Martha Nell Malone Smith - Secretary and Newspaper Columnist

 

 

Martha Nell Malone Smith

 

Martha Nell Malone was born on March 17, 1925 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was the oldest of six children born to Robert Elliott Malone, Sr. and Annie Lucille Williams Malone  Robert was a farmer and a native of Trigg County.  Annie was a homemaker and a native of Calloway County, Kentucky.  Martha was a descendant of Starkie Thomas.

Martha’s siblings were Edmund Pendleton Malone, born in 1929 and died in 1930 at the age of 15 months; Celena Ann Malone, born in 1931 and married Nicolas Virgilio Mejia, Jr.; Betty Sue Malone, born in 1934 and married Douglas Claude Hayes; Vara Jo Malone, born in 1940 and married William Wallace Adams, Jr. and later married Billy Ray Powell; and Robert Elliott Malone, Jr., born in 1944 and married Mary Janyth Hurt and later married Janice L. Finch and then married Norma K. McCord Keller.

Martha attended the Warrenton School for her elementary education and then went on to graduate from Trigg County High School in 1942.  She received a scholarship from Draughon’s Business College in Paducah, Kentucky where she graduated with a secretarial certificate.

Martha began her career as a secretary for the manager of the Pet Milk Company in Mayfield, Kentucky where she worked for more than two years.  In 1945, she accepted a position with the U.S. Army at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In 1958 she received a promotion as the secretary to the Deputy Post Commander at Fort Campbell.  She served in this position until her retirement in June 1974, having worked at Fort Campbell for 29 years,

On April 1, 1949, Martha married James Houston Smith at the Dyers Chapel Methodist Church.  James, known as Jimmie, was born on January 22, 1925 in Whitesand, Mississippi, the son of George William Smith and Letha Marie Smith Smith. George worked for the Borden Milk Company and was a native of Covington County, Mississippi,  Marie was a homemaker and a native of Lawrence County, Mississippi. 

After Martha and Jimmie  were married, they lived in Hopkinsville where James worked with the Wood Music Company and later with the Office Machine Repair Shop in Fort Campell. Jimmie established his own office machine repair shop known as J. Houston Smith Office Machines.

The Smiths operated the Hilltop Bird Farm in Gracey, Kentucky where they raised rare breeds of pheasants,  partridge,  grouse, turkey and peacock as well as many species of canaries.  They imported a number of birds from Taiwan and were the only breeders in the United States to import and raise the ferruginous wood partridge, that is a native of Indonesia. Martha and Jimmie were active members of the American Pheasant and Waterfowl Association.

Jimmie and Martha had no children and their marriage ended in divorce.  Jimmie died at the age of 76 on December 21, 2001 at the Belle Meade Nursing Home in Greenville, Kentucky. and was buried in the Green Hill Memorial Gardens in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Martha moved from Gracey to the Malone Farm in Trigg County.  She lived in the log house where she grew up and had been the home of her parents, her grandparents and her great grandparents . In the 1990s Martha wrote a weekly column for the Cadiz Record called “This n’ That.”  The column featured such human-interest topics as the weather, proper etiquette, the British Royal Family trivia on the U.S. presidents, political history and other random subjects.

Martha died on January 2, 2015 at the age of 89 at the Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky.  She was buried in the Malone Cemetery in Trigg County.

Martha tombstone

 

LINEAGE:  (Martha Nell Malone was the daughter of Robert Elliott and Annie Lucille Williams Malone.  Annie was the second child of Thomas Green and Johnnie Vara Thomas Williams.  Johnnie Vara was the third child of William Henry and Sidney Dyer Thomas.  William 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 Standley Thomas.)

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

Amanda Elizabeth Thomas Ledbetter -- Homemaker and Wife of a Farmer

 

 Amanda Thomas Ledbetter

Amanda Elizabeth Thomas was born on May 14, 1870 in the Donaldson Creek community of Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was the sixth of seven children of James Clark “Muck” Thomas and Elizabeth Lawrence Thomas.  Muck was a farmer and Elizabeth was a homemaker.  Both were natives of Trigg County.  Amanda Elizabeth was a descendant of James Thomas, Jr.

Amanda’s siblings  were Mary Stanley Thomas, born in 1859 and married Thomas Jesse McCasland; Ezekiel Mitchell Thomas, born in 1861 and married Cora Mae Horton; Drucilla Thomas, born in 1864 and married Samuel Monroe Smyth; Harriett Thomas born in 1868 and married Albert Sid Johnson Acree; Alpha Adeline Thomas, born in 1865 and married Charles Walter Smyth; and Jemima Emma Thomas, born in 1872 and married James Henry Martin; .  Amanda had four half siblings from Muck’s second marriage to Mary Ann “Mollie” Fowler Meeks.  They were James Clark Thomas, Jr., born in 1879 and married Myrtle Booze; Robert Thomas, born in 1880 and died in infancy; Letha Thomas, born in 1880 and died in infancy; and Fannie Beatrice Thomas, born in 1882 and married Clarence C. Archer and later married William Russell Talley.

