Chester and Stella Thomas Sumner -- Grocery Store Owner

 

Stella and Chester Sumner

Chester Allen Sumner was born on April 26, 1901 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the third of eight children born to Joel Calvin Sumner and Nora Martha Thomas Sumner.  Joel and Nora were both natives of Trigg County and Calvin was a well-known farmer in the Donaldson Creek community.  Nora was a homemaker and a descendant of Perry Thomas.

Chester’s siblings were Ethel Sumner, born in 1894 and died at the age of two; Nellie Linville Sumner, born in 1897 and married Walter Samuel Compton; Homer Sumner, born in 1903 and married Minnie Ricks; Mattie Earl Sumner, born in 1906 and married Wilford Jett Ezell and then married Chesley Wade Davis; unnamed infant born in 1908 and died after one day; Lamont Sumner, born 1914; and another unnamed infant died at birth.

On April 23, 1921 Chester married Stella Grace Thomas in Stewart County, Tennessee.  Stella was born on September 6, 1906 in Trigg County.  She was the third of seven children born to Dallie Brown Thomas and Willie May Thomas Thomas. Both Dallie and Willie were natives of Trigg County with Dallie working as a farmer. Dallie was a descendant of Perry Thomas and Willie descended from Cullen Thomas.

Stella Grace’s siblings were Ted Thomas, born in 1901 and married Beulah Sumner; Elmer Rowden Thomas, born in 1904 and married Marie E. Lance; Lula Maude Thomas, born In 1908 and married James Preston Sumner and later married Charles Dell Taylor III; Edna Ruth Thomas, born in 1912 and married Lloyd Seldon Downs and later married Meredith Simmons Christian; Bessie Mae Thomas, born in 1915 and married Herman Taylor Adams; and James Amos Thomas, born in 1918 and married Virginia Frances Futrell.  Dallie’s second marriage to Ollie Mae Downs produced two half-brothers for Stella, Dallie Brown Thomas Jr., born in 1923 and married Virginia Lucille Gardner and Earl Benard Thomas, born in 1925 and married Mary Ann Sumner.

Both Chester and Stella grew up in the Donaldson Creek community and attended the local schools. In 1920, at the age of 18 Chester was engaged as a farm laborer.  By 1930 Chester and Stella had moved to Akron, Ohio where he was employed in the rubber factories as a machine operator, but in the mid 1930s, they moved back to Trigg County and again settled in the Donaldson Creek community where Chester owned a rural grocery store which he operated for a number of years. Stella was a charter member of the Thomas-Bridges Association and a charter member of the James Thomas Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Chester and Stella had three children, all of them born in Trigg County.  Two of them were born before they moved to Akron and the third child was born after they returned to the county.  They are Myrtle Marie Sumner, born in 1922 and married Amos Ardell Futrell; Gerald Brown Sumner, born in 1924 and married Donna Jean Puckett; and Lexie Dell Sumner, born in 1935 and married Dixie Lee Sumner.

Chester died on Monday, December 7, 1959 at the age of 58 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.  He was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz.

On May 22, 1964, Stella married her second husband, Ernest Clyde Finley in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  Clyde was born on October 16, 1903 in Trigg County, the son of William Monroe “Billy” Finley and Alpha Marcus Cunningham, both natives of Trigg County.  Clyde died on November 7, 1966 at the age of 62 in Hopkinsville.  He was buried in the Green Hill Memorial Gardens in Hopkinsville.

Stella died on February 4, 2003 at the age of 96 at the Shady Lawn Nursing Center in Cadiz. She was buried in the East End Cemetery next to her first husband.

 

Chester and Stella tombstone

LINEAGE: (Chester Allen Sumner was the son of Joel Calvin and Nora Martha Thomas Sumner and the grandson of Chilton Allen and Martha Ann Duncan Thomas.  Chilton was the tenth child of Perry and Elizabeth Josephine Bridges Thomas.  Perry was the third child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

(Stella Grace Thomas was the daughter of Dallie Brown and Willie May Thomas Thomas and the granddaughter of Rufus King and Alvie Adeline Dunn Thomas and James Dillard and Sarah Armentia Sholar Thomas.  Rufus King was the fifth child of Perry and Elizabeth Josephine Thomas. Perry was the third child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  James Dillard was the fifth 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.)

