John Thomas and Mary Sumner Bridges -- Farmer and Carpenter

 

 John Thomas Bridges

 Mary Sumner Bridges

 

John Thomas Bridges was born on July 23, 1915, in the Mount Pleasant community of Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the sixth of eight children born to Drew Manley Bridges and Lena Mae Guier Bridges. Both Drew Manley and Lena Mae were natives of Trigg County, Kentucky and Drew worked as a farmer. Drew was a son of Starkie Bridges and a grandson of William Bridges.  John’s siblings were Lola Jo Bridges, born in 1901 and married Andrew Abner Gray; Robbie Bell Bridges, born in 1904 and married George Clyde Cunningham; Sidney Gordon Bridges, born in 1906 and married Jane Ernestine Bridges; Sarah Elizabeth Bridges, born in 1907 and married Henry Cullen Thomas; Clifton Earl Bridges, born in 1910 and married Inez Lorene Lancaster; Clovis Manley Bridges, born in 1918 and married Ruby Helen Huddleston; and Mosco Doris Bridges, born in 1919 and married Myra Dean Sumner.

John grew up on a farm that his parents owned in the Maple Grove community.  He would later in the 1940s buy his own farm on the Old Dover Road about four miles south of Cadiz.  There he would build a home for him and his family to reside. In addition to farming, John also worked as a carpenter, working on many construction projects throughout Trigg County.

On December 24, 1937, John married Mary Henrietta Sumner.  Mary was born on May 3, 1919 in Trigg County.  She was the seventh of eleven children of John Calvin Sumner and Lucy Ethel Lawrence Sumner.  Both John Calvin and Lucy were natives of Trigg County.  John Calvin was a farmer and was a descendant of Drewry Bridges.  Lucy was a homemaker and was a descendant of Starkie Thomas. Mary’s siblings were: William Odell Sumner, born in 1907 and married Julia Ruby Cameron; Lacy Calvin Sumner, born in 1909 and married Lorena Farmer and later married Mary Bryant; James Woodson Sumner, born in 1911 and married Myra Lorraine Thomas; an unnamed infant, who died in infancy; Martha Alberta Sumner, born in 1915 and married George Lewis Gothard; George Robert Sumner, born in 1917 and married Dorothy Mae White; John Lawrence Sumner, born in 1921 and married Belva Marie Compton; Myra Dean Sumner, born in 1924 and married Mosco Doris Bridges; Sarah Frances Sumner, born in 1926 and married Forrest Lanston Matthews and a second marriage to John Franklin Phillips and a third marriage to Clarence Noble P’Pool and Perry Cullen Sumner, born in 1927 and married Lorena Farmer.

John and Mary were instrumental in forming the Thomas-Bridges Association as both were charter members of the organization.  Both served on the Board of Directors and on many committees.  John served as President of the organization from August 1, 1980 to August 1, 1982.  Mary was also a member of the James Thomas Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

John and Mary were the parents of seven children, Ethel Mae Bridges, born in 1940 and married Boyd Alton Simmons; Dorothy Nell Bridges, born in 1941 and married Elbert Franklin Moore; Mary Jean Bridges, born in 1943 and married Larry Jacob Marthaler; John Drew “J. D.” Bridges, born in 1944 and married Rachel Juanita Gallegas and then married Vicki Elaine Wilson Dockery; Beverly Kay Bridges, born in 1948 and married Charles Ray Powell; Jerry Sumner Bridges, born in 1950 and married Betty Sue Lawson and then married Virginia Lee Plawecki; and Thomas Randall Bridges, born in 1957 and married Cynthia M. Duncan and then married Judy Fay Sumner.

John died on November 27, 1998 at the Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville, Kentucky at the age of 83.  He was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.  Mary died on June 22, 2016 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz at the age of 97.  She was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her husband.

 

 

 John and Mary tombstone

LINEAGE: (John Thomas Bridges was the son of Drew Manley and Lena Mae Guier Bridges and the grandson of Starkie T. and Elizabeth W. Lawrence Bridges.  Starkie was the second child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges. William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

(Mary Henrietta Sumner was the daughter of John Calvin and Lucy Ethel Lawrence Sumner and the granddaughter of Benjamin Miles and Henrietta Gabrella Bridges Sumner and James H., II and Lucy Thomas Lawrence.  Henrietta was the first child of Drewry and Peachie Ann Tart Bridges.  Drewry was the fourth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges. William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.  Lucy was the eighth child of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas. Stanley was the second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

John Quincy Adams -- Timberman and Farmer

 

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams, who bore the same name as the sixth president of the United States, was born on August 7, 1875, in the Roaring Springs community of Christian County, Kentucky. He was the second of seven children born to John Wylie Adams and Martha Jane Coleman Adams. John Wylie was a native of Trigg County, Kentucky and worked as a farmer. Martha Jane was also a native of Trigg County, worked as a homemaker, and was a descendant of Perry Thomas.  John Quincy’s siblings were Lucy Agnes Adams, born in 1874 and married Robert Henry Williams; Alfred Sidney Adams, born in 1877 and died at the age of 12; James Sterling Adams, born in 1880 and married Hattie Grace Bell and then married Mary Docia Atkins; Willie Helen Adams, born in 1884 and married John Sherman Bell; Martha Gertrude Adams, born in 1887 and married James Pascal Hendon and Eulis Franklin Adams, born in 1892 and died at the age of 4.

John grew up in the river bottom area near Linton, Kentucky in Trigg County.  As a young man he helped to clear the river bottom land where he and his neighbors lived.  He helped to cut the virgin timber and then had log rollings along with his neighbors to roll the logs into large piles to be burned in order that new ground could be cultivated.  He farmed in both Trigg and Christian counties.  He traveled by steamboat from Linton down the Cumberland River to Nashville where he took the train to Union Grove, Alabama where he again worked as a timberman, cutting tall pine trees from the mountainside, hewing them and then using a broadax making them into crossties. He also worked to clear land in the Missouri Delta.

