Carmon Aubrey Cunningham -- Carpenter

 

Carmon Aubrey Cunningham was born on April 7, 1907 in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County, Kentucky, the fourth of seven children born to Elmer Ellsworth “Ell” Cunningham and Rosa Lee Bridges Cunningham.  Ell and Rosa Lee were both natives of Trigg County and Ell was a farmer.  Rosa Lee was a daughter of Cullen Thomas Bridges and Virginia Thomas Bridges and a granddaughter of William Bridges.

Carmon’s siblings were Myrtie Mable Cunningham, born in 1898 and married Burnett Finley; Olive James “Ollie” Cunningham, born in 1900 and married Lillie Roberta Williams; George Clyde Cunningham, born in 1904 and married Robbie Bell Bridges; Maureen Ell Cunningham, born in 1909 and married Grover Douglas “Bubby” Creamer; Earl Wayne Cunningham, born in 1912 and married Lois Velma Page; and Ivy Mavis Cunningham, born in 1915 and married Robert “Jack” Rowen, Jr.

Carmon attended the Trigg County schools and after leaving school became a carpenter.  He practiced carpentry in Cadiz and Trigg County in his early years and in 1939 he moved to Detroit, Michigan.  In the early 1940s, he returned to Cadiz when his wife became ill.  In 1947 after her death, he returned to Detroit where he worked as a construction worker for the O. W. Burke Company. The company was a Michigan corporation engaged as a general contractor in commercial and industrial construction work. Carmon worked for the company until his retirement in 1967. After his retirement, he moved back to Cadiz where he lived the rest of his life.

On December 10, 1928, Carmon married Ora Noel.  Ora was born on March 15, 1908 in Trigg County, the daughter of Quint Tyler Noel and Arminta Harris Noel, both natives of Trigg County. Carmon and Ora were the parents of two children, Dorris Aubrey Cunningham, born in 1929 and never married and Alven Roy Cunningham, born in 1934 and married Trixie Aileen Shortridge.

In 1946 Ora became ill when the family was living in Detroit. Her illness caused the family to move back to Cadiz. Several weeks after their return, Ora died on November 11, 1946 at the age of 38, at the home of her mother.  She was buried in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in the Blue Spring community of Trigg County.

On June 18, 1953, Carmon married Belvie Lee Ricks Dixon.  Belvie was born February 18, 1907 in Trigg County and was the daughter of Henry Luther Ricks and Fredonia Isabelle Turner Ricks, both natives of Trigg County.  Carmon and Belvie had no children, but Belvie had two children from her first marriage to Thomas Lloyd Dixon. Belvie died on April 18, 1977 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky at the age of 68.  She was buried in the Dixon Cemetery in Trigg County next to her first husband.

Carmon died on May 25, 1969 in the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz at the age of 62. He was buried in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery next to his first wife.

Ell and Rosie Bridges Cunningham family 1929

Carmon and Ora Cunningham tombstone

LINEAGE: (Carmon Aubrey Cunningham was the son of Elmer Ellsworth and Rosa Lee Bridges Cunningham. Rosa Lee was the seventh child of Cullen T. 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.  Virginia was the third child of Peyton and Sarah Ethridge Thomas.  Peyton was the third child of Cullen and Elizabeth Futrell Thomas.  Cullen was the first child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Bluford Clyde Bridges -- Centenarian

 

Bluford Clyde Bridges

Bluford Clyde Bridges was born on February 6, 1891 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the oldest of five children of Alfred Franklin Bridges and Minnie Lancaster Bridges.  His father had an earlier marriage to Ella Turner who had provided Bluford with three half siblings.  Alfred was a farmer and both he and Minnie were native Trigg Countians.

Bluford’s siblings were Alfred Claud Bridges, born in 1895 and married Ethelene Bonner; William Hopson “Willie” Bridges, born in 1899 and married Sarah Ellen McCoy; Ambie Lois Bridges, born in 1900 and married Amos Ira Guier and Denny Lee Bridges, born in 1901 and married Margaret Nolan.  Bluford’s half siblings were Charlotte “Lottie” Bridges, born in 1883 and married Harry Winfield Lancaster; John Madison “Matt” Bridges, born in 1884 and married Huewell Tandy Lawrence and Annie Emmaline Bridges, born in 1888 and married William Albert Ford.