Jerry Bernard and Glenda Bridges Lawrence -- Mechanic and Community Services Employee

 

Jerry and Glenda Bridges Lawrence

Jerry Bernard Lawrence was born on December 22, 1936 in the Warrenton community of Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the oldest of four children of Dennis Bernard Lawrence and Rebecca Ann Mitchell Lawrence.  Dennis Bernard was a concrete-finisher, mail carrier and farmer and Rebecca was a nurse.  Both were natives of Trigg County.  Jerry was a descendant of Starkie Thomas and Jemima Bridges Sholar.

Jerry’s siblings were Sarah Jane Lawrence, born in 1940 and married Bly Golladay, Jr.; William Dennis Lawrence, born in 1947 and married Barbara Jean Bullock Stephenson; and Larry David Lawrence, born in 1950 and married Betty Ann Bridges Braboy. 

Jerry attended his elementary school years at Cadiz Graded School and went on to attend Trigg County High School where he graduated in 1956.  While attending Trigg County High, Jerry brought a snake to school as a joke.  The snake caused so much excitement in the school that the principal delayed Jerry’s graduation for a year.

On July 4, 1958, Jerry married Glenda Faye Bridges at the Oak Grove Baptist Church.  Glenda was born on August 3, 1941 on Beechy Fork Creek in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County, the youngest of three children of Mount Vernon Bridges and Nora Ambie Bridges Bridges.  Mount Vernon was a farmer and both he and Ambie were natives of Trigg County.  Glenda was a descendant of Drewry Bridges and Starkie Bridges.

Glenda’s siblings were Cecil Vernon “Bill” Bridges, born in 1925 and married Dorothy Nell Guier and Sadie Mae Bridges, born in 1929 and married Howard Blane Wyatt.  Glenda had four half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Dannie Agnes Noel.  They were Lonnie Murl Bridges, born in 1915 and married Dorothy Mae Curling; Myrtle Rhea Bridges, born in 1918 and married Elmo Ryner Hendricks; Bloomdale Bridges; and Lacy Wade “Dink” Bridges, born in 1921 and married Martha Ann Bryant. 

Glenda first attended school at the one-room Maple Grove School.  When Glenda was nine, her father died, so she and her mother moved to Cadiz where she finished her education at the Cadiz schools.

Jerry worked as a self-employed truck driver and as a mechanic during his entire life.  He operated his own mechanic shop which was located on US Highway 68 west of Cadiz across from the home of his father, Dennis Lawrence.  Glenda worked for the Pennyrile Allied Community Services in their Cadiz office.

Jerry and Glenda were the parents of three children, Jerry Wayne Lawrence, born in 1959 and married Lisa Starlette Redd and later married Melynda M. Harrington; Kimberly Faye Lawrence, born in 1963 and married Tony Farrell Mitchell; and Melissa Dawn Lawrence, born in 1970 and married Ira Lucian Burgess.

Jerry died on May 15, 1993 at the age of 56 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.  He was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County.  Glenda died on September 12, 2012 at the age of 71 at her home in Trigg County.  She was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery next to her husband.

Glenda Bridges Lawrence

 

Jerry and Glenda tombstone

LINEAGE:  (Jerry Bernard Lawrence was the son of Dennis Bernard and Rebecca Ann Mitchell Lawrence.  Dennis was the fourth child of James Robert and Lucy Rebecca Mize Lawrence.  James Robert was the first child of William Allen and Margaret Jane Thomas Lawrence.  Margaret was the fourth 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.  William Allen Lawrence was the first child of James Henry and Elizabeth Sholar Lawrence.  Elizabeth was the fifth child of Allen and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

(Glenda Faye Bridges was the daughter of Mount Vernon and Nora Ambie Bridges Bridges.  Mount was the fourth child of William Henry and Sarah Elizabeth “Sadie” Lancaster Bridges.  William Henry was the fourth 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.)

George Manley Gray -- Machinist

 

George Manley Gray

George Manley Gray was born on January 24, 1924 in the Mount Pleasant community of Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the second of five children born to Andrew Abner Gray and Lola Jo Bridges Gray.  Andrew was a farmer and both he and Lola Jo were natives of Trigg County.  George was a descendant of Starkie Bridges.