When Amanda was four years old, she left with her family from their Donaldson Creek home and boarded a flat boat at Canton, Kentucky and travelled down the Cumberland, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers until they reached Memphis.  They then traveled into Arkansas where the family settled in Searcy County, Arkansas.  Her mother died in 1874 and her father married his second wife in 1879 when Amanda was nine years old.  Amanda grew up on her father’s farm in Arkansas.  

On August 7, 1890, Amanda married Richard Smyth in Marshall, Arkansas. Richard was born in 1865 in Weakley County, Tennessee and was the son of Pinkney Houston Smyth and Mary Westley Nowlin Smyth. Pinkney was a farmer and both he and Mary were natives of Weakley County, Tennessee and had moved to Searcy County, Arkansas in the 1870s.  After their marriage, Amanda and Richard moved to the small community of Maud in the Oklahoma Territory. 

Richard died in 1894 in Maud, He and Amanda had only been married for four years.  They had one child, a son, Cullen Mitchell Smyth, born on April 1, 1893 in the Oklahoma Territory.  He died on August 12, 1899 in Maud at the age of six.

On March 3, 1895, in Pottawatomie, County, Oklahoma, Amanda married her second husband, Thomas Lewis Ledbetter.  Both Amanda and Thomas were 25 years old when they married.  Tom was born on October 29, 1869 in Hood County, Texas, the son of Arthur Brooks Ledbetter and Mary Pell Wright Ledbetter.  Arthur was a farmer and a native of Overton County, Tennessee. Mary Pell was a native of Giles County, Virginia.

Amanda and Tom settled in Maud where Tom operated a blacksmith shop and a cotton gin as well as doing some farming.  They later settled in Pryor, Oklahoma where he was considered a progressive farmer.  He served for approximately 20 years as a member of the Board of Education at Boatman and Pryor.  Amanda was a homemaker and was called “Aunt Shug” by her nieces and nephews and in later years she was called “Mama Better” by her grandchildren.  She was known as a good homemaker who cared for her home, her family and her neighbors.

Amanda and Tom were the parents of nine children, Ruth Ledbetter, born in 1897 and died at age of one day; Leslie Orchard Ledbetter, born in 1898 and died at the age of seven; Alpha Pell Ledbetter, born in 1900 and died at the age of two; Ruby Pearl Ledbetter, born in 1902 and married Clayton Gerald Williams; Arthur Brooks Ledbetter, born in 1905 and married Effie Taylor; Mary Esther Ledbetter, born in 1908 and married Howard Vernon Trogdon; Thomas Logan Ledbetter, born in 1910 and married Elsie Loraine Ivans; James Arthur Ledbetter, born in 1913 and married Mildred Margaret Morgan; and Oliver Vinson Ledbetter, born in 1914.

Amanda died on May 3, 1936 of pneumonia at the age of 65 at her home in Pryor, Oklahoma.  She was buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Pryor.  Tom died on April 29, 1952 at the age of 82 In Pryor.  He was buried in the Fairview Cemetery next to his wife.

 Amanda Ledbetter

 

Tom Ledbetter

Amanda and Tom tombstone

 

LINEAGE: (Amanda Elizabeth Thomas was the daughter of James Clark “Muck” and Elizabeth Josephine Lawrence Thomas.  James Clark was the fourth child of James, Jr. and Margaret Ethridge Thomas.  James, Jr. was the sixth child of  James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

Glenda Bridges Littlejohn -- Factory Employee

 

 Glenda Bridges Littlejohn

Celia Glenda Bridges was born on December 24, 1938 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was the only child of Edgar Lee Bridges and Mildred Marie Calhoun Bridges.  Edgar was a defense plant worker, construction worker and a farmer and Marie worked as a clerk at a state park.  Both were natives of Trigg County.  Glenda was a descendant of Simco N. Bridges.

In 1940 when Glenda was a child, her family moved from Trigg County to Dearborn, Michigan.  She attended her elementary school years in Michigan and later her family moved back to Trigg County where she completed her formal education and obtained her diploma in 1968.

On April 19, 1956 Glenda married Charles Benjamin Littlejohn.  Charles was the son of Harvey H. Littlejohn and Emma May Lane Littlejohn.   Harvey was a state employee and was a native of the Golden Pond community of Trigg County.  Emma was a homemaker and was also a native of Golden Pond,  Charles was a veteran of the U.S. Army and had served during the Korean Conflict.  

After their marriage, Glenda and Charles moved to Hammond, Indiana where they lived until they returned to Trigg County where they settled in their home on the Tanyard Road.  Glenda worked for several years at the International Shoe Company in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and at the Johnson Controls plant in Cadiz and at the Lake Barkley State Resort Park in Trigg County.  Charles worked at the Paradise Steam Plant in nearby Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.  After his retirement from the steam plant, he also worked at the Lake Barkley State Resort Park.

