William Lewis Bridges 1844-1911 Group Sheet

 

Bridges Family History - Where I Started

As I build this blog, I realize how much family history I have learned in the last 8 years. I thought that with the incorrect "E" on the death certificate that this may be a dead end. But with the use of DNA and another cousin, Stacy White of Dallas, we have been able to substantiate more of our tree. Below is what I wrote in 2016. There will be much more to come. We have "CRACKED" the code 😊

Bridges Family History

 

Unfortunately, I have never been able to "crack the code" on William L. Bridges.  Mattie Bell Bridges, his daughter,  is my link to this family and I knew her as a small child which gave me confidence as I began my research. Records and letters were sent to Lucy Jones Day by Dorothy Autry, Burwell Jones' daughter, and so much was known about all the Bridges' 12 children.  I felt confident that Mattie's father's name was William " L" as I found a hand written marriage document from 1870 and a newspaper article in the Abilene Reporter about a family reunion given by his daughter Lucy Ford dated October 1945, all of which reflects his name as William "L" Bridges.  However, Lucy Day states on Mattie Bell Bridges' death certificate that her father was William "E" Bridges, but I believe that is in error.  And still...others have followed him as William "M" Bridges.   By taking away a middle name, there are MANY William Bridges in documents in the same location during the same time period, including censuses and military listings.  During that period of time, documents do not state other family members which makes it difficult to establish a link.  William's history is given on the History Sheet of Harriet Ann Springfield.  It appears that they were well-to-do upstanding people.

 

Nancy Claire Quillin Long

5 March 2016

Martin Frank Jones Remembers Mama and Papa McNair

 My grandparents on my mother’s side were Joe Carroll Jones and Ava Ella McNair. They had 5 children, including my mother, Carolita Jones Quillin. Mother was most interested in helping me gather family information. Her brother, Martin Franklin Jones, was also interested in helping me throughout the years. There will be several Jones Family posts of the information gathered from them.

Recollections from Martin Frank Jones 2013

Papa = Charles Franklin McNair

Mama = Ella Vermell King

Martin Frank said that Papa McNair was called to minister.  He was asked to preach at a revival, and he told himself that if one person came down, he would use that as a sign that he was called to preach.  That night, a person came down to dedicate his life. So, Papa decided to preach a second night and told himself if two people came down, he would know for sure that he had been called to preach. About 10 people dedicated their lives to Christ, and Papa became a minister."

"Papa got involved in the school board elections, and if you were a preacher back in that day, you didn’t do politics or choose sides. I believe this was in Electra. It caused problems, so he moved just across the river to Delhi, Oklahoma."

 Mama McNair -- She had a stroke and was moved to a convalescence home in Vernon. She got bed sores that were very bad, and the family was told that they were going to have to take her legs. Martin remembers going with Hadley and Joe Carroll to Lockett to tell Papa the news and these were Papa’s words: “Ella and I have talked about this, and I know that Ella would want to go to heaven with both legs.”

Martin Frank Jones Tries to Piece Together Jones Family History

 My grandparents on my mother’s side were Joe Carroll Jones and Ava Ella McNair. They had 5 children, including my mother, Carolita Jones Quillin. Mother was most interested in helping me gather family information. Her brother, Martin Franklin Jones, was also interested in helping me throughout the years. There will be several Jones Family posts of the information gathered from them.

Recollections from Martin Frank Jones 2013

Martin Frank had vague memories of Martin Ervin Brooks Jones, and he so wanted to solve the lineage of all the Martin's in the Jones line. I have since been able to solve some of the things...and I also inherited those precious items/slips of paper from MEB's old truck. More to come later.....

"Pappy put up Minerva and MEB’s tombstone. MEB lived on a farm and a rooster flogged Martin (Frank). MEB knocked the rooster off…and that is the only memory that Martin Frank has of MEB.   MEB and Minerva were missionaries to the Indians in Oklahoma (possibly to Indians in Alabama as well.)

Martin Frank remembers is always being said that there was another Martin Jones after the Martin Jones who married Keziah Busby. That older Martin was born in the 1700’s. (I have not proven this.)  Neither of those Martin’s could read and write. Martin Frank said that he has an old trunk somewhere with a slip of paper with a payment for Keziah.  On that slip of paper there is mention of Martin Jones (her husband) and his father, another Martin Jones. (NOT PROVEN) There is some sort of signature on that paper relating those two Martin’s." 