George’s siblings were Homer Mason Gray, born in 1922 and died at the age of one; Stella Mae Gray, born in 1925 and married Maurice Alton Thomas; John Marshall Gray, born in 1932 and married Virginia Nell Braboy; and Lola Jewell Gray, born in 1943 and married Robert Arrice Prescott.

George attended the Trigg County schools and on March 28, 1945, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Louisville, Kentucky.  He was sent to boot camp at the Sampson U.S. Naval Training Station in Romulus, New York.  After his boot camp training he rode a troop train across the country to Oakland, California.  He then rode a troop ship under the Golden Gate Bridge headed west to the Philippine Islands.  He was in the Philippines when World War II ended. He went on to serve in Shanghai, China.  In May 1946, he boarded another troop ship.  This ship was headed east and again sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge on its way to the naval base in San Francisco.  George was honorably discharged from the navy as a Seaman First Class on June 6, 1946. 

On July 6, 1951, George married Marilyn Miller Clark in Hopkinsville, Kentucky with the marriage ceremony conducted by Rev. J. H. Maddox.  Marilyn was born on January 27, 1931, the daughter of Henry Frank Clark and Lula Celona Miller Clark.  Frank was a farmer and both he and Lula were natives of Trigg County.  Marilyn was a graduate of Hopkinsville High School and attended Murray State University.

After George and Marilyn were married, they moved to Detroit, Michigan and in  1952 they moved to the suburb community of Warren, Michigan. While living in Michigan, George worked as a machinist in several machine shops.  In 1967, they returned to Trigg County and purchased property on the Malone Road where they built their home.  After returning to Kentucky, George worked for Central Tool and Die in Hopkinsville, Viking Engineering in Trigg County and Kentucky Machine and Engineering in Cadiz. Marilyn went to work as a substitute teacher in Trigg County.  She then went back to Murray State and received her B. S. degree in vocational home economics in 1982.  She then went to work as a home economics teacher in the Rehabilitation Program at Western Kentucky Hospital in Hopkinsville.  

George and Marilyn were the parents of two children, Deborah Denise Gray, born in 1953 and married William Homer Stobaugh, Jr. and David Clark Gray, born in 1963 and married Patricia Chalea.

Marilyn died on March 15, 2005 at the age of 74 at Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.  She was buried in the Miller Cemetery in Trigg County.  George died three months later on June 4, 2005 at the age of 81 at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.  He was buried in the Miller Cemetery next to his wife.

George and Marilyn tombstone

George military tombstone

LINEAGE: (George Manley Gray was the son of Andrew Abner and Lola Jo Bridges Gray.  Lola Jo was the first child of Drew Manley and Lena Mae Guier Bridges.  Drew was the seventh child 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.)


 

Howell C. Finley -- Auto Mechanic

 

Howell C. Finley

Howell C. Finley was born on February 5, 1925 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the fourth of the six children of Burnett and Myrtle Mable Cunningham Finley.  Burnett was a farmer and both he and Myrtle were natives of Trigg County.  Both Burnett and Myrtle were descendants of the large pioneer Cunningham family that had settled in Trigg County.  Howell was a descendant of Cullen Bridges and Cullen Thomas.

Howell’s siblings were James Aubrey Finley, born in 1920 and died at 1½ years of age; Layton Burnett Finley, born in 1922 and died at one year of age; Marcus Lee Finley, born in 1924 and married Pauline Cunningham; Sally Isabelle Finley, born in 1928 and married Wallace Reid Gordon; and Daniel Webster Finley, born in 1933 and married Nora Mae Forguson.

Howell grew up in the Maple Grove community of Trigg County and attended the local rural schools.

On February 10, 1945, Howell married Rosie Mae Allen in the Maple Grove School House which was being used as the church building for the newly organized Maple Grove Baptist Church. Their wedding, performed by Rev. Noel, was the first wedding for the new church. Rosie was born on March 13, 1929 in Trigg County, the daughter of General Forrest Allen and Addie Janetta Johnson Allen.  General Forrest was a farmer and both he and Addie Janetta were natives of Trigg County.

Howell and Rosie built their home in 1947 about 2½ miles north of Cadiz.  Howell worked as an auto mechanic in Trigg County.  In 1956, he built his own auto repair shop next to his home.  The business was known as Finley’s Repair Shop and he did all types of repairs such as auto, farm machinery, welding and painting.  In the mid-1970s he changed the business to chainsaw sales and services only.  Rosie was the co-owner of the business and assisted Howell with its operation. He worked in this business until he retired.

