Bradford Cemetery of 19W

Spivey Mountain, Unicoi County, Tennessee

Surveyed and documented by Beth Bradford-Pytel

Updated on 10/27/23

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Photo taken July 2015 --bbpytel

 

Bradford Cemetery is located on Bradford Lane off 19W (also called Spivey Mountain Rd.) at the summit of Spivey Mountain in Unicoi Co.  The family cemetery was established in 1962 with the death of Howell Hensley [s/o Silas Hensley and Sarah Hensley].  The property upon which the cemetery resides originally belonged to William A. Hensley and Lucinda Higgins who acquired about 600 acres in 1848 ish after the removal of the Cherokee natives in 1838.  Over time, the land has been dispersed among the descendants of William A. Hensley and Lucinda Higgins [buried Hensley Cem #3] on the other side of 19W].

 

DIRECTIONS:  Take 19W towards Burnsville, NC heading towards the summit of Spivey.  At the summit, passing the Mountain Dale Freewill Baptist Church on the right, make the next right onto Bradford Lane that crosses Spivey Creek. This is a private drive and visitors will need to seek permission from the landowner before proceeding.  LEFT PHOTO: Macro view of Cemetery taken April 2005 --bbpytel

 


SURNAMES:  BRADFORD, HENSLEY, PORTILIA

 

1a.  BRADFORD, Andy Roscoe

b. March 12, 1907 - d. Dec. 20, 1974

[s/o Samuel L. Bradford and Ruhamia Hensley buried Bradford Cem. Little Creek, Yancey Co., NC]

NOTE:  Born in Little Creek, Yancey Co., NC,  worked as a  lumberjack for the CCC cutting timber to clear areas for the Pinnacle and Buffalo Fire Towers; served in the Merchant Marine, tobacco farmer and lineman for Erwin Electric and Power Co. [TVA]  Photo link - brothers Arthur-Lyde-Andy 1964 --photos by bbpytel

 

      OBITUARY   

 

1b.  BRADFORD, Pearl Lee [HENSLEY]

b. July 12. 1913 - d. June 11, 1994

[d/o Howell Hensley #2 and Maggie Ibbie Foster Foster Cem #3; w/o Andy Roscoe Bradford; married May 11, 1935; they had 6 children: Lois Ann, Roy Scott, alive, Edna Muriel, Douglas, Terry Keith]

NOTE:  Photo is a 1931 Unicoi Co. High School senior photo.  In addition to raising 6, she was also a school teacher, farmer/ raised tobacco.  Received teacher's certificate from East Tennessee State Teacher's College [ETSU].

photo -bbpytel

 

      MARRIAGE CERT                 POEM  - "Pearl Bradford"                 OBITUARY    

 

2.  HENSLEY,  Howell

b. Jan. 22, 1875 - d. March 24, 1962

"His Soul in Bliss is Now Above"

[s/o Silas and Sarah "Sally" Hensley buried Hensley Cem #3]; wife Maggie Foster buried Foster Cem #3;

child: Pearl L. Hensley]

NOTE:  He was the first person interred at the family cemetery.  Howell served as Brownlow Postmaster, along with his brothers Allison and Burgess; he was also shoemaker, farmer, and teacher.  His wife, Maggie, died early in life due to peritonitis from a ruptured Appendix.  She is buried next to her parents at the Foster Cemetery #3 located about 1/2 mile across 19W.  Howell never remarried and spent much time educating and fathering his only child Pearl.  He highly valued education and became a teacher for a period of time in the early 1900's for the Mountain Dale School of Spivey.  Photo of Howell taken about 1905.

 

      MARRIAGE CERT                WWI REGISTRATION               OBITUARY   

 

3.  BRADFORD, Lois Ann

b. July 10, 1936 - d. February 12, 2018

[s/o Andy R. Bradford and Pearl Lee Hensley]

NOTE: Married 1st to Hilliard Tipton (1934-1999) no children; 2nd Vernon Britingham- no children. She lost her courageous battle with Alzheimer's.

    OBITUARY   

 

3.  BRADFORD, Douglas

b. September 26, 1941 - d. May 24, 2009

[s/o Andy R. Bradford and Pearl Lee Hensley]

NOTE: He lost his courageous battle with multiple myeloma.  Doug was born in a farm house built around 1900 and raised on Spivey Mountain. He graduated from Unicoi County HS in 1959 and was a member of the Future Farmers of America and played varsity basketball.  In 1959, he moved to Maryland to live with his uncle Conway McCourry (from Bee Log) who was a D.C. police officer seeking work.  To no avail, he moved back to Spivey  to cut timber and provide for his family.  At 21, he left for Maryland again in search of an opportunity.  He briefly was in sales for the Government Employees Mart (G.E.M) which took him to Elizabeth, NJ.  He then worked for Hahn's Shoes which transferred him back to the DC area.  In 1969, he joined the US Secret Service Uniformed Division serving 20 years at the White House, to include the Foreign Missions Detail at the Egyptian Embassy during Anwar Sadat.  He also provided Executive Protection for Queen Elizabeth's arrival in NYC in 1976; protection at the Reagan Ranch in California and protection at the George H. W. Bush estate in Kennebunkport, ME.  My father served an esteemed career under the following presidents: Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and George H. W. Bush.  After retirement, he moved back to Tennessee to be close to his beloved aging mother Pearl, and his siblings.

    OBITUARY   

 

5.  PORTILIA, Edna Muriel BRADFORD

b.  June 26, 1940 - d. May 17, 2020

[d/o Andy R. Bradford and Pearl Lee Hensley]

NOTE:  Worked in the Retail sector for 30 years; manager of K-Mart for several years.

 

4.  BRADFORD, Woodroe

b. May 3, 1912 - d. November 1973

Tech 5, US Army WW II

[brother of Andy #1; s/o Samuel Bradford and Ruhamia Hensley buried Bradford Cem. Little Creek]

NOTE:  Woodrow enrolled in the 2nd Army on February 20, 1941, serving as Private and trained at Fort Bragg, NC.  His service record upon enlistment shows that he was single, no dependents, two years of High School and 72 inches tall / 170 lbs.  He served for 4 years and received an "Honorable Discharge" on September 17, 1945.  After the War, he moved to the Detroit area, along with several other Bee Log/Spivey relatives, to work in the auto factory.  He never married and had no children.  Family said he was sort of a recluse and lived alone.  Sadly, in 1973 he was found dead in his home in Algonac, St. Clair Co., Michigan and the cause of death was alcohol abuse.  His brothers went to Detroit to gather his things and his body and bring back to Spivey Mountain to rest next to his grandfather, Howell Hensley, who was the first to be interred.  PHOTO: tombstone taken 2003 --bbpytel; Military photo courtesy of Kim Barlow Sexton.

    WWII REGISTRATION   

 

5.  BRADFORD, Terry Keith

b.  June 13, 1952 - d. January 5, 2012

[s/o Andy R. Bradford and Pearl Lee Hensley]

NOTE: For 32 years he served as a vocational and history teacher for the Unicoi County School system.  He was a 32nd Degree Mason and a member of Masonic Lodge 461 F&AM;  he served in US Army Reserves and was a long time member of Mountain Dale Freewill Baptist Church of Spivey where he served as deacon and taught the men's Sunday School Class.

    OBITUARY   

 

5.  BRADFORD, Nolan Shaun

b. December 26, 1979 - d.  May 17, 1992

"Forever in Our Hearts"

[s/o Terry K. Bradford and private]

 

Photo triptych: "Bradford Farm" by Kevin Hinsdill,  May 2009

 

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Updated on 10/27/23