February 8, 1863 - September 25, 1935 (72)

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Cora Bradley was a mother, wife and locally renowned social hostess

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Mrs. Bradley’s father, D.P. Stubbs was a prominent Iowa lawyer, politician and horse breeder from Fairfield, Iowa.

Cora married D.C. Bradley on December 9, 1885. Her obituary hints at the strategic value of the match - noting, “…their union uniting two families which each in its own sphere was outstanding and a leader in affairs.”

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Cora was listed as a Director of the First National Bank and Treasurer of the Centerville, Albia and Southern Railyard’s Board of Directors. However it is not known exactly how active a role she took in her husband’s businesses.

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It is however known that Cora was active in organizing important social activities at the Bradley home. Her events were famous locally for their sumptuous decor and fresh-cut flowers from the Bradley home’s own greenhouse. Her obituary stressed that, “Being a lover of flowers she lived in their environment and shared them generously and gladly with others.”

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However Cora’s events did not slouch from tackling loftier subjects. On January 20th, 1913 Cora hosted an event for the P.E.O., a women’s club in the Bradley home’s third-floor ballroom. The event featured a humorous skit promoting the benefits of women obtaining the right to vote. And in 1934, Cora hosted an event featuring Ola Babcock Miller, Iowa’s first female Secretary of State and founder of the Iowa State Patrol, as the keynote speaker.