Bluford grew up on his father’s farm and became a farmer and lived on a farm in the Linton community of Trigg County for his entire life.

On December 27, 1912 when Bluford was 21 years old, he married Birdie Hopson Calhoun in Stewart County, Tennessee.  Birdie was 18 at the time of their marriage.  She was born in Trigg County and was the daughter of Arthur Griffin Calhoun and Nancy Augusta Herndon Calhoun, both native Trigg Countians.

In 1991 when Bluford reached the age of 100, he was interviewed about becoming a Centenarian. Once a week at that age he would ride a community services bus, usually on a Thursday, to the Senior Citizen Kitchen in Cadiz.  There he would talk to his friends, eat a hot meal and smoke his cigarettes.  When told that smoking was not good for him, he said, “They ain't, I don't smoke as much as some people."  Smoking was a habit that Bluford had had for 84 years at the time.  Bluford recalled living without electricity. The only way he had to travel was to walk or ride one of his good saddle horses. "I can recollect when I wore dresses, too," he said.  "I was six or seven years old and as far as I know all boys wore dresses then."  Bluford talked about his fox hounds and fox hunting expeditions. “I fox hunted a long time.  I'd blow my horn.  Stay out all night.  Go to work the next day,” he said. Fox hunting has apparently been one of his greatest pleasures in life. "I love to hear them dogs run about as good as I do anything," he said.  When asked if he had any advice on how to live to be 100, he didn’t have much to say, but he did have a message for young people. "Be honest," he said.

Bluford and Nancy were the parents of five children, Eda Glenn Bridges, born in 1913 and died in 1915 at the age of 1 ½ years old; Obie Clyde Bridges, born in 1916 and married Mary Jane Crews; Arlie Amos Bridges, born in 1918 and married Lois Alene Dunning; Robert Garnett Bridges, born in 1921 and married Macy Louis Oakley and Annie Grace Bridges, born in 1929 and died in 1930 at the age of one month.

Bluford died on March 3, 1993 in Cadiz, Kentucky at the age of 102.  He was the oldest resident of Trigg County at the time of his death. He was buried in the Green Hill Memorial Gardens in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  Birdie died on June 3, 1964 in Cadiz at the age of 67.  She was buried in the Green Hill Memorial Gardens.

Bluford, age 92,  and friend L. L Pope, age 95, relax on the benches in front of the Trigg County Courthouse in Cadiz, Kentucky

Bluford and Birdie Bridges tombstone

LINEAGE: (Bluford Clyde Bridges was the son of Alfred Franklin and Minnie Lancaster Bridges.  Alfred was the fourth child 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.)

Carroll Thomas -- Early Trigg County Pioneer

 

Carroll Thomas

Carroll Thomas was born on December 31, 1831 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the second of four children who grew to adulthood of James Thomas, Jr. and Margaret Ethridge Thomas.  James, Jr. had been born in Bertie County, North Carolina and traveled with his father’s family to settle in Trigg County.  His mother, Margaret, was a native of Davidson County, Tennessee.  James, Jr. owned a farm in the Donaldson Creek community. Carroll’s siblings were Edwin C. Thomas, born in 1830 and married Amanda C. Brandon; James Clark “Muck” Thomas, born in 1835 and married Mary Elizabeth Lawrence and then married Mary Ann “Mollie” Fowler Meeks; and Amanda Jane Thomas, born in 1838 and married Bayliss Print Vinson. James, Jr. and Margaret also had one unnamed infant and Pollie S. Thomas, who died in childhood.

Carroll grew up on his father’s farm which was near the present-day Donaldson Creek Baptist Church.  He attended school at the Upper Donaldson one-room school house along with numerous members of his kinfolk. Carroll was an accomplished musician, especially adroit on the violin.  On one occasion he was called before the church deacons to explain why he had played the violin at a square dance, which was frowned upon by the church.

