Thora "Posey" Black Bradford died Tuesday, July 30, 1996, at the age of 92.

Funeral services will begin at noon, Saturday, August 3, in the Blanding South LDS Chapel in Blanding, Utah.

Preceding the funeral, viewings will be held Friday, August 2, 7-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10-11 a.m. at the San Juan Mortuary.

Interment will be in the Blanding City Cemetery.

Thora was born June 25, 1904, in Pacheco, Chihuahua, Mexico, to David Patten and Theda Kartchner Black.

Her family left Mexico during the Mexican Revolution, when she was 8 years of age.

They settled in Blanding (Grayson), Utah in 1915.

Thora attended school in Blanding until 8th grade, then went to Provo to finish high school.

While there, she dated a young man she had met in Blanding, Sylvester Bradford.

They were married December 11, 1923; the marriage being sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.

To this union were born six children: Bobby Blain, Tex Kline, Sylvester Kay, Cleal Zemira, Theda, and Betty Ann.

At the age of two; Theda died the same night Betty Ann was born.

Thora and her husband, Vet, were called by the San Juan Stake President to work on the water tunnel destined to bring much needed water to the growing community of Blanding.

With the help of their sons, they sacrificed five years of hard labor towards this end, finally realizing their goal in December of 1951.

The following year they were called on a stake mission to Bluff, Utah; then in 1956, a proselyting mission to Washington state and Alaska.

They were called as temple workers in the Manti Temple, and filled two consecutive three year missions.

They left Manti in 1972 to be supervisors in the newly dedicated Provo Temple.

They completed that mission in 1973, but were called again to the Manti Temple, where Vet served as 2nd counselor in the temple presidency for five years.

They then returned to their home in Blanding, where Vet's failing health required Thora's constant care.

He passed away in 1982.

Thora spent winters in Mesa, Arizona and St. George, Utah, so she could do temple work.

She then moved to Midvale, by her oldest son, so that she could do temple sessions in the Jordan River Temple.

She was a faithful temple patron.

As her health declined, she returned to Blanding to live full time.

She has been a resident of the Four Corners Care Center since 1992.

Thora was known for her lifelong desire to serve others in whatever capacity was needed.

Over the years, she fed many visitors, both physically and spiritually.

She loved her family and took pride in their accomplishments, especially the musical abilities of her grandchildren.

Her acquaintances' reputations were sacred to her and she never spoke unkindly of others.

In her last years she enjoyed the visits of her family, and it was a special treat for the "grandkiddies" to go and see Grandma Posey.

Thora is preceded in death by her husband, Sylvester; a daughter, Theda; a son, Tex; two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her children, B. Blain Bradford of Midvale, Utah; S. Kay Bradford, Cleal Z. Bradford, and Betty Ann Hawkins, all of Blanding; a brother, O. Frost Black; sisters, Geneva Steele and Dottie Laws; a half sister, Clella Jividen; 30 grandchildren; 124 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren.

Published in the Deseret News on 08/02/1996