Glenda and Charles are the parents of one child, a daughter, Shelia Lane Littlejohn, born on August 27, 1957.  Her first marriage was to Randall Arvil Jones and her second marriage was to Allen Ward Thomas.

Charles died on July 4, 2012 at the age of 79 at his home in Cadiz.  He was buried the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.  Glenda died on January 9, 2018 at the age of 79 at the Tri-Star Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.  She was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her husband.

 Charles Littlejohn

LINEAGE:  (Celia Glenda Bridges was the daughter of Edgar Lee and Mildred Marie Calhoun Bridges.  Edgar was the first child of John Madison “Matt” and Huewell Tandy Lawrence Bridges.  John was the second child of Alfred Franklin and Lou Ella Turner 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.)

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

Mava Dale Cunningham Brown -- Speech Pathologist

 

Mava Cunningham and Paul Brown

Mava Dale Cunningham was born on July 9, 1946 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was the youngest of six children of  George Clyde Cunningham and Robbie Bell Bridges Cunningham. Clyde was a farmer and both he and Robbie were natives of Trigg County.  Mava was a descendant of Cullen Bridges, Cullen Thomas and Starkie Bridges.

Mava Dale’s siblings were Aubrey Hershell Cunningham, born in 1923 and married Anna Josephine Calhoun and later married Velina Guess England; Albert Dale Cunningham, born in 1925 and died in World War II; Alfred Leslie Cunningham, born in 1927 and married Joe Hazel Bush; Dolly Mae Cunningham, born in 1930 and married William Ray Stokes and later married Thomas Davis Rawlins; and Martha Rhea Cunningham, born in 1934 and married Charles Robert Quarles.

Mava Dale attended the Cadiz Graded School in Cadiz and went on to graduate from Trigg County High School in 1964. After high school, she attended Hopkinsville Community College where she received her Associates degree. She went on to receive her Bachelor’s Degree at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee and then received her Master’s Degree in speech language pathology at Murray State University.

On December 14, 1968, Mava Dale married Paul Raymond Brown at the Maple Grove Baptist Church in Trigg County with the Rev. Irwin Darnell officiating.  Paul was born October 17, 1941, the son of Cordell Hull Brown and Emma Liza Brown Brown.  Cordell was a civil service employee and a farmer and was a native of  Overton County, Tennessee.  Emma was a native of Clay County, Tennessee.  Paul graduated from South Christian High School in Herndon, Kentucky in 1959 and graduated from Murray State University in 1971 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Education and English. He was in the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1967 and served in Seoul, Korea with the 7th Infantry Division.

Mava Dale worked as a secretary for the Hoover Universal/Johnson Controls in Cadiz for 26 years.  After receiving her advanced degrees, she worked as a speech pathologist at the Christian County School System and the Christian Care Communities, both in Hopkinsville.  She also worked at the River’s Bend Retirement Community in Kuttawa, Kentucky.  Paul taught English at Hopkinsville High School for several years and then was employed with the Pennyrile Allied Community Services in Hopkinsville where he inspected houses for their weatherization program.  He also worked as an inspector for the Dana Corporation in Hopkinsville for over 20 years.

Mava and Paul were the parents of a son, William Timothy Brown, born in 1988 and married Tracy Lee Juechter. 

Mava Dale and Paul died on the same day, November 30, 2021 amidst the Covid-19 epidemic, at the Baptist Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky.  Mava Dale was 75 years of age and Paul was 80. They were both buried in the Green Hill Memorial Gardens in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

LINEAGE:  (Mava Dale Cunningham was the daughter of George Clyde and Robbie Bell Bridges Cunningham.  George Clyde was the third child of Elmer Elsworth “Ell” and Rosa Lee Bridges Cunningham.  Rosa Lee was the seventh child of Cullen T. 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.  Robbie Bell was the second child of Drew Manley and Lena Mae Guier Bridges.  Drew Manley 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 Charity Cohoon Bridges.  Martha Ann 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.)

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

Wilton Henry Lancaster -- Carpenter and Cabinet Maker

 

Wilton Henry Lancaster was born on August 28, 1912 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the sixth of eleven children of John Jefferson Lancaster and Albirtia “Bird” Sholar Lancaster.  John Jefferson was a farmer and a carpenter and both he and Bird were natives of Trigg County.  Wilton was a descendant of Jemima Bridges Sholar.

Wilton’s siblings were Myra Lou Lancaster, born in 1902 and died at the age of two weeks; a unnamed infant, born and died at birth in 1904; Herman Crenshaw Lancaster, born in 1905 and died at the age of 11; Thomas Durwood Lancaster, born in 1907 and married Sylvia Lorene Stallons; Johnny Claude Lancaster, born in 1911 and married Birdie Lois Francis; Garnett Lee Lancaster, born in 1916 and married Destelle Alberta Green; Lula Pearl Lancaster, born in 1918 and married Robert Jesse Sholar; Beulah Frances Lancaster, born in 1920 and married Hershel Earl Gray; Joe Lacy Lancaster, born in 1922 and married Martha Gertrude Ezell, and later married Lucy Elizabeth Lancaster Britt; and Mary Bessie Lancaster, born in 1926 and married Clifton Meade Mize.