John returned to Kentucky where he worked in the tobacco factories in Hopkinsville.  He then worked in the steel mills in Alton, Illinois and later lived in Akron, Ohio where he worked at the Saalfield Publishing Company and the East Ohio Gas Company. He returned again to Trigg County in 1930 and bought a farm in the Donaldson Creek community where he settled down as a farmer and lived longer there than any other place during his life.

On December 1, 1894, John married Suphronia (Sophronia) Adeline Williams in Stewart County, Tennessee.  Suphronia was born January 24, 1875 in Trigg County, the daughter of Lessenberry Nance and Cynthia Ann Vinson Williams. Nance was a native of Trigg County and Cynthia was a native of Stewart County, Tennessee.

John and Suphronia were the parents of eleven children, most who were born in Trigg County and raised in the river bottom area near Linton.  They were, Lou Bess Adams, born in 1895 and died at the age of 3 years; John Troy Adams, born 1897 and married Nova Mae Sumner, a second marriage to Maurine Sumner and a third marriage to Ora Monico Gordon; James Floyd Adams, born in 1899 and married Maggie Belle Hargroves; Hattie Bell Adams, born in 1901 and married Perry Amos Thomas; Willie May Adams, born in 1904 and married Oscar Err Thomas; Sammy Ray Adams, born in 1905 and died in early childhood; Thomas Odell Adams, born in 1906 and married Helen Anne Moore and later married Betty Earle Ford; Herbert Truman Adams, born in 1909 and married Mary Thomas; Herman Taylor Adams, born in 1912 and married Bessie Mae Thomas; Plomer Douglas Adams, born in 1914 and died at the age of 1 year and Daphane Estelle Adams, born in 1921 and died at the age of 11 years.

John Quincy died on June 13, 1961 at his home in the Donaldson Creek community at the age of 85.  He was buried in the Lancaster Cemetery located on the South Road in Trigg County.  His wife, Suphronia had died on February 4, 1950 and was also buried in the Lancaster Cemetery.

 Suphronia Williams Adams

John and Suphronia's tombstone

LINEAGE:  (John Quincy Adams was the second child of John Wylie and Martha Jane Coleman Adams.  Martha Jane was the second child of Alfred Boyd and Alpha Thomas Coleman.  Alpha was the second child of Perry and Elizabeth Bridges Thomas.  Perry was the third child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Albert Dale Cunningham -- World War II Casualty

 

Albert Dale Cunningham

Albert Dale Cunningham was born on August 30, 1925 in Trigg County, Kentucky the second of six children of George Clyde Cunningham and Robbie Bell Bridges Cunningham. , His father was a farmer and a native of Trigg County, Kentucky, who died in a tragic tractor accident in 1973.  His mother was also a native of Trigg County and was a homemaker.  His siblings were Aubrey Hershell, born in 1923; Alfred Leslie, born in 1927; Dolly Mae, born in 1930, Martha Rhea, born in 1934 and Mava Dale, born in 1946.

Albert grew up on Beechy Fork Creek in the Maple Grove Community of Trigg County.  He attended school at the Lower Donaldson School and the Maple Grove School.

Albert reached the age of 18 during the height of World War II.  On November 15, 1943 he entered the US Army and was sent to Camp Blanding near Starke, Florida for his basic training. Following his basic training he was given a furlough from March 28, 1944 to April 7, 1944 before being sent to Fort Meade, Maryland where in May 1944, he was shipped overseas.

On May 18, 1944 he landed in Naples, Italy where he was assigned to the Company G, 143rd Infantry Regiment,  36th Infantry Division, which was part of the US 5th Army under the command of General Mark Clark.  The 36th was the Texas Division and the men of the 36ths were known as “T+Patchers” because their insignia was made up of an arrowhead with a capital T in the middle.  Albert’s job was an assistant gunner on an 81 mm mortar.

During the summer of 1944 Albert fought with his unit in numerous locations across Italy and Southern France.  He had been promoted to private first class.  Several of his letters home during that summer were of such interest that they were published in the local Cadiz Record newspaper. 

During the late fall, his unit was involved in a battle fighting the German 19th Army in an effort to hold the Vosges Mountain passes in France when Albert was killed in action on November 28, 1944 while crossing the Moselle River.  Albert, age 19, was buried with full military honors in the Epinal American Cemetery near the village of Dinoze, France.  The cemetery was on a plateau 100 feet above the Moselle River in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains.

In April 1948, Albert’s body was brought home to the United States with his final resting place being the Allen-Cunningham Cemetery in Trigg County.  Again, he received full military honors at his burial.  A special tribute was given in October 1991 to the memory of Albert Dale Cunningham during the dedication of the historical marker for Lower Donaldson School when he was recognized as the only student from the school to pay the supreme sacrifice in military service.

Albert Dale Cunningham tombstone

Epinal American Cemetery, France

LINEAGE: (Albert Dale Cunningham was the son of George Clyde and Robbie Bell Bridges Cunningham and the grandson of Elmer Elsworth “Ell” and Rosa Lee Bridges Cunningham.  Rosa Lee was the seventh child of Cullen T. and Martha Virginia Thomas Bridges.  Cullen was the twelfth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.  Robbie Bell was the second child of Drew Manley and Lena Mae Guier Bridges.  Drew was the seventh child of Starkie T. and Elizabeth Lawrence Bridges.  Starkie was the second child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Mary Cohoon Bridges.)