Howell and Rosie were the parents of six children, Franna Elaine Finley, born in 1946 and married Philip Ray Ingram and then married R.D. Johnson; Jackie Howell Finley, born in 1948 and married Martha Ann Chubick; Paul Clinton Finley, born in 1950 and married Janice Paulette Hall; Nickie Dwayne Finley, born in 1952 and married Flora Gene Merrick Armstrong and later married Connie S. Miller Reed; Timothy Burnett Finley, born in 1954 and married Sharon Ann Meredith; and Becky Laverne Finley, born in 1959 and married to Donnie Thomas Freeman.

Howell died on January 9, 2012 at the age of 86 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.  He was buried in the Allen Cemetery in Trigg County.  Rosie died on November 27, 2014 at the age of 85 at St. Thomas Medical Center West in Nashville, Tennessee.  She was buried in the Allen Cemetery next to her husband.

 Howell and Rosie

 

Howell in the 1990s

 

Rosie

 

Howell and Rosie tombstone

LINEAGE:  (Howell C. Finley was the son of Burnett and Myrtle Mable Cunningham Finley.  Myrtle was the first child of Elmer Elsworth “Ell” and Rosa Lee Bridges Cunningham.  Rosa 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.  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.)

Jesse Leroy Sholar -- Victim of an Automobile Accident

 

Jesse Leroy Sholar

Jesse Leroy Sholar was born on June 15, 1924 in Trigg County, Kentucky. He was the fifth of seven children born to Henry David Sholar and Maggie Louise Dearing Sholar.  Henry was a farmer and both he and Maggie were natives of Trigg County.  Leroy was a descendant of Jemima Bridges Sholar.

Leroy’s siblings were Mary Louise Sholar, born in 1915 and married Alex Granville Meredith; Ernest William Sholar, born in 1917 and married Mary Frances Wright; Noble Earl Sholar, born in 1919 and married Mary Katherine Sowell; Lacy Hopson Sholar, born in 1921 and married Barbara Gertrude Fowler; Dorothy Mae Sholar, born in 1926 and married William Burley Broadbent, Jr.; and Hilrie Harrison Sholar, born in 1928 and married Myrna Loy Allen.

Leroy grew up in Trigg County and attended the local elementary schools.  At a young age, he began working on the farm along with his father who was a farmer.  Later in his life, Leroy moved to Hopkinsville and worked as a machinist at Hopkinsville Clothing and Flynn Enterprises.

On June 15, 1949, Leroy married Martha Nell Fowler.  Martha was born February15, 1930 and was the fifth on nine children of Joseph Blackford Fowler and Alice Thomas Fowler.  Joseph was a farmer and both he and Alice were natives of Trigg County.  Martha was a descendant of Perry Thomas.  

Martha's siblings were Kenneth Jefferson Fowler, born in 1923 and married Mary Lou Hammonds and later married Nancy Jane McDowell; John Chilton Fowler, born in 1924 and married Goldie Mae Owens and later married Clara Mae Owens and then married Maria Garcia; Joe Blackford Fowler, Jr., born in 1926 and married Sarah Frances Major; Barbara Gertrude Fowler, born in 1928 and married Lacy Hopson Sholar; Maxie Kidell Fowler, born in 1932 and married Margaret Frances Britt; Gracie Jean Fowler, born in 1934 and married Robert Kelly Allen; Dorris Rhea Fowler, born in 1936 and married Shirley Ann Byrd; and Lonnie Hay Fowler, born in 1939 and married Carolyn Louise Gilkey and later married Linda Lewinkind.

Martha and Leroy had no children.  Their marriage ended in divorce on July 12, 1974. 

Leroy married his second wife, Bertha Jewell Wallace Meredith Gray on September 1, 1974 in Christian County, Kentucky.  Bertha was born on December 2, 1919 in Bumpus Mills, Tennessee.  She was the daughter of Flavious Oscar “Fay” Wallace and Mary Lula Cheatham Wallace. Fay was a farmer and both he and Mary were natives of Tennessee.  Leroy and Bertha had no children.