Wilton grew up on his family farm located on the South Road in Trigg County.  He attended the local rural schools and the seventh grade was the highest grade he attained before leaving school to work as a laborer.

On December 24, 1935, Wilton married Mildred Gustia Francis.  Mildred was born on April 28, 1918 in Stewart County, Tennessee, the daughter of William Troy Francis and Estella Carney Allen Francis.  William was a farmer and both he and Estella were natives of Trigg County.

After they were married, Wilton and Mildred settled on the farm in Trigg where Wilton worked as a laborer. In December 1942 they moved to Hopkinsville, Kentucky but came back to live in Trigg County in 1944.  In 1946, they again moved to Hopkinsville where they lived the rest of their lives.   After moving to Hopkinsville, Wilton worked in the home construction business.  In 1967, he along with his son, opened a custom-built cabinet shop.  Wilton remained in the cabinet making business until his retirement in 1982.  Mildred was primarily a homemaker.  She later worked as a cafeteria worker at the Christian County Middle School from 1971 to 1979.

Wilton and Mildred were the parents of five children, Wilton Henry Lancaster, Jr., born in 1936 and married Sara Frances Turner; Mary Genella Lancaster, born in 1938 and married Marvin Hulon Campbell; Gustie Lois Lancaster, born in 1941 and married Hoge Milton Greene; Dorothy Estella Lancaster, born in 1945 and married Norman Lee Decker; and Janice Kay Lancaster, born in 1948 and married Gene Roper Davie.

Wilton died on December 9, 1990 at the age of 78 at the Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville.  He was buried in the Green Hill Memorial Gardens in Christian County.  Mildred died on October 30, 2000 at the age of 82 at the Jennie Stuart Medical Center.  She was buried in the Green Hill Memorial Gardens next to her husband.

LINEAGE: (Wilton Henry Lancaster was the son of John Jefferson and Albirtia “Bird” Sholar Lancaster.  John was the tenth child of Thomas Jefferson and Margaret Frances 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.)

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

Thelma Brown Bridges Calhoun -- Wife of a Correctional Officer

 

Roscoe and Thelma Bridges Calhoun

Thelma Brown Bridges was born on April 12, 1914 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was the oldest of five children of  Sheffer Brown Bridges and Enolia Berd Downs Bridges. Sheffer was a farmer, car salesman and service station operator.  Both Sheffer and Enolia were natives of Trigg County.  Thelma was a descendant of Drewry Bridges.

Thelma’s siblings were 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; Howard McKinley Bridges, born in 1920 and married Helen Panter and later married Dorotha Deon English; and Joel Robert Bridges, born in 1923 and married Frances Marie English and then married Alma L. Albright and later married Lucille Delgado.  Thelma had two half-sisters from her father’s second marriage to Myrtle Lucille Creamer.  They were 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.

On September 7, 1935, Thelma married Marvin Roscoe Calhoun on the lawn of her father’s home in the Linton community with Rev. Brantly Boaz conducting the wedding ceremony. Roscoe was born on May 5, 1909 in Trigg County, the fifth child born to Henry Lee Calhoun and Fredonia Avis “Donie” Ricks Calhoun.  Henry was a farmer and both he and Donie were natives of Trigg County.  

Thelma and Roscoe begin their early married life in the Lock E community on Donaldson Creek where Roscoe worked as a farmer on his father’s farm. Later in his life Roscoe worked as a correctional officer at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville, Kentucky.  He retired from the penitentiary in 1974 after working over 16 years at the institution.  Thelma worked at the Hilltop Kash Market on the Canton Road for ten years, retiring in 1985.  She also worked at the Heritage House in Cadiz for five years

Thelma and Roscoe were the parents of five daughters, Virginia Murl Calhoun, born in 1936 and married James Warren Stubblefield; Stella Pearl Calhoun, born in 1940 and married James Carlton Jones; Margaret Jewell Calhoun, born in 1943 and married Clarence Hopson Thomas, Jr.; Wanda Gail Calhoun, born in 1945 and married Thomas Anthony DeName; and Bobbie Marie Calhoun, born in 1947 and married Harold Denny Mize and later married Joel Atchison.

Roscoe died on January 21, 1996 at the age of 86 at the Shady Lawn Nursing Center in Trigg County.  He was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County.  Thelma died on August 7, 2013 at the age of 99 at the Shady Lawn Nursing Center.  She was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery next to her husband.

Thelma Bridges Calhoun

 

Roscoe Calhoun

 

A young Thelma and Roscoe

 

Thelma and Roscoe tombstone

LINEAGE: (Thelma Brown Bridges was the daughter of Sheffer Brown and Enolia Berd Downs Bridges.  Sheffer was the fourth child of John Richard and Nancy Bell Meador Bridges.  John 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.)