Hubert Jackson "Tige" Thomas -- Auto Body Repairman

 

Hubert Jackson "Tige" Thomas

Hubert Jackson “Tige” Thomas was born on August 14, 1909 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the second of six children of Lucian M. Thomas and Inez B. Crews Thomas.  His father Lucian, was a farmer and a native of Trigg County and Inez was also a native of Trigg County and had taught school during the early 1900s. Hubert was a descendant of Starkie Thomas.  Hubert’s siblings were John Alex Thomas, born in 1907 and married Mary Louise Sumner; Homer Blane Thomas, born in 1911 and married Beulah Louise Bridges; Mary Julia Thomas, born in 1914 and married Alvin Arthur Pfermann; William Boyd Thomas, born in 1917 and married Geneva Simmons and then married Eunice Grace Thomas; and Maurice Alton Thomas, born in 1923 and married Stella Mae Gray.

Hubert grew up in the Oak Grove community of Trigg County.  He farmed with his father and brothers  on the family farm on land which had been in the Thomas family since the early 1800s when the family first settled in Trigg County.

On December 25, 1933, Hubert married Vada Helena Wallace.  Vada was born on November 24, 1913 in Dover, Tennessee, the daughter of Henry Austin Wallace and Sarah Elizabeth Lancaster Wallace. Her parents were both natives of Stewart County, Tennessee where her father had worked as a farmer. Hubert and Vada were the parents of six children: Carolyn Sue Thomas was born in 1934 and only lived one day; Billie Joe Thomas was born in 1935 and married Carolyn Raquel Williams; triplets Andrew Thomas was born in 1937 and married Frances Carol Bridges; Bruce Thomas, born in 1937 and married Joyce Ann P’Pool; Charles Thomas, born in 1937 and married Martha Ann Myers and then married Clara Ellen McKinney; and Dennis Glynn Thomas, born in 1944 and married Linda Dale Hancock.

Hubert and Vada left the farm in 1937 and moved with their family to Detroit, Michigan.  There he worked in an automobile dealership where he was trained in auto body repair.  He worked in a defense plant during World War II.  After the war, Hubert and his family moved back to Trigg County and using the talents he learned in Detroit, opened his own business, the Thomas Body Shop, which was located near the west city limits of Cadiz.  In 1955, Hubert built a new body shop on his property located about five miles west of Cadiz.  He operated the body shop in this location until his health failed in 1965 and he retired from the business.  At that time, he turned over operation of the business to his son, Charles.  After her sons were grown, Vada worked as a practical nurse at the Shady Lawn Nursing Home in Cadiz and as a private duty nurse at Trigg County Hospital.

On January 2, 1967, Hubert died at his home outside of Cadiz at the age of 57.  He was buried in the Lucian Thomas Family Cemetery in Trigg County.  Vada died on October 22, 1997 at the age of 83 in the Trigg County Hospital.  She was buried in the Lucian Thomas Family Cemetery next to her husband.

Vada Thomas with her five sons

 

Young Hubert with his older brother John Alex

 

Hubert and Vada tombstone

LINEAGE: (Hubert Jackson “Tige” Thomas was the son of Lucian M. and Inez B. Crews Thomas and the grandson of Jonathan Starkie and Julia Dyer Thomas.  Jonathan was the third child of William Bridges and Nancy Jane Rogers Thomas.  William was the first child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standly Thomas.)

Milton Roger Thomas -- Real Estate Developer and Community Leader

 

Roger Thomas

Milton Roger Thomas was born on July 2, 1938 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the second of three children of Milton Ward “Chuck” Thomas and Martha Elizabeth Crawford Thomas.  His father Chuck, was a prominent civic leader and farmer and a native of Trigg County and Martha was also a native of Trigg County and had worked as a director of a servicemen’s center. Roger was a descendant of Starkie Thomas.  Roger’s siblings were Norma Gail Thomas, born in 1936, and married Robert Clive Gold and then married Richard Lawrence McKillip and a third husband, Ernest Linwood Hardy, Jr.; and John Ward Thomas, born in 1944, and married Patricia Ellis and then married Patsy Melanie Davis and a third wife, Stacy Winders.

Roger grew up on his family farm located near Canton and attended the Canton Grade School.  He moved to Hopkinsville in 1952 and attended Hopkinsville High School for two years before transferring to Columbia Military Academy in Columbia, Tennessee where he graduated.  He then attended Murray State University where he graduated with a degree in engineering.

Roger began his career as a chemistry and math teacher at Trigg County High School in Cadiz. He left the teaching profession after seven years and devoted his full-time attention to his real estate business, the Century 21-Thomas Real Estate Company.  He became a founding member of the Trigg County Industrial Development Committee and actively sought new industry and growth in the community.  He also was involved in promoting tourism for the county. As a member of the Trigg County Tourist Commission, he helped to organize and promote boat races and bass tournaments which increased the number of tourists in the area.  In 1970, Roger was one of the founding directors of the Bank of Cadiz.  He served as a director until near the end of his life.

On June 4, 1957, Roger married Margaret Joyce “Peggy” Allen at the Cadiz Baptist Church in Cadiz.  Peggy was born October 27, 1934 and was the daughter of William Orville Allen and Ruth Moorefield Allen.  Peggy was a descendant of Drewry Bridges.  Roger and Peggy were the parents of two sons, Allen Ward Thomas, born in 1958 and married Shelia Lane Littlejohn Jones and Mark Crawford Thomas, born in 1960 and married Maranita Kathleen Roberts and later married Lisa Fuller Oliver. Roger and Peggy’s marriage subsequently ended in divorce.

On November 8, 1975, Roger married his second wife, Elizabeth Ann Rogers.  Ann was born on August 27, 1944 in Trigg County and was the daughter of Kenneth L. Rogers and Alberta Lyons Rogers.  After their marriage, Ann obtained her real estate license and worked with her husband in his real estate business. Roger and Ann had no children, but Roger had two stepchildren, Treav Tooke and Carla Tooke from Ann’s previous marriage.