On February 10, 1859, Carroll married Margaret Jane Reid.  Margaret was born on August 2, 1842 in Stewart County, Tennessee, the daughter of Matthew Milton Reid and Martha Ann Vinson Reid, both natives of Stewart County.  Carroll was 28 years old and Margaret was 19 at the time of their marriage. They moved into his father’s two-story frame home where all eight of their children were born and raised.  The eight children were Sarah L. “Sallie” Thomas, born in 1860, and married James Edmond Sumner; Jesse Milton “Bud” Thomas, born in1862 and married Lula Augusta Shelton; Robert Henry Thomas, born in 1867 and married Lillie Belle Thomas and then married Ora Agnes Bridges; Martha Thomas, born in 1870 and died at the age of two; Richard Ellis Thomas, born in 1872 and married Nannie G. Hendricks and then married Effie Sivills, with a third marriage to Ora Crute Wills and a fourth marriage to Ada Justice Smith; Margaret “Jennie Thomas, born in 1874 and married George Walton Thomas; Charles Major Thomas, born in 1879; and Edward “Edd” Clark Thomas, born in 1882 and married Augusta “Gustie” Arbelle Carr.

Carroll’s wife Margaret died at the age of 48 on February 13, 1890.  She was buried in the Carroll Thomas Family Cemetery which was located at the rear of the site of their family home.  On January 1, 1891, Carroll married his second wife, Frances “Frankie” Wills Vinson.  Frances was born on June 20, 1857, the daughter of Jospeh Patrick Wills and Harriett Duncan Wills.  Frankie was the widow of Ezekiel Vinson.  Carroll and Frankie were the parents of three children, one who died in infancy; and two who grew to adulthood, John Cullen “Taylor” Thomas, born in 1891 and married Myrtle Green Chewning and James Carroll “Pat” Thomas, born in 1899, and married Bessie Elizabeth Satterfield.

Carroll spent his entire life on Donaldson Creek in the family home built by his father on the farm that he had acquired in 1825.  He died at that home on February 12, 1922 at the age of 90.  He had incurred a fall several weeks before his death which had resulted in a broken hip and because of his advanced age, his death was not unexpected.  He was buried in the family cemetery near the rear of his family home.  His wife, Frankie, outlived him by 24 years and continued to live in the family home along with his family until her death on January 31, 1946, at the age of 88.  She was buried in the family cemetery behind the home along with her husband and his first wife.

Carroll Thomas home place on Donaldson Creek

Carroll and Margaret tombstone

Frankie Thomas tombstone

LINEAGE: (Carroll Thomas was the second child of James, Jr. and Margaret Ethridge Thomas.  James, Jr. was the sixth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Johnnie Vara Thomas Williams -- Farmer's wife

 

Vara Thomas Williams

 Johnnie Vara Thomas was born on April 20, 1880 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the third of seven children of William Henry “Will” Thomas and Sidney Dyer Thomas.  Will and Sidney were both natives of Trigg County with Will being a grandson of Starkie Thomas.  Will had two additional marriages which provided Vara with seven half-siblings.

Vara’s siblings were Stanley Dyer Thomas, born in 1875 and married Willie Ethel Hite; Lilburn Clinton Thomas, born in 1878 and married Verna Herndon; Rufus Kenneth Thomas, born in 1882 and married Tina Avery Wood; Arvin Henry Thomas, born in 1885; Sallie Roberta Thomas, born in 1887 and married Lamont Benton Futrell; and William Cyrus Thomas, born in 1889 and died at the age of four.  Vara’s half sibling from her father’s marriage to Ophelia Estelle Tinsley was Conrad Tinsley Thomas, born in 1892 and married Nola Lorraine Sholar. Vara’s half siblings from her father’s marriage to Martha Ellen Tinsley were Marcellus Jagoe Thomas, born in 1897 and married Minnie Olive Leitch and then married Augusta Evelyn Jennings; Ophelia Angela Thomas, born in 1899 and married Lester Perry Ellis; Raymond Redmond Thomas, born in 1901 and married Bertha Violet Stewart; William Street Thomas, born in 1903 and married Louise Jones; Herschel Dunning Thomas, born in 1907 and married Mary Lou Wolfe; and Norbet Hilton Thomas, born in 1910 and died at the age of two.

Vara grew up in the Warrenton community and her family later moved to the Oak Grove community.  Vara was a young lady who liked the outdoors.  She had her own horse and was considered a skilled rider.  On December 25, 1900 she married Thomas Green Williams.  Tom was born on March 4, 1874 in Stewart County, Tennessee and was the son of Dudley Miles Williams and Arabella Marie Milam Williams.  After Vara and Tom’s marriage in Trigg County, they moved to Almo in Calloway County where they established their home on a farm.  In 1908, they moved back to Trigg County where they settled on a farm located east of Canton.  Within a few months, Tom had built a log cabin on a hill in a wooded area of the farm. Later they built a new home on Canton Pike which was located just west of what is now the entrance to Lake Barkley State Park.  The house was subsequently destroyed as the result of the building of the entrance to the park.