On Sunday afternoon September 30, 2001, Leroy and Bertha were in their car in downtown Hopkinsville when at approximately 1:53 p.m. Leroy, who was driving, attempted to cross South Virginia Street from Morningside Drive when he drove his vehicle into the path of a northbound pickup truck.  Leroy and Bertha were not wearing their seat belts and both of them died of the injuries they suffered in the mishap.  The driver of the pickup truck suffered minor injuries but declined transportation to the hospital. 

Leroy was 77 years old and Bertha was 81 at the time of their deaths. Joint services for the couple were held at the Hillcrest Baptist Church in Hopkinsville. Both Leroy and Bertha were buried in the Green Hill Memorial Gardens in Hopkinsville.

Bertha Wallace Sholar

 

 Jesse and Bertha tombstone

LINEAGE: (Jesse Leroy Sholar was the fifth child of Henry David and Maggie Louise Dearing Sholar.  Henry was the first child of William Henry and Martha Frances Bridges Sholar.  William was the second child of David “Davie” and Temperance Lawrence Sholar.  Davie was the first child of Allen Thomas and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)

(Martha Nell Fowler was the fifth child of Joseph Blackford and Alice Thomas Fowler.  Alice was the eleventh child of Chilton Allen and Amanda Ellen Chewning Thomas.  Chilton was the tenth child of Perry and Elizabeth Josephine Bridges Thomas. Perry was the third child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

Carl Gary "Ned" Davis -- Farmer of the Year

 

Ned Davis

Carl Gary “Ned” Davis was born on May 19, 1938 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the youngest of the three children of Alfred Leroy “Bill” Davis and Lou Belle Thomas Davis.  Bill was a farmer and both he and Lou Belle were natives of Trigg County.  Ned was a descendant of Starkie Thomas and Drewry Bridges.

Ned’s siblings were Carey Thomas Davis, born in 1923 and married Marian Louise Rye and Ruby Joyce Davis, born in 1928 and married John Turner Banister.

Ned grew up in the Oak Grove community and attended the Oak Grove School.  He went on to attend Trigg County High School in Cadiz where he graduated with the class of 1956.  Ned was very active in the Future Farmers of America in high school and earned the Chapter Farmer, State Farmer and American Farmer degrees.

On June 4, 1959, Ned married Martha Ann Rhea at the home of her parents in Benton, Kentucky with the Rev. Marcus Gurley officiating.  Martha was born on February 12, 1941 in Marshall County, Kentucky, the daughter of  Almon Beal Rhea and Emma Jean Cole Rhea.  Almon worked in construction and as a hardware store owner.  He was a native of Kirksey, Kentucky.  Emma Jean was a native of Benton, Kentucky.

Martha graduated from Benton High School in 1959 where she was class valedictorian.  She received her B.S. degree in 1964 from Murray State University and later received her Master’s degree and Education Specialist degree from MSU.  In 1985 she received her Doctor of Education degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville.  She went on to serve as the Director of Pupil Personnel with the Trigg County School System.

Ned worked as a farmer and livestock dealer in Trigg County and also in custom farming and trucking. He had a passion for farming and liked to utilize new conservation practices.  Ned lost his right hand in a farming accident in 1958 at the age of twenty.

Ned and Martha were the parents of two children, Rhea Ann Davis, born in 1960 and married James Donald Phillips, Jr. and Gary Kenneth Davis, born in 1964 and married Mary Frances Jackson.

Ned died on March 4, 2022 at the age of 83 at his home in Cadiz.  He was buried in the Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Trigg County.

LINEAGE:  (Carl Gary “Ned” Davis was the son of Alfred Leroy “Bill” and Lou Belle Thomas Davis. Lou Belle was the eighth child of Seldon Trimble and Martha Elizabeth “Bettie” Bridges Thomas.  Seldon was the first child of James Jasper and Mary Magdaline Cunningham Thomas.  James Jasper was the fourth child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Martha Elizabeth was the seventh 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.)

