Anna Bradford
ANNA BRADFORD was born to a cattle farming family in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. In her mid 20's she felt called to do missionary work and in the early 1950's set sail for Nigeria to work for the Sudan United Mission. Whilst there she met and married Swaffham Prior lad Peter Bradford who was also a missionary and they had three children David, Richard and Jane.
In 1971 the family came back to England, living in Lode and Burwell for two years until they bought their home on Cage Hill. Peter taught at the Perse School and Anna taught history at Soham Village college. Peter became pastor of Zion Baptist Chapel in the village in 1979 and Anna was secretary from 1981 until Peter died in October 1992.
Anna was a very able speaker at Women's meetings and took services in the surrounding villages. She also led bible studies at the Chapel and was a member of the Women's Own there. She represented the Chapel on the Village Hall Committee, collated and delivered the Swaffham Crier for a number of years and was a W.I member.
In 2000 she moved to Ash Grove in Burwell and until her eyesight deteriorated, attended Trinity Church in Burwell and when she could, she loved to worship at the Round Church in Cambridge. Anna found it very difficult to cope with life when her health and eyesight caused problems and in December. 2005 moved to Brighton to be near her daughter Jane. While there she had a stroke and had to be moved to a nursing home in Tunbridge Wells.
Before she moved to Burwell, Anna made regular visits to people in the village, especially ladies who like her, were living on their own. She missed this when she moved to Burwell but was very grateful to those who continued to visit and help her in Ash Grove.
Anna died on 17th February and a celebration of her life was held in the Free Church Swaffham Bulbeck on 28th February and the W.I laid on a magnificent spread for her family and friends in our Village Hall afterwards.