In addition to being a farmer, Tom was an accomplished musician. He made and sold five-stringed banjos.  The family owned a pump-organ and all of Tom and Vara’s children played the organ and the neighbors often gathered on long winter evenings for a joyous family singalong.

Tom and Vara were the parents of eight children, Sidney Alma Williams, born in 1901 and married Pink Harrell Guier; Annie Lucille Williams, born in 1903 and married Robert Elliott Malone; Gillis Thomas Williams, born in 1905 and married Kittie Hendricks; Lily Roberta Williams, born in 1908 and married Olive James Cunningham; Loys Lamont Williams, born in 1910 and married Mary Leta Boyd; Geneva Evelyn Williams, born in 1913 and married Earl Wane Simmons; John Cullen Williams, born in 1915 and married Audrey G. Forrest and then married Vera May Cox Gibbs; and Forest Hilda Williams, born in 1918 and married Gilbert N. Bridges.

Vara died on December 23, 1937 at the age of 57 at the hospital in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  She had been admitted for complaints with gallstones and failed to recover from surgery for her ailment.  She was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County.  Tom had died of tuberculosis on March 26, 1924 at the age of 50 at his home.  He was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery with his wife.

Tom and Vara Williams tombstone

LINEAGE: (Johnnie Vara Thomas was the daughter of William Henry and Sidney Dyer Thomas.  William Henry was the third 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 Stanley Thomas.)

Joseph Allen Sholar -- Early Trigg Businessman and Farmer

 

Joseph Allen Sholar was born on July 7, 1857 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the fourth of eight children of Thomas J. Sholar and Martha Jane Rogers Sholar.  Thomas and Martha were both natives of Trigg County with Thomas being a son of Allen and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Thomas was a farmer and lived in the Roaring Spring community of Trigg County.

Joe’s siblings were Starkie Thomas Sholar, born in 1851 and married Virginia “Jennie” Darnell; Elmanda Ellen Sholar, born in 1853 and married James Monroe Harrell; John Peyton Sholar, born in 1855 and married Lucy Ann Wyatt; David Pinkney Sholar, born in 1860; William Ricks Sholar, born in 1862 and married Sedalia Josephine Futrell; Ishmael Worth Sholar, born in 1864 and married Sarah A. “Sallie” Newton; and George Patterson Sholar, born in 1868 and married Sarah Caroline Futrell.

Joe grew up on the family farm in Roaring Spring where he worked as a farm laborer as a youth.  When he was a young man, he opened a business in the Linton community.  After several years he moved to Cadiz where he opened a grocery store. During the 1890’s he also operated a whiskey business in Cadiz.  In the late 1890s he left Cadiz and returned to Roaring Spring where he settled on the family farm where he had been born and once again became a farmer.  Joe was known as a quiet and unassuming person and was a well-respected citizen of his community.

Joe was married three times.  His first wife was Alice Eugenia Shelton who he married on December 18, 1878 when she was 18 years old and Joe was 21.  Alice was born on June 21, 1860 in Trigg County, the daughter of Stephen Henry and Elizabeth McKinney Shelton, both Trigg County natives.  Alice died on September 9, 1879 at the age of 19.  She and Joe had been married only a little over eight months at the time of her death.  She was buried in the McKinney Cemetery in Trigg County.

Joe married his second wife, Nora Armstrong, on May 25, 1892. Nora was 20 years old and Joe was 35 at the time. She was born on October 24, 1871 in Trigg County.  Her parents were William Thomas and Mary Jane Thomas Armstrong, both natives of Trigg County.  Nora was a granddaughter of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Nora died on August 7, 1893 of typhoid fever at the age of 21 after she and Joe had only been married a little more than a year.  Nora was buried in the Starkie Thomas Cemetery in Trigg County.