Rosie Crenshaw Thomas Aldridge -- Farmers Wife

 

Rosie Crenshaw Thomas Aldridge

Rosie Crenshaw Thomas was born on July 18, 1888 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was one of eleven children born to Robert Allison Thomas and Emma Nora Cunningham Thomas. Robert Allison was a farmer and a native of Trigg County.  Emma was also a native of  Trigg County.  Rosie’s siblings were Ernest Thomas, born in 1879 and died the following year; William Robert “Willie” Thomas, born in 1881 and married Mary Jane Ingram and then married Emma Rogers; Alfred Claude Thomas, born in 1883 and married Mamie Jane Stallons; A. F. “Ferd” Thomas, born in 1885 and married Ethel Ora Boyd; Hugh Early Thomas, born in 1890 and married Georgia King Boyd; Lucy E. Thomas, born in 1893 and died in childhood; Clifton Dorris “Eli” Thomas, born in 1896 and married Naomi N. Young and then married Lavada Buntin Patterson and then Dolly Vanell Smith; Relous Carr “Duck” Thomas born in 1899 and married Gladys Crisp; John Clealon Thomas, born in 1902 and married Mary Willie Thomas; and Clovis Thomas, born in 1913 and died in childhood.

Rosie grew up on her father’s farm and attended the local schools.  On June 29, 1905 when Rosie was 16 years old, she married Willie Gordon Aldridge.  Gordon was born on March 9, 1887 on a farm in the Montgomery community near the Sinking Fork Creek.  He was the son of James Washington Aldridge and Rose Ambie Stewart Aldridge. Both James and Rose were natives of Trigg County and James was a farmer.

After their marriage, Gordon and Rosie moved into a small house that was on his father’s farm. Over the years, Gordon remodeled the house and enlarged it as their family grew. With his remodeling skills, Gordon became a carpenter as one of his jobs as well as working on the family farm.  Over the years he also worked as a salesman for Raleigh products.  In the 1920s, Gordon worked on getting telephones installed in the Montgomery community  He also took on the responsibility of overseeing the maintenance of the roads of the community.

Gordon and Rosie were the parents of ten children.  They were Lacy Floyd Aldrige, born in 1906 and died at the age of five; James Robert Aldridge, born in 1908 and married Mildred Mae Mitchell and later married Willie Mae Beckworth; Ambie Delle Aldridge, born in 1910 and married Robert Earl Hite; Willie Douglas Aldridge, born in 1912 and married Fannie Ellis Cunningham and then married Katherine Laverne Curl and later married Inez Duiquid Wilson; Effie Gordon Aldridge, born in 1915 and married Jesse Harrison Adams; Nora Mae Aldridge, born in 1917 and married Martin Luther Manners and then Mark Aaron Ladd; Doris Hopson Aldridge, born in 1919 and married Marie Martha Ramsey and later married Bethzabe “Betty” Cortez; Thomas Chappell Aldridge, born in 1922 and married Martha Jane Morrison; John Allison Aldridge, born in 1928 and married Jo Lena Richardson and later married Barbara Hall; and Hugh Edward Aldridge, born in 1931 and died as an infant.

Rosie died on February 8, 1937 at the age of 49 at her home in the Montgomery community.  Her young death was the result of cancer.  She was buried in the Humphries Cemetery in Montgomery.  Gordon died on March 1, 1962 at the age of 74 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  He was buried in the Humphries Cemetery.

Rosie tombstone

Willie Gordon Aldridge

 

Gordon tombstone

LINEAGE: (Rosie Crenshaw Thomas Aldridge was the daughter of Robert Allison and Emma Nora Cunningham Thomas.  Robert Allison was the fifth 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.)

Thelma Dean Thomas Curling Dall -- Office Manager

 

Dean Dall

Thelma Dean Thomas was born on April 21, 1929 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was the youngest of three children of Leslie Edwin Thomas and Hazel Mae Gibson Thomas. Leslie was a farmer and a native of Trigg County.  Hazel was a native of Christian County, Kentucky. Dean was a descendant of Starkie Thomas.

Dean’s siblings were Violet Marie Thomas, born in 1920 and married Joseph William Edlin and Arthur Gibson Thomas, born in 1924 and married Lora Nell Adams.

Dean grew up in the Oak Grove community and attended the rural Trigg County and Cadiz elementary schools. On February 17, 1946, Dean married Jesse James Curling.  Jesse was born September 6, 1921 in Trigg County.  He was the son of Robert Thomas Curling and Virgie Ellen Holland Curling.  Robert was a farmer and fisherman and both he and Virgie were natives of Trigg County.

Dean and Jesse settled in Cadiz and he worked as a truck driver and then for the State of Kentucky Department of Highways, where he was employed for a number of years.  Dean was employed by the Kentucky Stone Company as the office manager at their Canton rock quarry where she worked for 30 years until her retirement.