Roger died at his home in the Canton community on June 24, 1984 at the age of 45.  He had been diagnosed with cancer.  He was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County. Posthumously, Roger was honored by having a street leading into the Industrial Park named the Roger Thomas Drive.

 

Roger Thomas tombstone

LINEAGE: (Milton Roger Thomas was the son of Milton Ward “Chuck” and Martha Elizabeth Crawford Thomas and the grandson of William Robert “Willie” and Emma Rogers Thomas.  William Robert was the second child of Robert Allison and Emma Nora Cunningham Thomas.  Robert Allison was the fifth child of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas.  Stanley was the second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standly Thomas.)

Ira Clifton Bridges, Jr. -- Merchant Marine

 

Ira Clifton Bridges, Jr.

Ira Clifton Bridges, Jr. was born on April 17, 1923 in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the third of four children of Ira Clifton Bridges, Sr. and Flo Templeton Bridges Bridges.  Ira, Sr. was a construction worker and a native of Trigg County and Flo was also a native of Trigg County. Ira, Sr. was a grandson of Drewry Bridges.  Ira, Jr.’s siblings were Morris Dale “M. D.” Bridges, born in 1918 and married Lora Dean Cunningham; Barbara Mae Bridges, born in 1920 and married William Eugene McBride; and Frieda Nell Bridges, born in 1933 and married Eugene Lewis Sumner.

Junior, as he was called, attended grade school in the one-room Maple Grove School and one year of school in Hamburg, Tennessee.  He spent three years at Trigg County High School and went one to graduate from Marshall County High School in 1942.  He went on to attend Murray State College (now University).

World War II was at its height and rather than being drafted, Junior chose to join the Merchant Marines where he attended the Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point, Long Island, New York. He was assigned to serve on several escort ships to convoys that carried arms and supplies to the European War zones.  The escort ships were not armed and some of their sister ships were sunk during their voyages.
After the war ended, Junior continued his career as a civilian merchant seaman and worked as a deep sea engineer from 1945 to 1970.   He shipped out of many U. S. ports including New York, New Orleans, Galveston, Houston, Panama City and other Atlantic seaports.

For many years, Junior lived in the French Quarter in New Orleans and it was there me met and married his wife, Margaret Frances Church.  They were married on December 18, 1952 at Gulfport, Mississippi.  Frances was born June 11, 1916, the daughter of William Harry Church and Lola Theora Bish Church.  Harry worked as a mechanic and was a native of Wisconsin.  Lola was a housewife and a native of Indiana. Frances had served in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II.  Junior and Frances had no children.

In 1961 Junior returned to his home state of Kentucky and purchased a house in Cadiz in where he lived until his death.  Junior had a tragic death on February 5,1970.  He was returning from an intercoastal voyage from California to Morrisville, New Jersey. He was driving on the New Jersey Turnpike near Edison, New Jersey when he was stricken with a fatal heart attack His body was returned to Trigg County and he was buried in the Drury Bridges Cemetery in the Maple Grove community.  He was 46 years old at the time of his death.  Frances died on June 26, 1980 at the age of 64 and was buried in the Drury Bridges Cemetery.

Frances Church Bridges, wife of Ira, Jr.

Ira Bridges, Jr. tombstone

Ira, Jr. military tombstone

Frances Bridges military tombstone

LINEAGE: (Ira Clifton Bridges, Jr. was the son of Ira Clifton, Sr. and Flo Templeton Bridges Bridges and the grandson of Durwood Stanley and Jane “Jennie” Thomas Bridges.  Durwood Stanley was the sixth child of Drewry and Peachie Ann Tart Bridges. Drewry was the fourth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Elaine Baker Sanders -- Cafeteria Manager

 

Elaine Baker Sanders

Eris Elaine Baker was born on March 8, 1923 in Cadiz, Kentucky.  She was the oldest of four children of Samuel Lee Baker and Vera Evelyn Cunningham Baker. Sam and Evelyn were Trigg County natives of the Rockcastle community who had moved to Cadiz where Sam was a clerk for the F. B. Wilkerson Co. department store for 40 years.   Elaine’s siblings were James Minos “Jimmie” Baker, born in 1925 and married Lyla Morrison; Cora Mae Baker, born in 1927 and married George Atkinson and Mary Ann Baker, born in 1929, and married Thomas Julius Carr.

Elaine attended schools in Trigg County and graduated from Trigg County High School in 1941. On December 14, 1940, Elaine married Eura Elvis “Mutt” Sanders in Crofton, Kentucky.  Mutt was born in Trigg County on March 23, 1920, the son of Clarence Murl Sanders and Annie Ruth Morris Sanders. Murl was a farmer in the Wallonia community of Trigg County.  Elaine and Mutt became the parents of two children, Jack Elvis Sanders, born in 1941 and married Carla Lea Roach, his first wife and Jackie Mays Beasley, his second wife; and Joyce Annette Sanders, born in 1945 and married Danny Green Bozarth.

Mutt lived his entire life in Trigg County except for the time spent serving his country in World War II.  He served with the 491st Armored Field Artillery Division of the U.S. Army from June 1942 to November 1945, with fifteen months of that time in the European Theatre.  He was in the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, Mutt began working as a rural letter carrier with the U.S. Post Office in Cadiz in 1945.  He retired from that position in 1977. Elaine spent her early married years raising her two children and in the mid 1950s, began working for the Trigg County School system as a cafeteria manager.  She was active in federal, state and district lunchroom associations while serving as cafeteria manager.  She was a familiar face to many local students who dined daily over the years in the school cafeteria.  Elaine retired as cafeteria manager in 1978 after working for 21 years for the school system.