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

Carl Trice "Bunny" Bridges -- Surveyor and Manager

 

Carl Trice "Bunny" Bridges

Carl Trice Bridges was born on February 1, 1934 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the oldest of two children of  John Carl Bridges and Julia Bell Thomas Bridges. John Carl was a farmer and mechanic who worked for the Trigg County Board of Education.  Both John Carl  and Julia Bell were natives of Trigg County.  Carl Trice or Bunny as he was known was a descendant of Cullen Bridges, Cullen Thomas and Starkie Thomas.

Bunny’s sibling was his sister, Rose Claire Bridges, born in 1932 and married Bruce Stanley Maxwell, Jr. and later married Samuel Dell Freeman, Jr.

Bunny attended the Oak Grove rural elementary school in his early years.  He then went on to attend the Cadiz Elementary School and graduated from Trigg County High School.  In the fall of 1955, the U.S. government began drafting personnel for the U.S. Navy for the first time since World War II.  Bunny was drafted into the Navy on November 21, 1959 in and was assigned to the boot camp at the Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois.  He was then assigned to the U.S. Naval Auxiliary Air Station at Brown Field in Chula Vista, California. Bunny was a true land loving sailor as he had shore duty for his entire enlistment  He was honorably discharged from the Navy on November 21, 1961.

On June 21, 1958, Bunny married Shelvia Jean Curling at the Oak Grove Baptist Church with Rev. J. Norman Ellis officiating.  Shelvia was born on April 10, 1938 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the daughter of Paul Curling and Annie Lurlene Lyons Curling.  Paul was the owner and operator of a trucking company and both he and Annie were natives of Trigg County.  Shelvia attended elementary school at Canton and graduated from Trigg County High School.

After leaving the Navy, Bunny was employed by the J. Steven Watkins Engineering Company where he worked on surveying the land that is now Lake Barkley.  He then worked as an insurance agent with Commonwealth Life Insurance Company. In April 1966 he accepted a position with Christian Quarries where he worked as a manager.  He later worked for the Rogers Group, Inc. in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, where he was employed until he retired.  Shelvia worked as bookkeeper for Woodruff Lumber Company, the Elk Brand Manufacturing Company, the Ky-Tenn Livestock Market and as bookkeeper and deputy clerk at the Trigg County Circuit Clerk’s office.

Bunny and Shelvia were the parents of two sons, Richard Kyle Bridges, born in 1962 and married Wanda Sue Skinner and later married Tammy Sue Wynn and David Paul Bridges, born in 1965 and married Leslie Dawn Stroud.  

Bunny and Shelvia’s marriage ended in divorce.  Shelvia died on December 6, 2009 at the age of 71 at the Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville. She was buried in the Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Trigg County.

Bunny died on September 3, 2014 at the age of 80 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.  He was buried in the Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.

Shelvia

LINEAGE: (Carl Trice Bridges was the son of John Carl and Julia Bell Thomas Bridges.  John Carl was the fifth child of John Trice and Maggie Dora Cunningham Bridges.  John Trice was the sixth child of Cullen T. and Martha Ann Virginia Thomas Bridges.  Cullen T. was the twelfth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges. Julia Bell was the first child of Smith and Ida Mae Meador Thomas. Smith was the third child of Jonathan Starkie and Julia Dyer Thomas.  Jonathan was the third child of William Bridges and Nancy Jane Rogers Thomas.  Wiliam was the first child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Martha Ann 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.) 

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

Douglas Eugene Bridges -- Tavern Operator

 

Douglas Eugene Bridges

Douglas Eugene Bridges was born on August 11, 1909 on the Beechy Fork Creek in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the youngest of five children born to Mark Dale Bridges and Mallie Mae Lancaster Bridges.  Mark Dale was a farmer and both he and Mallie were natives of Trigg County.  Eugene was a descendant of both Cullen Bridges and Cullen Thomas.

Gene’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 1½  years old; and Percy Dillard Bridges, born in 1902 and married Edna Pearl Thomas.

Gene grew up in Maple Grove and attended the one-room Maple Grove School. When he was a young man he went to Paducah, Kentucky to attend a business school and then he later went to work as a printer.

On December 24, 1928 Gene married Katherine Elizabeth Edwards who he had met while working in Paducah.  Katherine was born on June 27, 1909 in Ballard County, Kentucky.  She was the daughter of William Francis Edwards and Nora Lee Stewart Edwards.  William worked as a railroad employee and both he and Nora were natives of Ballard County,  Katherine came down with scarlet fever and died on February 14, 1929, six weeks after their marriage. She died in Paducah and was 20 years old.  She was buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Paducah.