Dean and Jesse had one child, a daughter, Joan Carol Curling, born in 1946 and married Johnny H. Oliver.

Jesse died on February 4, 1969 at the age of 47 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.  He was buried in the Curling Cemetery in Canton.

Dean married her second husband, George Willliam Dall, on October 29, 1977.  George was born on July 13, 1934 in Waterville, Maine to John William Dall and Adrienne Rose Bernier Dall.  John worked for the Keyes Fibre Company in Waterville, Maine for over 25 years and was a native of  Topsham, Maine.  Adrienne was a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

George came to Trigg County in July 1976 as President, Plant Manager and stockholder of Viking Engineering located east of Cadiz.  He had rented an apartment in the home of Boyd and Eunice Thomas and Eunice introduced him to Dean.  One year later they were married.  George was veteran of the US Army and served a tour of duty in Korea.

In 1978, George and Chappell Allen merged Viking Engineering with the Cadiz Machine Company and formed the Kentucky Machine and Engineering Company.  In 1983 George and Chappell began the A and D Tubing Company, a tube rolling business that was the first  plant to be built in the new Industrial Park east of Cadiz.

Dean died on March 20, 2021 at the age of 91 at the Ray and Kay Eckstein Hospice Care Center in Paducah, Kentucky.  She was buried in the Curling Cemetery.  George died on June 8, 2023 at the age of 88 at the Western Kentucky Veterans Center in Hanson, Kentucky.  He was buried in the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West in Hopkinsville.

George Dall

 

Jesse Curling tombstone

 

George Dall tombstone

LINEAGE: (Thelma Dean Thomas was the daughter of Leslie Edwin and Hazel Mae Gibson Thomas.  Leslie was the fourth child of Wesley Gunn and Eliza L. Henderson Thomas.  Wesley was the sixth 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.)

Martha Rhea Cunningham Quarles -- Tailor

 

Martha Rhea Cunningham Quarles

Martha Rhea Cunningham was born on April 28, 1934 near a big spring on Beechy Fork Creek in Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was the fifth 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.  Martha was a descendant of Cullen Bridges, Cullen Thomas and Starkie Bridges. 

Martha'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 Mava Dale Cunningham, born in 1946 and married Paul Raymond Brown.

Martha grew up attending the country schools in Trigg County.  When she was a young girl, she acquired the nickname of “Cricket” because as her grandfather noted, she was always hopping and jumping around and never seemed to sit still.  She was known by the “Cricket” nickname into her adult life.  One of her first jobs was to work at the Hopkinsville Shoe Factory in Hopkinsville, Kentucky  It was there she met a fellow worker who would become her husband.

On April 18, 1953, Martha married Charles Robert Quarles in Springfield, Tennessee.  Robert was born on October 21, 1925 in Christian County, Kentucky.  He was the son of Ewing Burton Quarles and Cora Eunice Mayes Quarles.  Ewing was a farmer and a laborer and was a native of Gainsboro, Tennessee.  Cora was a native of Robertson County, Tennessee.

Charles was a veteran of World War II.  He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on July 26, 1944 and spent eighteen months serving on sea duty in the Pacific Ocean.  He was honorably discharged from the service on July 5, 1946.

Martha and Charles lived in Hopkinsville where Martha was employed as a tailor in furs and leather.  This was a trade that been handed down from her ancestors.  Martha spent most of her time raising her four children.   Charles worked as a machinist and in his retirement years worked as a greeter at Walmart.

Martha and Charles were the parents of four children, Timothy Dwain Quarles, born in 1954 and married Eugenia McGaugh Neves, and then married Gail E. Grossman and then married Mary Erickson; Stanley Robert Quarles, born in 1958 and married Sherry L. Henderson and then married Linda Lee Dunlap Carlton; Kathy Dianne Quarles, born in 1959 and married Peter Joseph Uzelac and then married Jeffery Mitchell Rogers; and Mark Anthony Quarles, born in 1963 and married Valorie Jane Storer.

Charles died on January 22, 2008 at the age of 82 at the Christian Health Center in Hopkinsville.  He was buried in the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West in Hopkinsville.  Martha died on May 8, 2021 at the age of 87.  She was buried in the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West.

Charles Quarles

 

Martha tombstone

 

 

Charles tombstone

LINEAGE:  (Martha Rhea 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.)