Florence Veronica Bradley

Florence Veronica Bradley (Tourdot), age 86, passed away November 23, 2021, surrounded by her loving family.  She was born on November 10, 1935, to August James Tourdot and Florence Veronica (Kaldenberg) Tourdot, in Ironton, WI.  On October 13, 1956, she married Wallace Bradley Jr, in Reedsburg, WI.

Florence was one of twelve children, growing up on a dairy farm outside of Reedsburg.  After graduating high school, she attended UW Madison, where she nannied for a prominent doctor and his wife, in order to pay for room and board.  She then attended Sauk Country Normal School, earning her teaching degree. She taught for a number of years, in times when grades 1st through 8th all shared the same classroom.   

Florence met her only love, Wallace, at a dance at Dreamland in Wonewoc, WI.  They dated throughout her college years and then married.  She eventually quit teaching to help run the family farm and care for the five children she and Wallace had. Once all five kids were either in school or graduated, Florence went to work at Viking Village Foods in Reedsburg.  She spent over 30 years there, holding many roles and gaining lifelong friends and devoted customers.  She was an extremely dedicated employee and truly enjoyed the retirement party her co-workers threw for her. 

Although being a hard worker was a defining quality of hers, Florence will most be remembered for her kindness, strength and love for her family.  Her ability to whip up wonderful meals (except tuna gravy) was appreciated by all.  She made incredible homemade fudge and chocolate covered peanuts at Christmastime, and her canned pickles, homemade bread and homemade pies were often first to sell out at the many church sales she always donated to and volunteered at.  Her love of reading, her excitement to call her sisters and sisters-in-law when the Jung’s Seed catalog came out each year, the annual apple orchard trips, card tournaments, fishing expeditions with her family in Cazenovia, and family gatherings at the Tourdot home farm were all favorites of hers and left her family with endless memories.

Florence didn’t like to sing, but would break out into “I love you, a bushel and a peck” while gardening, and could often be convinced to do a “Silver Bells” duet, any time of the year.  She loved her children to pieces but also had a high pain tolerance.  That meant her children knew that going to her with a cut or scrape would result in rubbing alcohol being poured onto the issue, thus they chose their complaints and tears carefully.  She was an avid sports fan, never missing a Packer, Badger, or Brewer game if possible, and had a passion for Notre Dame football.  She especially loved watching Badger volleyball in her later years.  She was proud to watch her kids and grandkids play sports and listened to radio coverage if they played during milking.  She was very proud of her garden and flowerbeds and taught her kids and grandkids how to make jam, and to freeze and can the fruits of her hard labor.  She was a Trivial Pursuit shark, and playing cards was a passion.  She loved “trumping” and would slam her trump card down and laugh.  She also developed somewhat of a rubber neck if you were foolish enough not to hold your cards close. 

She will forever be Wallace’s dance partner, as they spent so many years dancing together and eventually watching musical programs on TV, once she was no longer able to dance.  To her kids, she will be their “Google” before there was such a thing, because if one had a question, she surely had the answer or way to find it.  To her grandkids and great grandkids, she will forever be “Grandma Cow”, a reference to which grandma’s house they were going to.  To her siblings, simply and very recently put, she was “the best sister you could ever have”. 

Florence was a devout Catholic and prayed the rosary often.  She fought a long battle, assisted by the angels who work at Reedsburg Senior Life Center.  The family cannot thank them enough for making her home away from home as pleasant as possible, and for being so kind to the family during the past few years.

The family hopes all who knew her find comfort in the memories they have of her.  For those who did not know her, the family hopes you will meet her in Heaven one day and fully understand the family’s loss and Heaven’s gain. 

Florence was preceded in death by her parents August and Florence (Kaldenburg), her father-in-law Wallace Bradley, Sr., her mother-in-law Harriet (Stittleburg) and Phil Grosskrueger, her siblings and in-laws George and Virginia Tourdot, Mary and Don Gallagher, Helen and Francis Kaul, Charles and Mary Tourdot, Edward Tourdot, Anna Wegner, Jeanette and Harvey Stieve, Joe Tourdot, Andrew Schyvinch, and Sharon Schaper.

Her survivors include her husband Wallace Bradley, Jr., her children Kenneth (Donna) Bradley, Reedsburg, John Bradley (Sandy Sellers), Tucson AZ, Randy (Peggy) Bradley, LaValle, Corinne (Jamie) Busser, Rock Springs, Rita (Jay) Hintz, Mosinee, her grandchildren Ryan Bradley, Melissa (Tim) Brandt, David Bradley, Daniel (Ashley) Bradley, Brandon (Mandie) Busser, Justin (Sharesea) Busser, Brian (Amanda) Busser, Jordyn (Sean) Baumann, Brooke Hintz, great grandchildren Dawson, Katria, Drew and Victoria Brandt, Gage and Cabela Bradley, Jaylee and Charlee Busser, Noelle, Aurora and Zalea Busser, Olivia and Lyla Busser, Avery Baumann, siblings and in-laws Ruth Lawinger, Evelyn (Ed) Bulin, Robert (Donna) Tourdot, Johnnie Wegner, Pat Tourdot, Mary Lou Tourdot, LaVonne Schyvinch, Bernard Schaper, Jackie (Jim) Peterson, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. 

The Mass of Christian Burial for Florence will be conducted at 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at Holy Angels Catholic Church in LaValle with Father Sanctus Ibe officiating. Visitation will be on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 from 4:00-7:00 P.M. at the Farber Funeral Home in Reedsburg, and on Wednesday from 10:00 A.M. until the time of the service at the church. Burial will be made in Calvary Cemetery in Ironton.

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