Some time after Katherine died, Gene left Paducah and settled in Alton, Illinois where he was employed as a factory worker. In Alton he met Dixie Louise Minton.  Gene and Dixie were married on August 24, 1931 in St. Charles, Missouri. Dixie was born on February 2, 1913 in Kansas City, Missouri. She was the daughter of Louis Naplian Minton and Maude Sanders Minton.  Louis had worked as a coal miner and in the restaurant industry and he was a native of Webster County, Kentucky.  Maude was a native of Clinton County, Illinois.

Gene and Dixie were the parents of two children, Jacquelyn Lee Bridges, born in 1932 and married William Henry Wohlert and later married Eldon C. “Twirp” Williams and Ronald Eugene Bridges, born in 1936 and died at the age of three months.

Gene and Dixie returned to Cadiz where they operated for some time the American Legion Hut located on the Legion Hill.  Gene and Dixie were divorced and Dixie and their daughter, Jacquelyn moved back to Alton where Jacquelyn grew up.  Dixie died on April 14, 1982 at the age of 69 and was buried in the Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in Godfrey, Illinois next to her second husband, Clyde Hitch.

On April 23, 1943, Gene married his third wife, Leatha Louise Plumlee.  Leatha was born on August 21, 1919 in Sullivan, Kentucky and was the daughter of Ellis Davis Plumlee and Nancy Della Wilson Plumlee. Ellis worked as a coal miner and was a  native of Allen County, Kentucky.  Nancy was a native of Warren County, Tennessee. 

Gene and Leatha lived in Alton, Illinois where they lived for 30 years and then moved to East Alton where he lived for 14 years.  He was the owner and operator of the NoMan’s Tavern in Wood River, Illinois.

Gene and Leatha were the parents of one child, a son, Michael Dale Bridges, born in 1947. Michael worked in Hollywood, California in the costume and wardrobe department for several television series.

Gene died on April 9, 1969 at the age of 59 at the Alton Memorial Hospital in Alton.  He was buried in the Rose Lawn Memory Gardens in Bethalto, Illinois.  Leatha died on January 1, 1996 at the age of 79 in East Alton, Illinois.  She was buried in the Rose Lawn Memory Gardens next to her husband.

Katherine Edwards Bridges

 

Gene and Leatha tombstone

LINEAGE:  (Douglas Eugene Bridges was the son of Mark Dale and Mallie Mae Lancaster Bridges.  Mark Dale was the fifth child 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.  Martha Ann 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.)

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

John Vernon Thomas -- Farmer and Hospital Employee

 

Vernon and Clemie Thomas

John Vernon Thomas was born on June 4, 1883 in Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the youngest of five children born to Jonathan Starkie Thomas and Julia Dyer Thomas.  Jonathan Starkie was a farmer and both he and Julia were natives of Trigg County.  Vernon was a descendant of Starkie Thomas.

Vernon’s siblings were Forrest May Thomas, born in 1876 and married Jesse Monroe Vinson; Rufus Hayden Thomas, born in 1878 and died on an unknown date in Cuba; Smith Thomas, born in 1879 and married Ida Mae Meador; and Lucian M. Thomas, born in 1881 and married Inez B. Crews.

Vernon married Clemie Wilson on December 25, 1902.  Clemie was born on December 1, 1883 in Trigg County.  She was the daughter of Alfred Marion Wilson and Matilda Susan Wiles Wilson. Alfred was a farmer and was a native of Trigg County.  Matilda was a native of Mecklenberg County, Virginia.

After Vernon and Clemie were married, they lived with his grandmother while Clemie finished the school year at South Union where she was a teacher.  They then moved to a farm that Vernon owned in the Oak Grove community. Vernon was interested in improving the county’s farming conditions and he worked closely with the Farm Extension Agents toward that goal. Over the years, Vernon and Clemie would later live in Cadiz, Hopkinsville and Toledo, Ohio. Vernon primarily worked as a farmer, but also worked as an automobile accessory dealer and worked at the Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville. At one point, he worked for the George L. Smith Drugstore in downtown Cadiz.

Clemie continued to work primarily as a school teacher.  She also became interested in real estate and worked  as a real estate agent for a period of time.  For a number of years, she operated a tourist home known as the Maple Tourist Home which was located in the old McKinney home across the street from the Cadiz Baptist Church in downtown Cadiz. 

Vernon and Clemie were the parents of two daughters, Isabelle Thomas, born in 1904 and married Otis Houston Francis and Louise Thomas, born in 1913 and married Herman Jefferson Boyd.

Vernon died on February 8, 1967 at the age of 83 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.  He was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.  Clemie died on November 1, 1983 at the age of 99, just one month before her 100th birthday.  She died at the Trigg County Hospital and was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her husband.

Clemie Wilson Thomas

Vernon and Clemie tombstone

LINEAGE: (John Vernon Thomas was the son 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 Standley Thomas.)

