recent tornado. They have gone beyond just giving me excellent insurance coverage – they are my friends. When I needed their help, they came out and helped me clean up my property after Katrina and the tornado. Once, they even cooked lunch for me.”
“Our county Farm Bureau has always been there for me, especially after Hurricane Katrina and the recent tornado.”
two oldest girls were in college, one daughter was in high school and one daughter was seven years old. Chester continued raising his family alone and farming. “My children have always helped me around the farm. I have four girls, and they enjoy farm life. They participated in 4-H, where they showed livestock and swine. They also participated in Future Farmers of America (FFA). Two of them, Constance and Candace, I call my boys,” he said with a smile. The girls, from oldest to youngest, are Cassandra, a purchasing specialist I for L-3 Vertex, LLC, in Madison; Constance, a nursing instructor in the registered nurse program at Meridian Community College in Meridian; Cathy Yolanda, an instruction intervention specialist at Spann Elementary MAY/JUNE
School in Jackson; and Candace Irine, who is currently completing her prerequisites for nursing school at East Central Community College in Decatur. He also has one sonin-law, Markus D. Barnett, a Mississippi highway patrolman who is married to Cathy Yolanda. He has one granddaughter, Chanté Irine Bradley, a freshman at Terry High School in Terry, and a two-month-old grandson, Bradley D. Barnett. Chester has been a member of Jasper County Farm Bureau for over 40 years and has served on the board of directors for over 20 years. “I love Farm Bureau,” he said. “Farm Bureau does a lot for farmers. Our county Farm Bureau has always been there for me, especially after Hurricane Katrina and the MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY
Chester says a successful farmer must have a good banker, a good Extension agent, a good insurance agent, and a good natural resources/soil expert. He has made lifelong friends through the years with Ray Robinson, his banker; Lonnie Thigpen, his natural resources/soil expert and the current president of Jasper County Farm Bureau; Carter Sims, his Farm Bureau insurance agent; Shelton Culpepper, his retired Farm Bureau insurance agent; and Tommy Bishop, who served as county agent in Jasper County for many years. Chester also counts as his friend Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation President Randy Knight, of whom he is very proud. He considered it an honor to nominate Knight during state elections held in December. “I think Randy Knight is doing an excellent job leading our organization, and I look forward to continuing my work with Randy and Farm Bureau for many years to come,” he said. Most Farm Bureau members know Chester from his photo in the tabletop photography book about farming entitled “American Farmer.” All of the photographs in the book were taken by Paul Mobley. It is safe to say that Chester Bradley Jr. has lived a long, eventful and very successful life. He has been blessed with a large and loving family, a fulfilling farming career and many lifelong friendships. But stay tuned. He wants you to know that he is not finished yet. 13