Burley man loved seeing success in all

BURLEY — Truman Bradley, a man who spent most of his life helping others succeed, died Nov. 20. (2006)

He was 84.

While serving in the Air Force, where he flew B-17s and B-24s and trained pilots, he married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth Daven.

After settling in Burley, Truman succeeded in insurance and real estate sales, always upholding the principle of serving customers well. He also was a founding member of Land Title & Escrow, a business he took great pride in.

“His biggest thing was customer service,” said his son, Dave Bradley. “He absolutely loved that town and the people in it.”

The betterment of Burley was something Truman took to heart. He served on a variety of boards and organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, Burley Development Corporation and the Idaho Real Estate Commission. He was also a dedicated member of the Burley Lion’s Club.

“He was very active in turning out projects and was always looking for new projects and then participated in those as well,” said fellow member Kent Fletcher. “He was an all-around great guy and great community supporter.”

Dave said Truman always wanted the best for everybody and one way he saw to help others was to have growth in the community.

“He worked fearlessly on trying to get more businesses in Burley that would create more jobs,” Dave said. “He thought a thriving community would benefit everybody.”

Truman was there when people needed him and that went a long way with his customers, acquaintances and friends.

“If he saw a need, he addressed it,” Fletcher said. “I think that’s one of the reasons he was so involved in the City Council and community in general, because he was good at identifying what the community needed.”

Truman’s “happy-go-lucky” personality and pleasant demeanor also made him an easy person to get along with.

“I think that his demeanor and his desire to be of service was not only to his clients and his customers but to mankind in general,” said friend Newel A. Nelson.

Aside from a good sense of humor and being definite in his opinions, neighbor and friend Jeanie Snow said Truman loved being with people and was kind of a caretaker for the neighborhood.

Truman and his wife were what neighbors should be, she said.

He also was always interested in new construction in the community.

“He loved going out and riding around the countryside, checking out new developments and seeing what was going on,” she said. “… He was an extremely concerned citizen.”

“I think he believed in the principle that you’ve got to give something to anything that you’re a part of and he was definitely part of the community and wanted to do his share to help (it) grow and be prosperous and be a good place to live,” Nelson said. “I think it was just part of his nature to be a good person.”

To contact correspondent Jami Whited, e-mail her at jwhited@cableone.net