After her retirement, Elaine became very active in local community and church activities.  She was a member of the Trigg County Homemakers, the Trigg County Hospital Auxiliary Club as well as the Trigg County Business and Professional Women’s Club. She served as an officer in all these organizations. In October 1980 she was named as the B&PW Woman of the Year which is the highest honor given to a local club member, which is a tradition of the organization to honor outstanding women in the community.  Elaine was also active in the fundraising for the County Heart Fund.

Mutt and Elaine lived on a farm in the Wallonia community where Mutt was born.  They purchased the farm in 1955.  The farm had been in the Sanders family since 1908 when it was purchased by Louis Sanders, the grandfather of Mutt. They raised crops on the farm as well as maintaining a herd of cattle.

Mutt died on May 16, 2000 in Nashville at the age of 80.  He was buried in the Wall Cemetery in the Wallonia Community of Trigg County.  Elaine died on May 15, 2014 in Cadiz at the age of 91.  She was buried in the Wall Cemetery next to her husband.

Elaine Sanders

Elaine and Mutt

Mutt, Elaine and son, Jack, circa 1944

Elaine and Mutt's tombstone

LINEAGE:  (Eris Elaine Baker was the daughter of Samuel Lee and Vera Evelyn Cunningham Baker and the granddaughter of Mark Smith and Mattie Mae Ricks Baker.  Mark Smith was the second child of Samuel Freeman and Sarah Adeline Thomas Baker.  Sarah was the first child of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas.  Stanley was second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Ira Thomas "Boone" Bridges -- Victim of a Shooting Incident

 

Ira Thomas “Boone” Bridges was born on December 1, 1902 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the fourth of seven children of Starkie Emerson “Bud” Bridges and Matilda Elizabeth Wallis Bridges.  Bud was a farmer and a native of Trigg County and Matilda Elizabeth was also a native of Trigg County. Bud was a son of Starkie Bridges.

Boone’s siblings were Johnnie Pearl Bridges, born in 1897 and married Herman Conrad Coleman; Roy Emerson Bridges, born in 1899 and married Tishie Lucille Adams; Jesse Arvil Bridges, born in 1901 and married Nellie Vertris Thomas and then married Gladys Helen Childress; Mary Alma Bridges, born in 1904 and married Wiley Bell Stallons; Myrtle Ernestine Bridges, born in 1908 and married Raymond Howard Williams; and Willie Louise Bridges, born in 1913 and married Raymond Rodgers Stallons.

Boone grew up in Trigg County and attended the county schools. He never married and spent his career working as a laborer on a farm.  He lived in his father’s household over the years and worked primarily on his father’s farm. He also worked as a truck driver in the county.  After his parents’ death, he made his home with his sister, Mrs. Herman Coleman.

On Thursday afternoon, September 4, 1947, Boone went to a café located on the Cerulean Road near Cadiz which was operated by Mrs. Gertie Turner.  Mrs. Turner asked Boone to “watch” the café while she left to attend to some other business.  While Boone was watching the café, Marvin Adams who lived near the restaurant came in to buy a package of cigarettes. Apparently, some type of argument ensued between the two men.  Mr. Adams shot Boone just below the heart, reputedly with a 32-caliber pistol, the bullet completely piercing his body and coming out through his back.  Boone was taken to a local clinic for first aid treatment but the seriousness of his wound required that he be rushed to Jennie Stuart Hospital in nearby Hopkinsville.  His condition required three blood transfusions before he could undergo surgery.  His family gathered around him and they thought his condition was satisfactory.

 Meanwhile, Marvin Adams was arrested late Thursday afternoon about an hour after the incident and was charged with malicious shooting and was placed in the county jail.  He was later released on a $2,000 cash bond.   County officials at that time failed to establish the motive or the background for the shooting.  Adams was a landowner of a large farm in Lyon County as well as several farms in Trigg County.  The sheriff said at the time that arraignment of Adams was delayed pending the outcome of Bridges’ condition.

Five days following the shooting, Boone’s condition worsened and on Tuesday afternoon, September 9, Boone died in the hospital in Hopkinsville of the wounds he suffered in the shooting. His cause of death on his death certificate was “coronary occlusion following a gunshot wound to the abdomen.”

In the following May, 1948, Marvin Adams was brought to trial in Cadiz for the murder of Ira “Boone” Bridges.  Adams pleaded not guilty in the case and claimed he had shot the deceased in self-defense. Two days were given to selecting the jurors for the case. A large number of prospective jurors were disqualified for having opinions about the case, but finally twelve men were selected. The trial only lasted one day and on the following morning, May 22, 1948, the jury rendered their verdict that Mr. Adams was “Not Guilty.”  

Ira “Boone” Bridges died at the age of 44 and was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County.

 Ira "Boone" Bridges tombstone

LINEAGE:  (Ira Thomas “Boone” Bridges was the son of Starkie Emerson “Bud” and Matilda Elizabeth Wallis Bridges and the grandson of Starkie T. and Elizabeth W. Lawrence Bridges.  Starkie was the second child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Robert "Bob" Terrell -- Farmer

 

Bob and Emma Bridges Terrell on their Wedding Day

 Robert “Bob” Terrell was born on April 20, 1882 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the son of George Gibbert Terrell and Frances Caroline Davis Terrell.  George was a farmer and a native of Stewart County, Tennessee and Caroline was a native of Trigg County.

On December 26, 1906, Bob married Emma Skaggs Bridges at the home of the bride in Trigg County.  The home was known as the Headley Farm which was east of Cadiz.  The wedding took place before a decorated mantle and fireplace.  

