Bridges Family History & Genealogy

Randal Bridges of Columbus, Ohio United States was born on January 3, 1963 in Columbus to Emmaline Cothern and Verle cothern.

(Honestly, I am not certain how much of this is factual and how much is conjecture; the following was pulled together from various unsourced listings with information often in disagreement.) As inscribed on her gravestone, Jerusia Sanches was born July 17, 1809; two census records agree that she was born in Illinois, but they place the year of birth at 1812-14. Her mother was possibly from Illinois, and her father was possibly from Tennessee; however, it is assumed that Jerusha’s father was French and that her mother was Cherokee (or is it the other way around?). One listing claims her maiden name was Bridges without source information or explanation. Her and her children spent some time in Arkansas until about 1831 and lived in Louisiana between 1831 and 1844. It is proposed that she married four times (or perhaps three times?). She married her first husband, William Henry Lemons, Senior, about 1829; he died about 1835. She had two children by her first husband. Her second husband was supposedly Milton J. Tidwell. The Tidwells ventured west to Arkansas with the Blantons; they in turn went to settle Strouds Community in Robertson County, Texas. Milton Tidwell was killed by Kachia Indians during a raid of that settlement in 1840 in which Sara Tidwell (this might not have been Jerusha – more on this later) and her three small children were taken captive. One of her children died while in captivity. She and her two remaining children were ransomed by a brother from Conway, Arkansas by the name of Richard Blanton. Richard then brought his sister Sarah and her children back with him to Arkansas. Jerusha’s third husband was Clarence Burns. She had two children by her third husband. Jerusha witnessed the death of Clarence Burns after 1841. She married her fourth husband, Francisco Sanches, on February 13, 1844 in Texas. She had five children by her fourth husband. In 1848, they moved to Navarro County. She witnessed the death of Francisco Sanches about 1867 in Texas and moved to Camp Wood in Nueces Canyon, Texas, where she served as a midwife. She is noted as the first civilian settler of Camp Dixie, which later became Barksdale, Texas. She died September 11, 1884 and was buried in Vance Cemetery in Real County, Texas. She was a frontier doctor employed by the Union Army, as confirmed by a soldier’s diary. She passed away in 1884 due to “cancer of the face” at 75 years of age. She was buried with a marked tombstone in the Vance Cemetery. The State of Texas has erected an historical maker to her honor in Barksdale.

Nell Dean (Mills) Bridges of Alabama United States was born in April 1936 in Walker County.

Abon Bridges's parents were Ezell Bridges (1919 - 1998) and Beatrice Coward (born 1912). Both of his parents were born in Mississippi. He had six siblings: five brothers, including Matthew Bridges, (1935 - 2006) and one sister. Abon also had two half-sisters. Abon Briges married Lucille Commodore. also spelled Commadore, (1934 - 2020) in 1953 and they separated in the late 1960s. They had 8 children including Ruby, Malcolm, Jonah, Milton, and Michelle. A veteran, Abon served in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict and earned a Purple Heart. When they lived in Mississippi, Abon and his wife, Lucille, were sharecroppers. When they moved to New Orleans, in order to seek better jobs and a better education for their children, Abon became a gas station attendant. Later, his daughter Ruby said that he was a mechanic. According to Ruby's obituary, "she became the first Black student at her New Orleans elementary school." Such a simple sentence that contains so much history: Ruby Bridges went on to become an icon of the civil rights movement. New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell said Ruby's father, Abon Bridges, was reluctant to send his daughter to the all-white William Frantz Elementary School as a first grader in 1960, at the request of the NAACP. But his wife insisted, wanting their daughter to have the education she (the mother) never did." Mother Lucille attended class every day for a year in order to protect Ruby and since all of the Caucasian students in her class were pulled out by their parents and Ruby was the only student remaining. What parents do for their children! See the iconic painting of Ruby's first day of school at Abon Bridges wife and child. Also read a moving article about Ruby's first day of school at Ruby Bridges First Day of School Changed History. The family had moved to New Orleans in search of better work and educational opportunities. An article about the turmoil of the times and the Bridges' family can be found at Ruby Bridges First Day of School Changed History

James Knox Bridges of 10314 Candlewood, in Houston, Harris County, Texas United States was born in February 1910.

Susan Elaine (Bridges) Linnstaedter of 17231 Mill Forest Road #202, in Webster TX 77598, Harris County, TX 77598 was born on April 24, 1943 at Houston TX St Joseph Hospital, in Houston to James Knox "Jake” Bridges and Helen (Rey) Bridges. She has siblings Mary Ann Bridges Kilbourne, Gayle B Straughn, and Elizabeth B. Donahue. Susan was baptized circa April 1943 at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church 6800 Buffalo Speedway, in Houston. Susan Bridges married Herbert W. Linnstaedter on September 9, 1978 at Rice University Chapel Houston Texas in Houston, Harris County, TX, and they were married until Herbert's death on February 1, 1996.

Elizabeth Helen (Bridges) Donahue was born on August 18, 1950 at Houston Texas to James Knox "Jake” Bridges and Helen (Rey) Bridges, and has siblings Susan Bridges Linnstaedter, Mary Ann Bridges Kilbourne, and Gayle B Straughn. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Elizabeth B. Donahue .

