Carolyn Gates Bradley was born April 14, 1924, in Callao, Missouri. Her parents were, Carl and Rowena Gates, and her father was manager of the MFA Stockyards in Springfield for 31 years. On May 28, 1948, she was united in marriage with Forrest Wayne Bradley, who was a teacher in Springfield for 19 years and retired in 1994, after 27 years as Director of Communications for Mid-America Dairymen Inc., which at that time already was the largest dairy cooperative in the United States. Forrest and Carolyn had one son, John Gates Bradley, who is a free-lance writer. Carolyn graduated from Greenwood Laboratory High School in 1941. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education at Southwest Missouri State University, graduating in 1944. She also studied education courses on the graduate level with the University of Missouri-Columbia, and the University of Northern Colorado. While in college, Carolyn was President of her college sorority, Theta Nu Theta, which is now Sigma Kappa. At SMS, she was a member of the All Club Council and served as fashion columnist for the college newspaper, the Southwest Standard. Mrs. Bradley taught elementary classes at Pepperdine for six years and at Delaware for 12 years. She left the school system in 1963, when her son, John, was born. Carolyn Bradley was quite active in numerous patriotic and cultural organizations. These include the Missouri State Society, Daughters of the America Revolution, Rachel Donelson Chapter, in Springfield, which is the largest chapter in Missouri. She served as Regent of Rachel Donelson Chapter; as State Chairman of Insignia Committee, the College of the Ozarks Committee and the National Defense Committee. She was Co-Chairman of MSSDAR State Conference in 1985, held in Springfield. Mrs. Bradley was Southwest District Director of the Missouri State Society, DAR; State Chairman of the DAR Scholarship Committee; Parliamentarian, Rachel Donelson Chapter, NSDAR, and as MSSDAR Awards Chairman. She also served as Chairman of the MSSDAR DAR School Committee. Mrs. Bradley also was active in the P.E.O. Sisterhood, serving as President of Chapter KT in Springfield; President of the P.E.O. Reciprocity Board, which has two representatives from each of the 12 Springfield P.E.O. Chapters; as Vice President of P.E.O. Hostess Group VII; as treasurer of Springfield P.E.O. Reciprocity Board and as Secretary of Reciprocity. Active in the General Federation of Women's Clubs of Missouri, she served as President of GFWC Springfield Ladies' Saturday Club, which was organized in 1879 by Drury College wives and faculty members, and which is the oldest federated women's club west of the Mississippi River. In GFWC, Mrs. Bradley also served as President for the GFWC Springfield City Federation of Women's Club and as Chairman of GFWC's Fine Arts Department and Book Department. She was parliamentarian of the Sixth District, GFWC, and of the Springfield Ladies' Saturday Club. Working with the Southwest Missouri Museum Associates of the Springfield Art Museum, Mrs. Bradley was President of the Antique Arts Group, SMMA, and was a member of Eclectics Art Group, SMMA. She served as a member of the Friends of the Library, Springfield-Greene County Library District and served on that board for six years. She also was a member of the Early Risers Garden Club. She is a member of First and Calvary Presbyterian Church. She also took an active interest in genealogical research; reading; collecting antique china, crystal and silver; needlepoint and gardening. Funeral services will be Friday, February 27, 2015 at 10:00 am in Gorman-Scharpf Brentwood Chapel with Dr. Andrew Chaney, officiating. Burial will follow in Hazelwood Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday from 9 am until service time in the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to Boys and Girls Town of Missouri, 1212 W. Lombard Street, Springfield, Missouri 65806 or Friends of the Library, P.O. Box 760, Springfield, Missouri 65801-0760.