James Wayne Bradley June 16, 1935 ~ March 11, 2023 (age 87)

Funeral services for James Bradley, 87, of Portales will be at 10:00 AM, Wed., Mar. 15, 2023 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Gerald Owens officiating.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with John Bradley, Justin Bradley, Clint Hopper, Justin Wetzel, Paul Tyler and Isaiah Keller serving as pallbearers.

James Wayne Bradley was born June 16, 1935 in Portales, NM to the home of Mayme Dean (Bousman) and John M. Bradley, Jr.  He passed away early on the morning of Mar. 11, 2023 in Portales.  James lived in Portales and Roosevelt County for all but five years of his life, graduating from Portales High School in 1953.  He married his High School sweetheart, Theressa Owens, on Nov. 27, 1953 in Portales.

After graduation, he worked on a seismograph crew on a drilling rig, hunting for oil and uranium for five years, living in towns from Sweetwater, TX to Riverton, WY.  He and Theressa moved back to Portales in 1958, and ran a Conoco Service station and a trucking business before moving to a farm in the Bethel community in 1963.  They lived there until 1986, when they returned to Portales, and he ran a trucking and combining business until his retirement in Jan. of 2000.

James was a very devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and was affectionately known as “Papa George” and “Papa Poo Bear.”  He enjoyed camping and hunting and especially enjoyed the annual camp outs with his family.  He loved to cook briskets, turkey and pork on his smoker, and enjoyed sharing with his family and friends.  2001 was a special year for him, having killed a trophy 38” Bull Oryx and a 15 ¾ “ Antelope.  James attended church at the First United Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his daughter, Trina Lavon Bradley who died on Mar. 27, 2020.

He is survived by Theressa, his wife of more than 69 years of their home; a son and daughter-in-law, Jamey and Debbie Bradley of Clovis; a daughter and son-in-law, Cyrena and Jim McGee of Ruidoso; two grandsons, John Bradley and his wife, Mindi of Melrose, NM, and Justin Bradley and wife, Kelly of Clovis; three granddaughters, Danilee Smith and husband, Tommy of Chilton, TX, Desiree Wetzel and husband, Justin of Montrose, CO and Kecia Hopper and husband, Clint of Roswell; seventeen great-grandchildren, Trenton, Cutter, Iselee and Treson Smith, Caden and Addison Wetzel, Jaylee, Kinlee, Kwade, Sophia, John Wayne, Chelsea and Zakk Bradley, Kason, Cassidy and Chesnea Hopper, Rose Huerta; and a great-great-granddaughter, Alanah Jean Huerta; a sister, Carolyn and Ron Tyler of Camarillo, CA.

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