Gayle Rey (Bridges) Straughn was born on May 31, 1948 to James Knox "Jake” Bridges and Helen (Rey) Bridges, and has siblings Susan Bridges Linnstaedter, Mary Ann Bridges Kilbourne, and Elizabeth B. Donahue. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Gayle B Straughn.

Mary Ann (Bridges) Kilbourne of Houston, Texas United States was born on March 12, 1946 at Houston in Houston. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Mary Ann Bridges Kilbourne .

Helen Pauline (Rey) Bridges of 5085 Westheimer Rd, in Houston, Texas United States, was in a relationship with James Knox "Jake” Bridges, and has children Susan Bridges Linnstaedter, Mary Ann Bridges Kilbourne, Gayle B Straughn, and Elizabeth B. Donahue. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Helen (Rey) Bridges .

Hannah (Piddock) Bridges was born in 1829 in TAS Australia. She was in a relationship with John Bridges, and had children Letitia Hannah Bridges, James Walter Bridges, Jane Elizabeth Bridges, Julia Rebbecca Bridges, Fanny Rose Bridges, Florence Ada Bridges, and Cathy Maud Bridges. Hannah Bridges died at age 73 years old in 1902 in Melbourne, VIC. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Hannah Piddock.

Walter Herbert Bridges of Ballarat, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia was born in 1876 in Bungaree, Moorabool Shire County to Ellen Elisabeth (Long) Bridges and Walter Bridges. He had siblings Ellen Elizabeth (Bridges) Gilkes, Robert Bridges, Lavinia Jane (Bridges) Hay, Georgina Ann (Bridges) Heany, and Emily Mercy Bridges Beacham. He married Rose Dunn Bridges, and had children Walter Stanley Bridges, Burnice Lavinia Bridges, and Mercy Ellen Rose Bridges. Walter Bridges died at age 58 years old in 1935 in Ballarat, City of Ballarat County.

Nelson Edward Cornelius Bridges of Ballarat, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia was born in 1890 in Ballarat to Alice Sarah (Sweet) Bridges and Walter Bridges. He had a brother Wallace Sweet Bridges. Nelson Bridges died at age 40 years old in November 1931 in Ballarat.

Alice Sarah (Sweet) Bridges of Ballarat, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia was born in 1856 in Marylebone, Greater London County, England United Kingdom. She was married to Walter Bridges, and had children Nelson Edward Cornelius Bridges and Wallace Sweet Bridges. Alice Bridges died at age 78 years old in 1934 in Ballarat, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia.

Wallace Sweet Bridges of Ballarat, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia was born in 1894 in Ballarat, and died at age 10 years old on April 1, 1905 in Ballarat. Wallace Bridges was buried at Ballarat New Cemetery in Invermay Park.

Georgina Ann (Bridges) Heany of Coburg North, City of Merri-bek County, VIC Australia was born in 1868 in Ballarat, City of Ballarat County to Ellen Elisabeth (Long) Bridges and Walter Bridges. She had siblings Ellen Elizabeth (Bridges) Gilkes, Walter Herbert Bridges, Robert Bridges, Lavinia Jane (Bridges) Hay, and Emily Mercy Bridges Beacham. Georgina Heany married Brigham Henry Heany in 1891, and died at age 77 years old in 1945 in Coburg North, City of Merri-bek County.

Emily Mercy (Bridges) Beacham of Ballarat, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia was born in 1871 in Buninyong to Ellen Elisabeth (Long) Bridges and Walter Bridges. She had siblings Ellen Elizabeth (Bridges) Gilkes, Walter Herbert Bridges, Robert Bridges, Lavinia Jane (Bridges) Hay, and Georgina Ann (Bridges) Heany. She married George Beacham in 1887, and had children Annie Elizabeth Baker, Sarah Savmia Beacham, Florence Laura Ellen Beacham, Hart Ella Beacham, Francis Walter R Beacham, Evelyn Maud Beacham, Dora Emily Beacham, and Mavis Beacham. Emily Beacham died at age 74 years old in 1945 in Ballarat.

Lavinia Jane (Bridges) Hay of Ballarat, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia was born in 1865 in Clarendon, Moorabool Shire County to Ellen Elisabeth (Long) Bridges and Walter Bridges. She had siblings Ellen Elizabeth (Bridges) Gilkes, Walter Herbert Bridges, Robert Bridges, Georgina Ann (Bridges) Heany, and Emily Mercy Bridges Beacham. She married Hugh Robertson Hay in 1884, and had children Robert Francis Hay, Hugh Ronald Bentley Hay, Stewart Rossiter Hay, Myra Ellen Gladys Hay, and Jessie Lavinia Hay. Lavinia Hay died at age 76 years old on March 28, 1942 in Ballarat, City of Ballarat County.

Amy Ellen (Bridges) Mclean of Ballarat, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia was born in 1904 in Ballarat to Rose Amelia (Kittelty) Bridges and Robert Bridges. She had siblings Queenie Victoria Bridges, Stanley Bridges, Leonard Bridges, Lily Bridges, Robert Walter Bridges, Earl Clemence Bridges, Edgar Royce Bridges, Ivy Ruth Bridges Williams, Norman Leslie Bridges, Bertram Victor Bridges, and Irene Rose (Bridges) Mcneight. Amy Mclean died at age 74 years old in 1978 in Ballarat.

Irene Rose (Bridges) McNeight of Ballarat, City of Ballarat County, VIC Australia was born in 1890 in Ballarat, and died at age 79 years old in March 1970 in Ballarat.