My Grandma

Onda Miller Bradshaw

My grandma was one of the most amazing people I have ever known. She seriously would do anything for anyone at anytime. She wouldn't think twice about going out of her way to help someone. I just wanted to write down some of my favorite memories with her and examples of how she was so amazing.

1. When I was younger, grandma would come over to our house almost every day. When mom worked late she brought Arby's for dinner and almost always cleaned our microwave or trimmed the bushes. Not that the microwave was so dirty she couldn't stand it or that the bushes looked horrible, but that was just her way of helping out a little bit.

2. Grandma always had the best cereal- Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, & Cookie Crisp were the ones I remember the most and ones we weren't allowed to have at our house. We loved sleeping over at grandma's house, because she was fun and would play with us, but also for the cereal in the morning. When my cousins were there she told us that whoever went to sleep first would get a quarter, but in the morning she said she didn't know who was first, so we all got quarters.

3. Grandma always played with us instead of just sending us down to the basement to play by ourselves. She had the best dolls because they were life size and a fun kitchen play area, plus lots of board games and a pool table. She always let us win.

4. She was an amazing cook. My favorites are Spaghetti soup, rolls, pot roast, & ice cream pie.

5. When I went away to college she would often send me a box of soup, candy, cherry chip cookies from the bakery down the street, and $20. It was her way of making sure I was eating good. It always came as a surprise to me and something I will never forget.

6. In high school before I had a car and could drive, I hated walking home. Grandma live just down the road from the school, so I would call her and ask if she could pick me up and take me home (more often than I should have). She was always willing and sometimes even took me to Dairy Queen on the way home.

7. This is something that I always thought was funny. She would buy the JCPenney catalogues that were $5 or $10. My mom always loved JCPenney, so she would look at it for a while to see if she wanted to buy anything (because there isn't a JCPenney in Cedar City). A few times I remember Grandma coming over to "borrow" her own JCPenney catalogues. I remember she really said "can I borrow my magazine?" So she did borrow it, then brought it back.

8. She would wash the sister missionaries clothes for them and they came back to a basket full of clean & folded laundry.

9. Always had good treats at her house. Tons of ice cream and ice cream bars. She often bought French Silk Pie ice cream just for me because it was my favorite. The gum cabinet was above the oven, and there were tons of different kinds in there. We loved having a piece of gum when we were there. Oreos were always stocked in the cookie jar too.

10. Just a few weeks before my grandma died, John and I told her we were having a baby. We probably shouldn't have told her when she had food in her mouth because she almost choked she was so excited. It makes me tear up right now knowing that she won't get to meet our baby on earth, but I know for sure she is watching over him or her in heaven right now.

11. She never said anything bad about anybody. She was always so positive and happy and full of energy. She truly loved my grandpa and I loved seeing them hold hands. I always found it cute when she got her napkin and cleaned up a spill from my grandpa's chin or shirt.

12. Grandma rarely sat down to eat when we had family dinners. She was always up getting something and making sure everybody was taken care of, even when we tried to tell her to sit down.

13. My mom tells me that my Grandma was the unofficial compassionate service leader in her ward. They have a storage room in the basement that is full of cake mixes because she was always prepared. Even the week before my grandma died, a close friend of theirs died and she really wanted to get downstairs so she could make a cake for the funeral, even though she could barely walk herself.

This is only the beginning of the list, so I will have to keep adding more as I think of more. Grandma is already truly missed.

The obituary:

Onda Miller Bradshaw died peacefully in her home on her 84th birthday, May 2, 2010 with her loving husband at her side.

She was born May 2, 1926 to Clarence and Selena Miller in Cedar City and lived there all her life. She graduated from high school in 1944. She studied two years at BAC, went to Logan and graduated from Utah State University in 1948, majoring in Food and Nutrition. After a one year internship in Oakland, California, she graduated as a Registered Dietitian. she married Robert Bradshaw (the boy next door) on June 15, 1950 in the St. George Temple. They are the parents of four children.

Onda played the piano and violin and enjoyed playing in string ensembles in her younger years. She loved music and loved going to many cultural events.

She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She served in many church callings; several years as Relief Society secretary. She and her husband Robert spent countless hours doing genealogy data entry.

Onda was a loving, devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. Her family was everything to her; they were her greatest treasures. She loved being with her family. She was an example to all who knew her with Christlike attributes of kindness, compassion and charity. She was a very loving person, gentle, resourceful and genuinely caring. She was always thinking of others and their needs. Everyone around her was inspired by her generosity to all people.

Onda loved flowers and her backyard flower garden was beautiful, winning a Cedar City Beautification award. She was an excellent cook and was always taking something to others in their time of need. She did many sewing projects and quilts for her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Grandma's house was a favorite spot to visit. She had lots of toys, favorite cereals and treats and everything she knew her grandchildren loved.

Onda is survived by her husband, Robert, daughters: Terri Winslow of Cedar City, Anita Munson of St. George, Karen (Russell) Goodrich of Price, son Mark (Stacy) Bradshaw of Cedar city and sister, Lorraine (Bob) Warren. They have 16 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren with two more on the way and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 11:00 AM at the Cedar 2nd/8th Ward chapel. Viewings will be held Friday, May 7, 2010 from 6-7:30 PM at the Southern Utah Mortuary and on Saturday from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at the chapel prior to funeral services. Internment will be held at the Cedar City Cemetary.