Henrietta Gabrella Bridges Sumner
Henrietta Gabrella Bridges was born on March 14, 1853 on Beechy Fork Creek near “the Little Spring” in the Maple Grove Community of Trigg County, Kentucky. She was the oldest of eleven children born to Drewry and Peachie Ann Tart Bridges and was a granddaughter of William Bridges. Drewry and Peachie were natives of Trigg County and Drewry was a farmer.
Henrietta’s ten siblings were Mary Louisa Bridges, born in 1855 and married James Edmond Sumner; James Filmore Bridges, born in 1857 and died at the age of one; William Henry Bridges, born in1859 and married Sarah Elizabeth “Sadie” Lancaster; John Richard Bridges, born in 1862 and married Nancy Bell Meador; Durwood Stanley Bridges, born in 1866 and married Jane “Jennie” Thomas; Martha Elizabeth “Bettie” Bridges, born in 1868 and married Seldon Trimble Thomas; Drewry E. Bridges, born in 1870 and died at the age of three months; Creta Bridges, born in 1871 and died at the age of four days; Peachie Ellen Bridges, born in 1874 and married Thomas Haywood Lawrence; and Eddie Adeline Bridges, born in 1876 and married Meridith Clay Carr. Henrietta’s father, Drewry Bridges was married for a second time to Nannie Gresham. This marriage resulted in half-brothers for Henrietta, Garland Drew Bridges, born in 1888 and married Annie Lurline Thomas and later married Joy K. Sutton and Hugh Bridges, born in 1890 and died at birth.
Henrietta or Rett as she was known grew up on a farm located about a mile from the farm settled by her great-grandfather, Drury Bridges, who came from North Carolina in the early 1890s and was the first Bridges settler in the community. On December 21, 1874 she married Benjamin Miles Sumner. Miles was born on February 5, 1849 in the Maple Grove community and was the son of Alfred and Martha Lancaster Sumner who were both natives of Trigg County.
Miles and Rett settled on a farm located on a hilltop in Maple Grove. However, their home ownership was short lived as Miles lost the farm in a lawsuit. Miles swore he would never lose any more land and that was because he never again owned any land. At that point he became a tenant farmer, which meant that he farmed only on land he rented from a landlord. Miles was successful as a tenant farmer and at one time operated the county’s “poor farm” where poor people who had no jobs or a place to live, lived. Rett was a hard-working woman and helped her husband on the tenant farms. At one time she raised a granddaughter in her home when she was a few months old until she was thirteen. This was in addition to Miles and Rett’s own big family.
Miles and Rett were the parents of nine children: Julia Louise Sumner, born in 1873 and married Starkie William Thomas; Emma Lee Sumner, born in 1875 and married Nathan Stanley Guier; John Calvin Sumner, born in 1877 and married Lucy Ethel Lawrence; James Ottawa Sumner, born in 1880, and married Martha Miller Thomas; Durwood Floyd Sumner, born in 1882 and married Lillie Jane Thomas; William Elmer “Elmo” Sumner, born in 1885 and died at the age of ten years; Nora Pearl Sumner, born in 1888 and married John Starkie Armstrong; Beulah May “Eula” Sumner, born in 1890 and married Joshua Light; and Mattie Maud Sumner, born in 1893 and married Starkie Thomas.
In their elder years Miles and Rett moved into a home built by their son, Floyd, located on the farm originally owned by Starkie Thomas in the Oak Grove community. On the property was located a brick kiln where bricks were made for the chimneys for many homes in the Oak Grove community that are still in use to this day.
Rett died on December 29, 1929 at the age of 76 at her home. She was buried in the Starkie Thomas cemetery in Trigg County. Miles died on July 10, 1933 at the age of 83 of a stroke. He was buried in the Starkie Thomas cemetery next to his wife.
Rett and Miles
Rett and Miles with some of their grandchildren
Rett and Miles tombstone
LINEAGE: (Henrietta Gabrella Bridges was the daughter of Drewry and Peachie Ann Tart Bridges. She was the granddaughter of William and Mary Thomas Bridges. William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)
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