Rosa Lee Bridges Cunningham
Rosa Lee Bridges was born on January 29, 1876 in Trigg County, Kentucky. She was one of ten children born to Cullen Thomas Bridges and Martha Ann Virginia Thomas Bridges. Cullen was a farmer, a teacher, made hand-tooled leather products as well as other trades. He was a native of Trigg County who had fought in the Civil War. Cullen was the twelfth child of William Bridges. Virginia was a native of Trigg County and was a granddaughter of Cullen Thomas, the first child of James Thomas.
Rosa Lee’s siblings were Sallie Bridges, born in 1864 and died in 1865; An unnamed infant, born and died in 1865; Ghent Alfred Bridges, born in 1867 and married Nettie Linden Cunningham; Ora Agnes Bridges, born in 1869 and married Robert Henry Thomas; Mark Dale Bridges, born in 1871 and married Mallie Mae Lancaster; John Trice Bridges, born in 1874 and married Maggie Dora Cunningham; Cleveland Bridges, born in 1878 and died at the age of ten; Mollie May Bridges, born in 1880 and married Benjamin Flood Grigsby; and Jesse Clyde Bridges, born in 1887 and married Myrtess Grace “Myrt” Davis.
Rosa Lee grew up along with her numerous siblings in a home on Beechy Fork Creek in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County. The home was part of the original log cabin that had been built by her grandfather in the early 1800s. She attended school in the one-room Maple Grove School where her father served as the teacher.
On December 27, 1896 Rosa Lee married Elmer Ellsworth “Ell” Cunningham. Ell was born on October 19, 1873 in Trigg County. He was the son of William Thomas Cunningham and Martha Jane “Mattie” Cameron Cunningham. William and Mattie were both natives of Trigg County. Ell’s paternal grandfather, William “Buck” Cunningham, Jr. migrated to Trigg County from Albemarle County, Virginia and married Virginia Jane “Jennie” Mitchell of Christian County and they were the progenitors of the many Cunningham descendants in Trigg County.
Ell was a farmer and he and Rosa Lee lived on several farms in Trigg County during their lives. Their first farm was in the Oak Grove community and later they farmed in the Blue Spring and Canton areas before they made their home in the Maple-Grove-Donaldson Creek area. In addition to being a farmer, Ell served as county magistrate for four years.
Rosa Lee and Ell were the parents of seven children. They were Myrtle 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; Carmon Aubrey Cunningham, born in 1907 and married Ora Noel and later married Belva Ricks Dixon; Maurine 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.
Ell died on December 23, 1953 at the age of 80 in Trigg County at the home of his daughter, Myrtle Finley. He was buried in the Allen Cemetery in the Oak Grove community. After Ell’s death, Rosa Lee continued to live in the family home-place for a number of years before she moved to Eureka, California in October 1964 to live with her daughter, Mavis Rowen. Rosa Lee died on April 8, 1965 at the age of 89 in Eureka. She was buried in the Allen Cemetery next to her husband.
Rosa and Ell
Ell and Rosa
Rosa and Ell tombstone
LINEAGE: (Rosa Lee Bridges was the daughter of Cullen Thomas and Martha Ann 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.)
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