Emma was born on April 14, 1884, the fifth of ten children of William Joseph Bridges and Sarah Wills Bridges. Emma’s siblings were Cornelius Neal Bridges, born in 1873 and married Emma Jean Sons and then Willie Rasco; Robert Lee Bridges, born in 1876 and married Lula Wade; Luther Edward Bridges, born in 1879 and married Cora Lula Banister; Julia Belle Bridges, born in 1881 and married Lemuel James Banister; Joseph Franklin Bridges, born in 1886 and married Lula Pearl Ricks; Lemuel Porter Bridges, born in 1889; Harriet Divinia Bridges, born in 1892 and married Hulett Albert Alexander; Grace Mae Bridges, born in 1896 and married Ernest Henry Barber; and Ora Lee Bridges, born in 1899 and married Homer Hall.

Bob and Emma purchased a farm in the Blue Spring community and built a new home there.  Their farm which was next to the Blue Spring Creek is now a part of the Boots Randolph Golf Course.  Their children all went to school at the Blue Spring School.  They had to cross a foot log across the creek in front of their house each day as they went to school.  When there were heavy rains, they were unable to cross the creek and they had to wait till the creek went down before returning to school.  The family also used the creek for refrigeration of perishable foods.  They took their milk, butter and other foods, put them in buckets and immersed them into the creek letting the cold spring water keep their food from going bad.

Bob spent his entire career as a farmer, mostly on the farm next to the Blue Spring Creek. In 1952, they sold the farm on Blue Spring Creek and bought a farm in the Caledonia community.  They built a new house on this farm where they lived the rest of their lives.

Bob and Emma were the parents of nine children.  They were Mary Cicero Terrell, born in 1907 and married John Carter Mitchell; Marie Eldo Terrell, born in 1907 a twin to Mary Cicero and died at birth; Sarah Frances Terrell, born in 1909 and married Clyde Crenshaw Stallons; Myra Dean Terrell, born in 1911 and married Clarence Monroe Stallons; Martha Helen Terrell, born in 1913 and married Boyce Taylor Braboy; Virginia Irene Terrell, born in 1916 and married Ernest Lee Bridges; Robert Joe Terrell, born in 1918 and married Nellie Myrtle Peal; George Edward Terrell, born in 1921 and married Gladys Opal Gray; and Grace Annalene Terrell, born in 1924 and married Herbert Haydon Braboy.

Bob died at his home in Trigg County on June 23, 1956 at the age of 74.  He was buried at the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County.  His wife, Emma, died at the Trigg County Hospital on January 13, 1972 at the age of 87.  She was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery next to her husband.

 Bob and Emma's tombstone

LINEAGE: (Robert Terrell was the husband of Emma Skaggs Bridges.  Emma was the daughter of William Joseph and Sarah Wills Bridges and the granddaughter of Simco N. and Emeline Martin Bridges.  Simco was the third child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Edmond Allen "Allie" Sholar -- Farmer and Grocer

 

Edmond Allen "Allie" Sholar

Edmond Allen “Allie” Sholar was born on September 25, 1866 in the Donaldson Creek community of Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the oldest of three children born to Peyton Sholar and Frances Etna Vinson Sholar.  Peyton was the youngest child of Jemima Bridges and Allen Thomas Sholar.  Peyton worked as a farmer and his wife Frances was a homemaker.  Allie had two sisters, Lou Rena Sholar, born in 1868 and married William Franklin Vinson and Frances Etna “Etta” Sholar, born in 1873 and married Joel Wesley Deason. Allie also had two half-brothers from his father’s second marriage to Martha Calhoun, William Peyton Sholar, born in 1875 and died at the age of 5 months, and Henry Lee Sholar, born in 1879 and married Lillie D. Darnell and later married Ida Mae Ezell.

Allie grew up in the Donaldson Creek valley and went to school in the one-room Donaldson Creek School.  He received an elementary education up to the eighth grade at the school and then became a farmer with his father. Allie was a single man his entire life.

In addition to farming, Allie operated a small grocery store that was located on the bank of Donaldson Creek.  Limestone was quarried from the hillside next to the store and was used to build a small cabin next to the store that was used as Allie’s home. Allie’s entire life was dedicated to farming and operating the small grocery.

A column in the August 5, 1992 issue of the Cadiz Record written by Billy Rawls mentions Allie’s grocery store. The article describes when Billy would go hunting in the “tangled fields of Dollason Creek in about 1929”.  He would always stop by the “primitive log store that belonged to Allie Sholar who would greet him through a big moustache as he entered the dark interior” of the store.  Allie would “volunteer information about where the most quails might be had as he took off through the uncivilized looking fields” of Donaldson Creek.

Although he never married or had a family of his own, Allie was widely known and respected by many people throughout the community.  Having lived his entire life on the same farm, he was a special friend to those who lived near to him.

Allie was bedfast the last few months of his life and his niece, Grace Vinson Moore and her husband Albert Moore lived with him until his death.  Allie died on August 5, 1948 at his home at the age of 81.  He was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.

 Allie's home on Donaldson Creek

LINEAGE: (Edmond Allen “Allie” Sholar was the son of Peyton and Frances Etna Vinson Sholar and the grandson of Allen and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Pinkney Loys Lancaster -- Military Sharpshooter

 

Pinkney Loys Lancaster

 Pinkney Loys Lancaster was born on November 6, 1896 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the second of five children of Ezekiel Allen “Zeke” Lancaster and Peachie Matilda Harrell Lancaster.  Zeke was a farmer, a native of Trigg County and a great grandson of Allen and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  His wife Peachie was a homemaker and also a native of Trigg County.  Loys’ siblings were Thomas Lloyd Lancaster, born in 1895 and married Elsie Gradinsky; Ophia Pearl Lancaster, born in 1898 and married Otho Whitfield Tuggle and then Otho Lee Spurlin; Jessie Carl Lancaster, born in 1900 and married Nancy Whitt Mitchell; and Denny Derwood Lancaster, born in 1902 and married Oneta Belle Rees.  Loys had two half-siblings from his father’s marriage to his second wife, Virginia Nora Wiles.  They were Otis Hopson Lancaster, born in 1912 and married Ruby Rhea Ezell and Inez Lorene Lancaster, born in 1914 and married Clifton Earl Bridges.  Loys’ mother, Peachie, died several months before his eighth birthday.

