Remembering Alyce Scott Bradley
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value...
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard...
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
– Proverbs 31:10-11, 16, 20
When I read these words from Proverbs 31, I think of Alyce Scott Bradley. The passage describes a woman whose faithfulness bears fruit far beyond her own lifetime, and Alyce's story does just that. The land on which our church now stands had been in her family since 1900, and through that connection, her legacy became part of the story of how Zionsville United Methodist came to call this place home. Let me tell you a little more about her story:
Alyce Scott grew up in the farmhouse that still stands across the street from ZUMC and is now known as Maplelawn Farmstead. Our land was part of the farmland where her family raised crops. I like to imagine Alyce running through these fields as a little girl, delighting in God's creation and blessings. When she grew up, she married Lester Bradley, and together they continued farming this land, which had been part of her family's story for generations.
Alyce and Lester were members of Zionsville United Methodist Church, and Alyce especially loved to worship here. At the time of her death in 1997, our congregation was worshiping in a building on Oak Street where the Town Hall building now stands. But the congregation had outgrown that space, and the search was on for property on which to build a new church home.
Not long after Alyce passed away, Lester walked into the church office and offered to donate a portion of their farmland to the congregation! It was an extraordinary gift, made from land that had been part of Alyce's family heritage for nearly a century. His only request was that the church plant a garden in Alyce's memory because she loved flowers.
We accepted that offer, and her garden remains with us today! You can catch a glimpse of it through the windows on the right side of the sanctuary or by walking through the café doors. We also honored both Alyce and Lester through the naming of the Bradley Chapel.
As we celebrate 25 years in this building, I hope we remember that before there was a church on this property, there was a faithful family who cared for this land for generations. Through Alyce's legacy and Lester's generosity, these fields became a place where countless people would come to worship, grow in faith, and experience God's love.
Today, let us give thanks for those who came before us and gave so generously, making this church home and all the memories yet to be made here, possible.
Mary Hilton
Church Member