On July 29, 1920, when Joe was 63 years old, he married his third wife, Nora Josephine “Josie” Scott.  Josie was born on January 31, 1876 and was 44 years old at the time of the marriage.  Josie was the daughter of Joseph and Sarah Josephine Rogers Scott, both natives of Trigg County.  Josie outlived her husband by 33 years and died on May 24, 1966 at the age of 90 in Cadiz.  She was buried in the Flat Lick Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Herndon, Kentucky.  

Joe and his three wives did not have any children.

Joe died on October 24, 1933 of tuberculosis at the age of 76 at his home on the farm in Roaring Spring.  He was buried in the Sholar Cemetery located on his farm.  Josie Sholar was also listed on his tombstone although she was buried in the church cemetery in Herndon.

Joseph Allen Sholar tombstone

 

Alice Shelton Sholar tombstone

 

Nora Amrstrong Sholar tombstone

Josie Scott Sholar tombstone

LINEAGE: (Joseph Allen Sholar was the son of Thomas J. and Martha Jane Rogers Sholar.  Thomas was the seventh child of Allen and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

Charles Edward Thomas-- Farmer, Deputy Sheriff and County Treasurer

 

Charles Edward Thomas

Charles Edward Thomas was born on February 27, 1922 in Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the second of two children born to Starkie Thomas and Mattie Maud Sumner Thomas. Starkie was a native of Trigg County, Kentucky and worked as a farmer. He was named after his grandfather, Starkie Thomas, who was a son of James Thomas. Mattie was also a native of Trigg County, worked as a homemaker, and was a descendant of Drewry Bridges. Charles’ only sibling was a sister, Nella Mae Thomas, who was born and died on July 12, 1920.

Charles grew up in the Oak Grove community of Trigg County and attended the one-room Oak Grove School.  He went on to attend the Cadiz High School and Trigg County High School.  After leaving school he became a farmer like his father and oversaw a multi-faceted 500-acre farm operation in the center of Trigg County.  His home where he lived in the Oak Grove community was the same home where he was born.

In addition to operating a large farm, Charles was appointed to serve as Trigg County Deputy Sheriff for eight years, serving under both Sheriff Luther Thomas and Sheriff Prentice Oliver.  In addition, he held the office of Trigg County Treasurer for eight years.  The Trigg County Treasurer’s office is responsible for financial transactions, including issuing Trigg County tax bills, and collecting personal and real property tax payments. For twenty-eight years, Charles worked for the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) office in Trigg County.

Charles also served as a supervisor on the Soil Conservation Board for the Trigg County Soil Conservation District and was a member of the Cadiz Masonic Lodge.

On August 17, 1955, Charles married Betty Jean Henderson in Gibson County, Tennessee.  Betty was born July 31, 1932 in Trigg County near the Bethesda Church north of Cadiz.  She was the daughter of Homer Carroll and Mamie F. Stallons Henderson who were both natives of Trigg County. Homer worked as a farmer. Betty attended Hanberry School, Cadiz Graded School and graduated from Trigg County High School.  She worked for the Gulf Refining Company and the Model Master Market Grocery.  Betty retired on September 5, 1986 after working 30 years for the Trigg County Health Department.

Charles and Betty were the parents of one child, Emily Diane Thomas, born in 1957, and married David Byron Chesnut.

Charles died on November 13, 1999 at the age of 77 in the St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.  He was buried in the Starkie Thomas Cemetery in the Oak Grove community of Trigg County.  Betty died on June 11, 2013 at the age of 80 in the Signature Health Care Center in Clarksville, Tennessee. She was buried next to her husband in the Starkie Thomas Cemetery.

Betty Henderson Thomas

Charles and Betty
 

Charles and Betty tombstone

LINEAGE: (Charles Edward Thomas was the son of Starkie and Mattie Maud Sumner Thomas.  He was the grandson of Francis Marion “Fant” and Mary Forrest Rogers Thomas and Benjamin Miles and Henrietta Gabrella Bridges Sumner.  Francis Marion was the seventh child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Henrietta Gabrella 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 Drewry and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)
t

Juanita Bridges Stephens -- Secretary and Administrative Assistant

 

Juanita Bridges Stephens

Juanita Katherine Bridges Stephens was born on July 27, 1929 on Beechy Fork Creek in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was the third of four children of Peyton Thomas “Pate” Bridges and Ida Crutchfield Light Bridges.  Pate was a grocery businessman, a native of Trigg County and a grandson of Cullen Thomas Bridges and a great-great grandchild of Cullen Thomas.  His wife Ida also worked in the grocery business, was a homemaker and also a native of Trigg County.  Ida was a descendant of Starkie Thomas.

