Verda Loy Bradford Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Verda Loy Bradford Memorial Scholarship Fund, created in memory of Verda Loy Bradford, provides a scholarship to a female student in Mineral County.
Type of Fund: Scholarship
Established: January 2026
Purpose: The purpose of this fund is to create perpetual funding of a scholarship in memory of Verda Loy Bradford for students who meet the following criteria: 1) a female student 2) from Mineral County 3) have significant financial need. It does not matter which high school they are from within Mineral County. They can be attending either a 2-year trade, technical school, or a traditional 4-year college or university.
Distribution: On the recommendation of the Scholarship Committee and with the full TCF Board of Directors approval.
Background: Verda Loy Bradford grew up in extremely poor circumstances in the small paper mill town of Piedmont. Her family never owned a home. Renting, they moved 14 times by the time she was 18. While her uneducated father was a hard worker at the mill, there was never enough money to pay the bills. Her namesake aunt was her constant champion, telling her, from an early age, that education could open doors far beyond the boundaries of her community. Concurrently, she began to learn women were not valued the same as men nor were they treated the same. After graduating from high school, she set out to explore the wider world. Verda went to college at night while working full time, during the day, in D.C. and then on to California for more learning and work. Her journey led her to serve with the International Voluntary Services in Vietnam during the war, an experience that deepened her appreciation for culture, connection and compassion. Verda’s travels broadened her horizons, reinforcing her belief that learning - both in and out of the classroom - was the pathway to a more meaningful and impactful life in which she and her voice would be more equal.
Settling in Washington State, Verda carried her commitment to service into her work as a parent, volunteer, and advocate for education while helping establish and run a family business. She served on numerous school committees, offered her time generously, and approached every challenge with tenacity and an unwavering belief that obstacles could be overcome. Her zest for life inspired those around her, and her dedication to making the world a better place was evident in every community she touched.
Her country roads took Verda a long way. Her family brought her ashes back to the hills of West Virginia which have always been her love. Now they are her home!
This scholarship honors her legacy - her curiosity, her courage to explore new places, new ideas, make new friends, to stand up for what is right, and her lifelong devotion to helping others, particularly young women, grow, learn and thrive.