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

 

Homer Blane and Beulah Bridges Thomas --- Farmer and Trucker

 

Beulah and Homer Thomas

Homer Blane Thomas was born on July 4, 1911 in Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the third of six children born to Lucian M. Thomas and Inez B. Crews Thomas.  Lucian was a farmer and both he and Inez were natives of Trigg County.  Homer was a descendant of Starkie Thomas.

Homer’s siblings were John Alex Thomas, born in 1907 and married Mary Louise Sumner; Hubert Jackson “Tige” Thomas, born in 1909 and married Vada Helena Wallace; Mary Julia Thomas, born in 1914 and married Alvin Arthur Pfermann; William Boyd Thomas, born in 1917 and married Geneva Simmons and later married Eunice Grace Thomas; and Maurice Allton Thomas, born in 1923 and married Stella Mae Gray.

On March 1, 1936 Homer married Beulah Louise Bridges in Princeton, Kentucky at the home of Rev. Olen Sisk.  Beulah was born on May 21, 1913 in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County, the ninth of eleven children born to John Trice Bridges and Maggie Dora Cunningham Bridges.  John Trice was a farmer and both he and Maggie were natives of Trigg County.  Maggie was descendant of the large pioneer Cunningham family that settled in Trigg County.  Beulah was a descendant of Cullen Bridges.

Beulah’s siblings were Lillie Jane Bridges, born in  1899 and died at the age of two; Lucy Lee Bridges, born in 1900 and married James Stevenson “Jimmie Fant” Thomas; Lola Francis “Fanny” Bridges, born in 1902 and married Homer Ervin Francis; Dora Virginia Bridges, born in 1903 and married Otis Taylor Boyd; John Carl Bridges, born in 1904 and married Julia Bell Thomas; Mary Pauline Bridges, born in 1908 and married Preston Hoover Thomas; Queen Alexander Bridges, born in 1909 and died at the age of one; Hilda Agnes Bridges, born in 1910; Clifford Elma “Pete” Bridges, born in 1917 and married Lillie Frances Smith; and Dorothy Allene Bridges, born in 1920.

Homer spent most of his life as a farmer.  He owned an operated the farm that had belonged to his father, Lucien Thomas and his uncles.  After Homer was disabled later in his life and was unable to operate the farm, his son-in-law took over the role as main farmer on the property as well as raising cattle on the farm.  Homer also worked as a trucker when he was not working on the farm.  Homer and Beulah lived in their home located on the Maple Grove Road in Trigg County.

Homer and Beulah were the parents of four children, Robert Blane Thomas, born in 1937 and died at the age of eleven months; Dora Larue Thomas, born in 1938 and married Lewis Orville Sharp and later married E. W. Oliver; Velva Dale Thomas, born in1939 and married William Hawkins Smith, Jr. and later married Marvin Cloud Calhoun; and Sue Anna Thomas, born in 1941 and married Emlis H. King.

Homer died on July 8, 1986 at the age of 75 at his home.  He was buried in the Lucian Thomas Cemetery in Trigg County.  Beulah died on August 8, 1989 at the age of 76 at the   Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.  She was buried in the Lucian Thomas Cemetery next to her husband.

 

Homer and Beulah tombstone

LINEAGE:  (Homer Blane Thomas was the son of Lucian M. and Inez B. Crews Thomas.  Lucian was the fourth child 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 Standley Thomas.)

(Beulah Louise Bridges was the daughter of John Trice and Maggie Dora Cunningham Bridges.  John Trice was the sixth child of Cullen T. 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.)

 

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

Durwood Stanley and Jane Thomas Bridges -- Early Trigg County Citizens

 

Durwood Stanley Bridges

 

Jane "Jennie" Thomas Bridges

Durwood Stanley “Stan” Bridges  was born on February 27, 1866 in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the sixth of eleven children born to Drewry Bridges and Peachie Ann Tart Bridges.  Drewry was a farmer and both he and Peachie were natives of Trigg County. Drewry was the fourth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges. 

Stan’s  siblings were Henrietta Gabrella Bridges, born in 1853 and married Benjamin Miles Sumner; Mary Louisa Bridges, born in 1855 and married James Edmond Sumner; James Filmore Bridges, born in 1857 and died the following year; William Henry Bridges, born in 1859 and married Sarah Elizabeth “Sadie” Lancaster; John Richard Bridges, born in 1862 and married Nancy Bell Meador; 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 Meredith Clay Carr. Stan’s father, Drewry’s marriage to his second wife, Nannie Gresham,  resulted in two half-siblings, Garland Drew Bridges, born in 1888 and married Annie Lurline Thomas and later married Joy K. Sutton and Hughie Bridges, born in 1890, who died at the age of five.

On December 5, 1890, Stan married Jane “Jennie” Thomas.  Jennie was a native of Trigg County and was born on May 25, 1870, the youngest of eight children born to William Bridges Thomas and Nancy Jane Rogers Thomas. William was a farmer and both he and Nancy were natives of Trigg County.  William was the first child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas. Therefore, both Stan and Jennie were fourth generation descendants of James Thomas and Drury Bridges, the pioneer families of Kentucky.