Juanita was the only daughter in her family.  She had three brothers, Alfred Wesley Bridges, born in 1922 and died in 1926 at the age 4; Chester Keidell Bridges, born in 1925 and married Doris Dale Anderson; and Charles Kenneth Bridges, born in 1944 and married Pamela Rowe.

Juanita’s early years were spent growing up in the Maple Grove community where she attended the one-room Maple Grove School.  Her family moved to Cadiz in 1939 and she attended Cadiz Graded School and Trigg County High School where she was a cheerleader and graduated in 1947. Juanita went on to attend the Andrew Jackson Business College in Nashville, Tennessee in 1947 and 1948.

On May 3, 1949, Juanita married Gene Tunney Stephens in Piggott, Arkansas. Piggott was a popular wedding destination for several Trigg County couples at that time.  Gene was born on July 23, 1927 and was the son of Arnette Melvin and Alvie Mitchell Stephens.  Both Melvin and Alvie were natives of Trigg County. Juanita and Gene had no children.

Juanita and Gene settled in Cadiz after their marriage but finding a lucrative job in that post-war time in a small town was difficult. So similar to what many young couples did back in the 1940s they starting looking for jobs outside their hometown.  In 1950, Gene accepted a position with the Preload Construction Company located in Garden City, New York.  Preload built large storage tank facilities for water, storm water and wastewater treatment made from prestressed concrete throughout the eastern portion of the U.S.  Several young Trigg County families worked for Preload and these families often traveled together to many job locations.

Nita did not work during the years she and Gene spent with Preload.  They never stayed longer than five or six months in any one location.  They found themselves living in almost all the eastern states as well as midwestern jobs in Missouri, Michigan and even in Texas.  Nita liked to say they lived liked gypsies traveling from job site to job site as they lived in more than 20 states during the 1950s. 

In 1962, when Juanita’s father’s health declined, she moved back to Cadiz as Gene continued to travel with Preload.  They bought a house in east Cadiz and then finally moved to a new home in the western portion of Cadiz.  Juanita was finally was able to put her skills she learned in business college to use when she accepted her first full time position as a clerk with the Trigg County Board of Education. In 1967, she began a career working with the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Land Between the Lakes, serving in various administrative positions.  Gene left Preload in 1966 and returned full time to Cadiz where he worked as an operator for the Cadiz Water Plant. In 1973 he returned to work for several more years with the Preload Company.  Both Juanita and Gene retired from their jobs in the 1990s and spent their retirement years in Cadiz.

Juanita died on March 18, 2003 at the age of 73 in the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz after a valiant fight with breast cancer.  She was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.  Gene had died on November 19, 2001 at the age of 74 in the Trigg County Hospital and was buried in the East End Cemetery next to his wife.

 Juanita and Gene Stephens

 

A young Juanita with her brother, Keidell

 

Juanita and Gene's tombstone

LINEAGE: (Juanita Katherine Bridges Stephens was the daughter of Peyton Thomas and Ida Light Bridges and the granddaughter of Ghent Alfred and Nettie Cunningham Bridges.  Ghent was the third child 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.)

NOTE:  This leaf is published on this Mother’s Day Weekend 2024 in honor of my sister, Juanita Bridges Stephens, who had no children of her own, but she was a “second mother” to me. She was 16 when I was born and I think she always thought of me as her child and I know I could count on her as my “second mother” during her entire life. It is with her inspiration and love of family that I am able to write this blog.   "Happy Mother’s Day, Neenie! I love you."