Loys grew up on the farm and by the time he was 13, he had completed his formal education and was working as a farm laborer. His favorite past time was spent hunting and he was known for his hunting skills. These hunting skills later became an important asset when Loys entered his military service.

When Loys was 18 years old, World War I broke out and he traveled to Peoria, Illinois where he enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps on September 14, 1915.  Although he was never shipped off to fight the enemy in Europe as many of his Trigg County buddies, his duty to his county was nevertheless important. He served with the expeditionary force of marines that landed in Haiti for the protection of America’s interest.  From April 6, 1917 to September 13, 1919 he served in Cuba, Charleston, South Carolina and New Orleans, Louisiana.  While in the service, he was treated for malaria in 1916 and 1917 which took a toll on his body.

Loys early years as an expert hunter paid off while he was in the service. He qualified as a sharpshooter for the U. S. Marine Corps.  The Marine Corps officials considered his performances in gunnery as outstanding and he broke many marksmanship records before his enlistment expired. Loys was honorably discharged from the Marines on September 13, 1919 and he returned to his home in Trigg County.

Loys continued his career as a farmer and on February 14, 1922 he married Virginia Thomas Mitchell.  Virginia was born on April 28, 1903 in Trigg County.  She was the daughter of Whitson and Colie Lee Crawley Mitchell, both natives of Trigg County.  Loys and Virginia were the parents of seven children, Thomas Loys Lancaster, born in 1923 and married Mary Belle Moneymaker and then Betty Jean Kranich; Sylvia Rebecca Lancaster, born in 1925 and married Douglas Milburn and then Charles Lester Maxwell; Dorothy Lee Lancaster, born in 1927 and married Edwin Carl “Ick” Loeffler; June Matilda Lancaster, born in 1929 and married Elvis Homer Butler; Curtis Allen Lancaster, born in 1933; Joe Boyce Lancaster, born in 1934 and married Florence Ann Parker and then Margaret Sylvia Berry Satterlee; and James Wendell Lancaster, born in 1937 and married Jean Evelyn Valente. 

Loys’ health had become weakened by the diseases he had contracted while in the military and in 1938 he contracted a severe case of pneumonia. He died on May 27, 1938 at the age of 43 at the Jennie Stuart Memorial Hospital in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  He was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County.  Virginia died on January 27, 1989 at the age of 85 in Hopkinsville.  She was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery next to her husband.

Virginia Mitchell Lancaster

 

Loys Lancaster tombstone

 

Virginia Lancaster tombstone

LINEAGE: (Pinkney Loys Lancaster was the son of Ezekiel Allen “Zeke” and Peachie Matilda Harrell Lancaster and the grandson of Thomas Jefferson and Margaret Francis Lawrence Lancaster.  Margaret was the first child of Ezekiel M and Polly Sholar Lawrence.  Polly was the second child of Allen and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)
  

Percy Dillard Bridges -- Farmer and Carpenter

 

Percy and Edna Bridges

Percy Dillard Bridges was born on April 17, 1902 on Beechy Fork Creek in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the fourth of five children of Mark Dale Bridges and Mallie Mae Lancaster Bridges.  Mark Dale was a farmer and the salesman of a prominent monument firm.  He was a native of Trigg County and was a son of Cullen Thomas Bridges.  Mallie was a housewife and a native of Trigg County. Percy’s siblings were Nellie Cleveland Bridges, born in 1892 and married Mark McCarty; Flo Templeton Bridges, born in 1897 and married Ira Clifton Bridges; Preston Dale Bridges, born in 1899 and died at the age of 18 months and Douglas Eugene Bridges, born in 1909 and married Katherine Elizabeth Edwards and then married Dixie Louise Minton and a third marriage to Letha Louise Plumbee.

Percy grew up in the Maple Grove community and attended classes in the one-room Maple Grove School.  Soon after leaving school, at the height of World War I, Percy was inducted into the U. S. Navy in Louisville, Kentucky and was sent off to the U. S. Naval Training School in Gulfport, Mississippi.  He served on the battleship the USS Florida and spent time in the southern waters off the coast of Brazil.  After serving 18 months in the Navy, he was discharged from the service and returned to Trigg County.

Percy became a farmer on one of his father’s farms located in the Maple Grove community. He continued as a farmer during the 1920s but in the 1930s he started a career as a carpenter.

On October 8, 1921, he married Edna Pearl Thomas.  Edna was born on March 13, 1901 in Trigg County and was the fifth of eleven children born to Starkie William and Julia Louise Sumner Thomas. Starkie William was a grandson of Starkie Thomas and had worked as a farmer, machinist and a truck driver. Julia was a housewife and was a granddaughter of Drewry Bridges.  Edna’s siblings were Earlie Miles Thomas, born in 1892 and married Gertrude Elizabeth Wallis; James Ellmer “Elmo” Thomas, born in 1896 and died at the age of 16;  Erma Lee Thomas, born in 1898 and married Lacy Ott Stewart; Eska Maude Thomas, born in 1900 and married Gordon Price Walker; Samuel Ottawa Thomas, born in 1902 and first married Ruth Baker and then Louise Jannelle Reed and his third wife, Willie Boyd; Mary Henrietta Thomas, born in 1904 and married Cecil Edward Poe and then Hiram Louis Boyd; Eula Louise Thomas, born in 1905 and married Emery Alexander Carpenter; OCL Thomas, born in 1907 and married Gilbert Wall “Gip” Wallace; Clyde William Thomas, born in 1910 and Floyd Calvin Thomas, born in 1911 and first married Doris Bricker and then Dorothy Jean Thomas. Edna grew up on a farm and attended school in the Tuggleville community of Trigg County until her family later moved to Hopkinsville.

