Joel Robert Bridges
Joel Robert Bridges was born on June 4, 1923 in Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the youngest of five children born to Sheffer Brown Bridges and Enolia Berd Downs Bridges. His father, Sheffer, was primarily a farmer, but had also worked as a car salesman and a service station operator. His mother died when Joel was only 3 years old. His siblings were Thelma Brown Bridges, born in 1914 and married Marvin Roscoe Calhoun; Nina Pearl Bridges, born in 1916 and married Joe Clifford Taylor; John Lacy Bridges, born in 1917 and married Maureen Williams and later married Norma Helen Angloff; and Howard McKinley Bridges, born in 1920 and married Helen Panter and later married Dorotha Deon English. He had two step sisters, Nancy Evelyn Bridges, born in 1933 and married Charles E. Crabtree and later married Joseph Monroe Chisenhall and Mary Louise Bridges, born in 1934 and married John Herman Herndon. Their mother was his father’s second wife, Myrtle Lucille Creamer.
Joel grew up in Trigg County and when he was 18, he left for Detroit, Michigan with eight dollars in his pocket. From that humble beginning, he managed to save enough money to open a small produce market which later grew into two of the largest open-air markets in Detroit. From that point, he moved to Florida where he continued to succeed in various business ventures, becoming a very successful businessman and entrepreneur. He opened one of the first five-star mobile home parks in Florida, sold various real estate parcels and even worked as a funeral director.
All of Joel’s business enterprises culminated in him establishing the Komoko Miniature Horse Ranch in Newberry, Florida in 1968. Joel liked being in the role of a “cowboy” and this worked well for him working as a rancher in the breeding of miniature horses. In July of 1973, Joel had bred the world’s smallest perfect horse, a 14-inch tall, 14-pound foal that he had named “Gumba.” He had a herd of 141 American miniature horses on his 400-acre ranch at the time of Gumba’s birth as well as a herd of miniature Sardinian donkeys. Joel was quoted as saying at the time, "As far as I know, this is the smallest perfect horse in the world, excluding dwarfs and freaks." His customers for these miniature horses were usually just ordinary people who wanted them for backyard pets, but some were also sold for breeding purposes. In addition, he sold them to circus performers. Many of his customers were from Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada. Joel discouraged those who expected to make house pets of their minihorses. He was quoted as saying, "They're not puppies, and shouldn't be treated like puppies. They're horses. They need everything horses need, grass, grain, exercise but about 93 percent less food and space. " “And they need love," he added.
On October 9, 1944, Joel married Frances Marie English in Steuben, Indiana. Frances was born on May 1, 1930 in Golden Pond, Kentucky and was the daughter of Franklin Dwight and Willie Lee Flood English. Joel and Frances were the parents of four children, Carl Bruce Bridges, born and died in 1946; Joel Robert Bridges, Jr., born in 1947 and married Nina Marie Geiger and later married Cassandra Lee Heagy; Judith Ann Bridges, born in 1948 and married Robert Moore Waddell, Jr.; and Janet Diane Bridges, born in 1950 and married Larry Christopher West and later married William Jackson Calhoun and Dale Rogalski. Joel and Frances were divorced in March 1965. In July, 1965, Joel married his second wife, Alma L. Albright in Broward County, Florida. Joel married his third wife, Lucille Delgado on July 19, 1985 in Alachua, Florida. Lucille was born on September 9, 1950.
Joel died on January 23, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida at the age of 94. He was buried in the Forest Meadows Memorial Park and Mausoleum Central Cemetery in Gainesville.
Joel Robert Bridges tombstone
LINEAGE: (Joel Robert Bridges, Sr. was the son of Sheffer Brown and Enolia Berd Downs Bridges and the grandson of John Richard and Nancy Bell Meador Bridges. John Richard was the fifth 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.)
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