never married and regrettably passed away on February 1, 2017.  Life is always mixed with joy and sorrow.  Mom and Dad always taught us to take both with a measured balance.