Percy and Edna were the parents of one child, a daughter, Mallie Louise Bridges, who was born in 1922 in the Maple Grove community. She married Herman Ray Franks.

Percy and Edna moved from the farm in Maple Grove to Cadiz while he was pursuing his career in carpentry.  He also operated the American Legion Clubhouse in Cadiz during the 1930s.  In the 1940s they moved to Hopkinsville and then on to Louisville where he was employed with the E. I. Dupont Company.  He was later transferred to Birmingham, Alabama by the company and then to Memphis, Tennessee.

In March of 1942, during World War II, Percy was drafted back into the military where he was stationed with the 62nd Infantry Division in Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  It was there that he developed health problems and after a few months he was given an honorable discharge.

In the mid-1940s, Percy and Edna returned to Trigg County where they built a home in the Maple Grove community. He continued to do carpentry work and then became a correctional officer with the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville, Kentucky.

On April 12, 1967, Percy died at the age of 64 in the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz of heart problems.  He was buried in the East End Cemetery.  Edna died at the age of 80 on April 12, 1981 at the Baptist Hospital in Memphis and was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her husband.

Percy and Edna's tombstone

LINEAGE: (Percy Dillard Bridges was the son of Mark Dale and Mallie Mae Lancaster Bridges and the grandson of Cullen Thomas and Virginia Thomas Bridges.  Cullen was the twelfth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges. William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.  Edna Pearl Thomas was the daughter of Starkie William and Julia Louise Sumner Thomas and the granddaughter of James Jasper and Mary Cunningham Thomas. James Jasper was the fourth child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Julia Louise was the daughter of Benjamin Miles and Henrietta Gabrella Bridges Sumner. Henrietta was the first child of Drewry and Peachie Ann Tart Bridges.  Drewry was the fourth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Thomas Lacy Jones -- Prominent Farmer

 

T. Lacy and Mary Thomas Jones

Thomas Lacy “T. Lacy” Jones was born on June 2, 1911 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the son of Charles Henry Jones and Annie Pearl Alexander Jones.  Charles Henry was a farmer and a native of Christian County, Kentucky.  Annie was a housewife and a native of Trigg County. Lacy’s siblings were H. B. Jones, Clyde Jones and Louise Jones, who married William Street Thomas.

T. Lacy grew up in Trigg County and attended the local schools, graduating from Cadiz High School in 1929.  He went on the attend Bethel College in Russellville, Kentucky.

After getting out of school it was very difficult for T. Lacy to get a job as it was the middle of the Great Depression.  With the help of a relative, he found a job with the Raleigh-Wyoming Coal Company in Glen Rogers, West Virginia, a mine that had so many fatalities that it was nicknamed “The Widow Maker.”.  He also worked in the Texas oil fields but couldn’t find steady work there.  He ended up hitchhiking from Tyler, Texas back to Louisville. In 1933 he returned to Cadiz and worked in Cunningham’s Café and Saloon.  When the saloon was closed by a local option election, he returned to Louisville to find work.

T. Lacy returned to Cadiz where on February 21, 1941, he married Mary Agnes Thomas.  Mary was born on July 24, 1912 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the daughter of Wiliam Robert “Willie” Thomas and Emma Rogers Thomas.  Mary had five siblings, Milton Ward “Chuck” Thomas, William Howell Thomas, Eunice Grace Thomas, John Robert Thomas and Cecil Wayne Thomas and one half-brother, Harlan Truman Thomas.  Mary was a descendant of Starkie Thomas.

After their marriage, T. Lacy and Mary lived in Louisville a short time, but later returned to Trigg County where T. Lacy began his career as a farmer when he entered into a partnership with his brother-in-law, Chuck Thomas, farming what was known as the “Old Tanyard Farm.”  This farm was one of the first farms settled in Trigg County A tannery had been established next to the Big Spring on the property by one of the county’s early settlers, Levi Harlan. The property had been acquired by Chuck Thomas in 1943.  T. Lacy was involved in producing high quality livestock and served as the President of the Trigg County Livestock Improvement Association.  He helped to eradicate brucellosis, a contagious disease affecting cattle, from the county.  He was also a founding director of the Bank of Cadiz and Trust Company and served on their Board of Directors for over 20 years.

Mary obtained her L.P.N. license and worked as a nurse for the Drs Futrell clinic in Cadiz as well as working on their private duty cases.  Her last eight years of employment was with the Pennyroyal Mental Health Center in Hopkinsville.  

T. Lacy and Mary were the parents of one child, a daughter, Mary Louise Jones, born in 1945 who married William Daniel Lavery, Jr.

T. Lacy died on April 29, 1996 at the age of 84 at his home in Cadiz. He was buried in the Bethel Cemetery in Trigg County.  Mary died on June 23, 1999 at the age of 86 in Collingswood, New Jersey.  She was buried next to her husband in the Bethel Cemetery.

 T. Lacy and Mary's tombstone

LINEAGE: (Thomas Lacy Jones was the husband of Mary Agnes Thomas Jones. Mary was the daughter of William Robert “Willie” and Emma Rogers Thomas and the granddaughter of Robert Allison and Emma Nora Cunningham Thomas.  Robert was the fifth child of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas.  Stanley was the second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)