Marcella Blue Bradly passed away in Friona on Valentine’s Day 14 February 2026 at 97 years old. She was born in Canyon, Texas on 22 July 1928 to Robert Glenn and Nellie B (Burger) Blue. She moved with her family to Hereford when she was 4 years old to their new home on what is now East Park Avenue.
Marcella attended Hereford schools and graduated as Salutatorian of Hereford High School Class of 1945. She loved playing music and excelled at piano. She was also active in the band where she played the oboe. She was active in the First Christian Church in Hereford, where she played the piano and sang in the choir.
In the Fall of 1945, Marcella began her studies at West Texas State College where she majored in Music with a minor in business. In her first year she continued playing in both the marching and concert bands. The remainder of her time in college, she concentrated on piano, organ, and voice.
In May of 1948 Marcella married Bill Bradly of Hereford. After Marcella graduated in 1949, the couple moved to Hereford where Marcella began teaching piano and organ and playing the organ in various churches.
In March of 1951, Marcella gave birth to their first child, Janet and they lived in a small house on Witherspoon Street in Hereford. After graduation. They began building a new home in 1952 located on Star Street which had been a pasture near her childhood home where she and her nextdoor neighbors, the Kerr boys, rode horses. They moved into the new home in November 1952 while Marcella was in the hospital after giving birth to Truitt, their second child. They expanded the house in 1956 in time to welcome their third and last child, Jeannine, in 1957.
In 1962, Bill and Marcella went into business for themselves when they opened Bill Bradly Photography Studio. They worked closely at the studio until they sold the business in 1989. Marcella learned to hand colorize black and white prints with oil paints when color photography was much more expensive to produce. She also worked in the darkroom and helped with portrait sittings. She also was the accounting department. In the afternoon she would return home to teach a full schedule of piano students.
Marcella and Bill were members of the First Methodist Church in Hereford. Marcella was a member of the church choir and of the Veleda Study Club, the DAR, and was the pianist for the community choir for several years.
Marcella was preceded in death by her husband Bill, her parents R.G. and Nellie Blue, her sister Nola Margarett Jolly, her brother-in-law Sam Jolly, her daughter Janet Moody, her grandson-in-law Donnie Archer, great-grandsons Tycho Louis Bradly, Isaiah Truitt Bradly, and William Rudolph Bradly.
She is survived by her son Truitt Bradly and her daughter and son-in-law Jeannine and Kenny Rusher of Ordway Colorado, five grandchildren Kyle and his wife Jaime Moody of Texarkana, Amy and husband Dustin Haschke of Umbarger, Sean and wife Ali Bradly of Austin, Matt and wife Rebecca Rusher of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Becca and husband Eric Reinhart of Canyon.
Eleven Great grandchildren Paige and husband Cole Henning of Wichita, Kansas, Samuel and Jack Moody of Texarkana, Morgan Haschke of Lubbock, Logan Haschke of Umbarger, Isabella Rusher of Utah, Kaitlyn Rusher of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kennedy and husband Matt Smart of Amarillo, Bryson, Maddox, and Luke Archer of Canyon, and Alanis Reinhart of Canyon. One great-great-granddaughter Maylie Smart of Amarillo.
Also surviving are nephew Mike and wife Dana Jolly of Georgetown and niece Pam and husband James O’Gorman of Canyon.
Celebration of Life Memorial Service honoring Marcella will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 10:30 AM at the First Methodist Church in Hereford with Reverend Lupe Acevedo officiating. Family ask that you join them in wearing red, Marcella’s favorite color to the service on Saturday. Arrangements and Cremation Services have been entrusted to Mendez and Mullins Family Funeral Home of Hereford.