Jennie’s siblings were Peachie Ann Thomas, born in 1848 and married John Richard Mills; Sarah Josephine Thomas, born in 1851 and married William Henry Martin; Jonathan Starkie Thomas, born in 1853 and married Julia Dyer; Martha E. Thomas, born in 1858;William Madison “Bud” Thomas, born in 1859; Mollie Emily Thomas, born in 1861 and married James Pickney Sholar; and Bluford Ira Thomas, born in 1867 and married Alice Lula Vinson.

Stan and Jennie built a home in the Maple Grove community on a farm that had been in the Bridges family since 1806 when the original family moved from North Carolina. Although Stan was primarily a farmer, he had attended the Nebo Academy in Nebo, Kentucky and became a teacher at the one-room Maple Grove School. He had also been a merchant at Canton, Kentucky before becoming a farmer.  Stan was very interested in seeing that those in the community received a better education.  He served several terms on the Trigg County Board of Education and was chairman of the board from 1909 to 1913,  During this period, several school buildings were erected or improved in the county including the Maple Grove School and the Upper Donaldson School.

Stan and Jennie were the parents of five children, William Durwood Bridges, born in 1891 and married Ruth Alida Cunningham; Homer Dorris Bridges, born in 1895 and died at the age of one; Ira Clifton Bridges, born in 1897 and married Flo Templeton Bridges; Hubert Prentice Bridges, born in 1901 and died at the age of two; and Jane Ernestine Bridges, born in 1906 and married Sidney Gordon Bridges.

Stan died on June 27, 1924 at the age of 58 at his home in Maple Grove from complications of an abscess of the lungs.  He was buried in the Starkie Thomas Cemetery in the Oak Grove community of Trigg County.  Jennie died on August 19, 1956 at the age of 86 at her daughter’s home in Maple Grove.  She was buried in the Starkie Thomas Cemetery next to her husband.

Stan and Jennie tombstone

LINEAGE: (Durwood Stanley Bridges 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.)

(Jane “Jennie” Thomas was the eighth 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 Standley Thomas.)

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2

Annie Emmaline Bridges Ford -- Farmer's Wife

 

Annie Emmaline Bridges Ford

Annie Emmaline Bridges was born on February 17, 1888 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was the youngest of three children of Alfred Franklin Bridges and Lou Ella Turner Bridges.  Alfred was a farmer and was a native of Trigg County.  Lou Ella was a native of Stewart County, Tennessee.  Annie was a descendant of Simco N. Bridges.  Annie’s mother died in November 1888 when Annie was only nine months old.

Annie’s siblings were Charlotte “Lottie” Bridges, born in 1883 and married Harry Winfield Lancaster and John Madison “Matt” Bridges, born in 1884 and married Huewell Tandy Lawrence.  Annie had five half-siblings from her father’s second marriage to Minnie Lancaster.  They were Bluford Clyde Bridges, born in 1891 and married Birdie Hopson Calhoun; Albert 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 L. Nolan.

On December 31, 1905, Annie married William Albert Ford in a ceremony in Canton, Kentucky.  Will was born on May 27, 1884 in the upper Donaldson community of Trigg County, the son of Albert Samuel Ford and Martha Elizabeth Gordon Ford.  Albert was a farmer and was a native of Trigg County.  Martha was a native of Smith County, Tennessee.

Annie and Will settled on a farm near Linton in the Boyd Hill community of Trigg County where they lived for most of their married life.  Will worked as a farmer until his health forced him to retire. When Barkley Dam was built their farm went the way of numerous other farms in the area, into the hand of the Corps of Engineers.  On June 16, 1958, Will and Annie left their river-bottom farm and moved into a new home on the Maple Grove Road in the Oak Grove community.  Their new home was located next door to Annie’s sister and brother-in-law, Lois and Amos Guier.  The two couples became very close and enjoyed living next door to each other where they gardened together and spent many hours under the shade trees of the Guier house.

Annie and Will were the parents of seven children, Henry Kirklin Ford, born in 1906 and died at two days old; Betty Earle Ford, born in 1907 and married Thomas Odell Adams; Mavis Lorene Ford, born in 1909 and married James Franklin Wolfe; Willie Glenn Ford, born in 1915 and died at the age of one year; Elaine Marie Ford, born in 1917 and married Troy Amos “Dave” Calhoun; Howard Blane Ford, born in 1919 and married Irma Maxine Williams; and Nida Merle Ford, born in 1924 and married James Burwick Downs.

Will died on February 19, 1963 at the age of 78 at his home.  He was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County.  Annie died on November 13, 1980 at the age of 92 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.  She was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery next to her husband.

Will Ford

 

Annie and Will tombstone

LINEAGE: (Annie Emmaline Bridges was the daughter of Alfred Franklin and Lou Ella Turner 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.)

 

Visit the entire Thomas-Bridges family tree at:   http://tinyurl.com/thomasbridgesfamily2