Richard Ellis Thomas -- Rural Mail Carrier

 

Richard Ellis Thomas was born on February 23, 1872, in the Donaldson Creek community of Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the fifth of eight children born to Carroll Thomas and Margaret Jane Reid Thomas. Carroll was a native of Trigg County, Kentucky and worked as a farmer. He was a son of James Thomas, Jr. Margaret Jane was a native of Stewart County, Tennessee and was a homemaker. Richard’s siblings were Sarah L. “Sallie” Thomas, born in 1860 and married James Edmond Sumner; Jesse Milton “Bud” Thomas, born in 1862 and married Lou Augusta Shelton; Robert Henry Thomas, born in 1867 and married Lillie Belle Thomas and then married Ora Agnes Bridges; Martha Thomas, born in 1870 and died at the age of two; Margaret “Jennie”. Thomas, born in 1874 and married George Walton Thomas; Charles Major Thomas, born in 1879; and Edward Clark Thomas, born in 1882 and married Augusta Arbelle Carr.  Carroll’s second marriage to Frances Wills Vinson produced two half-siblings, John Cullen “Taylor” Thomas, born in 1891 and married Myrtle Green Chewning and James Carroll “Pat” Thomas born in 1899 and married Bessie Elizabeth Satterfield.

Richard grew up in the Donaldson Creek community and began his postal career as the assistant to the postmaster at the old Donaldson Post Office which was located in the grocery store owned by Chilton Thomas. He worked in this position for ten years until the rural free delivery system was inaugurated in Trigg County.  Up unto that time patrons were required to come to the post office to get their mail. On December 1, 1915, he started delivery on what was known as Route Three after he petitioned patrons and organized the route.  Later he went on to organize Route Six and Route Nine. He served as temporary carrier on some of these routes until a regular carrier was appointed, finally ending up as the carrier on Route Three until his retirement.  All of the routes were served by the Cadiz post office.  He estimated the he had traveled over 200,000 miles on the different routes he served on, handled over 750,000 pieces of mail, and worked under six different postmasters at the Cadiz post office.  Practically all the routes he traveled were in Trigg County.

Richard said that in delivering the mail along his routes over the years, he had used four different horses, one mule, had worn out three buggies, one motorcycle with side car, and seven automobiles.  During the cold winter of 1918, he said he even walked much of the time, the roads being too slippery to permit even riding horseback.  He was affectionately known as “Mr. Richard," to the vast number of people, he served as their rural carrier. On February 28, 1937, Richard at the age of 65, retired as the rural mail carrier for Route Six out of Cadiz after 21 years, four months, and 14 days of active service.

On September 4, 1892, Richard married Nannie G. Hendricks in Stewart County, Tennessee. Nannie was born on February 25, 1873 in Trigg County. Richard and Nannie were the parents of five children, Ella Mae Thomas, born in 1894 and married Ethell Moore Blackford; Owen S. Thomas, born in 1896 and married Alfred Washington Coleman and later married Albert Conway Thomas; William Gobel Thomas, born in 1900 and died at the age of four months; Fannie Jane Thomas, born in 1902 and died at the age of three years; Oscar Earl Thomas, born in 1905 and married Willie May Adams.

Nannie died on June 20, 1907 at the age of 34, and was buried in the Carroll Thomas Family cemetery in Trigg County.  On March 14, 1921, Richard married his second wife, Effie Sivills.  Effie was born on February 18, 1883 in Trigg County. Richard and Effie were the parents of three children, Richard Ellis Thomas, Jr., born and died in 1922; Ellis Franklin Thomas, born in 1923; and Lula Evelyn Thomas, born in 1925 and died a year later.  

Effie died on April 12, 1925 at the age of 42, and was buried in the Chewning Cemetery in Trigg County. On November 9, 1933 Richard married his third wife, Ora Crute Wills in Hamilton County, Indiana.  Ora was born on April 6, 1880 in Trigg County.  Richard and Ora had no children.  Ora died on December 1, 1935 at the age of 55 and was buried in the Carroll Thomas Family Cemetery. On October 10, 1940, Richard married his fourth wife, Ada Justice Middleton Smith in Joplin, Missouri.  Ada was born on December 28, 1886 in Van Buren, Missouri. Richard and Ada had no children. Ada died on May 13, 1958 at the age of 71 in Joplin, Missouri and was buried next to her first husband in the Forest Park Cemetery in Joplin, Missouri.

Richard died on May 16, 1953 at the age of 81 in the Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee after suffering a broken hip in a fall two years earlier.  He was buried in the Carroll. Thomas Family Cemetery in the Donaldson Creek community.

 

 

Richard Ellis Thomas tombstone

 

LINEAGE: (Richard Ellis Thomas was the son of Carroll and Margaret Jane Reid Thomas and the grandson of James, Jr., and Margaret Ethridge Thomas.  James, Jr. was the sixth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

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.)