Lois (Chaney) Bradshaw

Lois Bradshaw passed away on Wednesday, May 19th at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Dreama and David, in Harper’s Ferry, WV. She was 81. Mrs. Bradshaw was born on April 4, 1940 in Lincoln County, WV and married Harrison “June” Bradshaw, Jr. in 1956. They eventually moved to Petersburg, WV where they raised their seven children.

Mrs. Bradshaw was a devoted mother and wife whose passion for family was widely known and occasionally publicly celebrated by the community. She won a local “Mother of the Year” award, where it was declared that she presided over a household large enough to field a baseball team with love and efficiency. It was also noted that on top of the responsibilities of her own home she made time to organize and run the local Girl Scout troop, acting not just as a mentor for her own children but also mentoring Petersburg’s young girls. She maintained these frequent feats of motherhood well into her 70’s, simultaneously providing primary care for her husband at the end of his life while still attending the seminal events of her thirteen great-grandchildren at the beginning of theirs. While it may be easy to imagine her as a fairytale figure, Mrs. Bradshaw was not—and did not care to be—a picturesque American housewife. She joined her husband on countless outdoor adventures, including fishing excursions, long hikes in the mountains, and extended camping trips. Her devotion to her children and grandchildren was great, but her competitive ambition at various games (most infamously Monopoly) left many adults, children, and toddlers as sullen losers… which she seemed to relish. She had a curiously wry sense of humor which colored her personality, exemplified by a frequent statement she gave concerning her children: “Well there’s the four boys, the two girls, and Wendell.”

Mrs. Bradshaw worked as a caregiver and nurse’s aide at Grant Rehabilitation and Care Center. As a businesswoman, she owned Bradshaw’s Wedding Boutique in Petersburg. She was a member of the Grove Street United Methodist Church in Petersburg,and considered faith to be essential to her character.

Mrs. Bradshaw will be interred at the South Branch Valley Memorial Gardens in Petersburg, WV, next to her husband.

Those who wish to remember Lois in a special way, may make contributions to Hospice of the Panhandle, 330 Hospice Lane, Kearneysville, WV, the Arthritis Foundation, St. Judes Children’s Hospital, or the Alzheimer’s Association.

Mrs. Bradshaw was preceded in death by her parents Elmer Chaney and Ethel (Clay) Chaney; husband Harrison Bradshaw, Jr; one son, Harrison Lee Bradshaw III; three sisters, infant Cleta May Chaney, Cyndna Chaney and Opal Chaney Reynolds; two brothers, infant Elmer Lee Chaney and Paul Chaney, and daughters-in-law Patricia Bradshaw and Brenda Bradshaw.

She is survived by four sons, George Bradshaw, Eugene (Debbie) Bradshaw, Timothy Bradshaw, and Wendell (Ellen) Bradshaw; two daughters, Dreama (David) Karnes-Bynane, and Angela K. Bradshaw; eleven grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren; two sisters, Mary Lou Stephenson and Alice Sue ( L.E. “Smokey”) Templeton; three brothers, Roger Quentin Chaney, Norris Chaney, and Willis Chaney, as well as several nieces and nephews. Mrs. Bradshaw is missed by everyone who knew her. Funeral service will be Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 1:00 PM in the chapel of the Schaeffer Funeral Home in Petersburg, WV with the Rev. Ann W. Harrison officiating. Family will receive friends from 11:00 AM till time of service at 1 PM

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