Some of that has not proven to be true. I now have these in my possession. To be posted later.

 Martin Jones left Keziah with two young sons.

Mattie Bell Bridges Pedigree Chart

This morning, I found some additions to a Bridges family tree made by Stacy White. We have been in contact before, and she is the one who sent me the picture of the complete family of William Lewis Bridges, Mattie Bell's father. I am still working to connect and research Jonathan Bridges, but it looks promising at this time. Stacy is a cousin from the double cousins in the Bridges/Jones line. Hugh Springfield Bridges was her great grandfather. Hugh was a brother to my grandfather, J.C. Jones, which make us connected as well through the Jones family. (see post about double cousins)

Martin Frank Jones's DNA has now connected me even more in line with Jonathan Bridges and ?Mary? Mariah? Sarah? McDonald. I'm not willing on this date to commit to anything further back. Find a Grave has the same information, and I don't feel that there is any substantial information on the burial of Jonathan. Stacy has some great new information that I will be investigating, along with new DNA connections.

It's interesting that in the last few days, I have found several members of the Bridges family who have been located in institutions for the insane. I surely hate to say this, but at times, as a child I felt that Mattie was a little off. I know that she was demanding of my grandmother, and she was certainly a hypochondriac. She was often thinking that she was going to die, and I remember having to line up and got in to see her to say goodbye. Of course, I just thought that I was saying goodbye for that particular visit to Crowell.  But somehow it just never felt right. hummm...

Pappy's Illness and Last Days

 My grandparents on my mother’s side were Joe Carroll Jones and Ava Ella McNair. They had 5 children, including my mother, Carolita Jones Quillin. Mother was most interested in helping me gather family information. Her brother, Martin Franklin Jones, was also interested in helping me throughout the years. There will be several Jones Family posts of the information gathered from them.

Recollections from Martin Frank Jones 2013

Most of Pappy’s life, he couldn’t bend over because of ear problems.  He had a severe infection as an infant and forever had problems with his ear.  Dr. Clark had told him that infection would get into his brain and spinal cord….and eventually that is exactly what happened.  He died of spiral meningitis.  

 When he was close to the end, Pap began to hallucinate and was violent at times.  Martin was called one day and told, “Come quickly.  Skinny is having a fit to see you.”  When Martin arrived, Pap told him, “I bought a great big machine today.”  Martin just encouraged him and told him that was really good.   In one of Pap’s lucid moments, he explained losing his mind.  He told Martin, “Son, it’s like being in a river and the water is rushing towards you.  It’s coming over you.  I know if it comes over me, I’m ruint.”

Remembering Martin Harmon Jones and Mattie Bell

 My grandparents on my mother’s side were Joe Carroll Jones and Ava Ella McNair. They had 5 children, including my mother, Carolita Jones Quillin. Mother was most interested in helping me gather family information. Her brother, Martin Franklin Jones, was also interested in helping me throughout the years. There will be several Jones Family posts of the information gathered from them.

Recollections of Martin Harmon Jones

by Carolita Jones Quillin

Granddaddy Jones is what Carolita called him (Martin Harmon Jones). He was one of Mother’s favorite people. He loved fishing and would fish with a cane pole. My daddy, Truman, fished often with him. The Jones were the salt of the earth but were considered “hayseed” country people. All the Jones family would have starved if it had not been for Joe Carroll Jones, Martin Harmon's son. They survived during the Great Depression with the guidance, love and help from Joe Carroll Jones. Granddaddy Jones did night watch at the cotton gin.  His assignment was to make sure that a fire was not ignited.  When the cotton bales came off the press, they would be so hot they could easily ignite.

Recollections from Martin Frank Jones 2013

Martin remembered that Mattie Bell made the best tea cakes.

 Martin Harman had a cellar…at first it was a dirt cellar with shiplap top (boards overlapping one another).  Then he had a cellar with brick sides and a cement top and floor.  Martin Harmon had a brick he loosened and stored his money there. When he died, it caused a split in the family because all of them except for Pappy wanted to split the money.  Martin Harmon had a grocery bill that he had run up and Pappy wanted to pay off that debt.  This made everyone mad; so eventually, they split the money, but Pappy wouldn’t have any part of the money because of the problems it had created.  Then Pap went and paid the bill out of his pocket.

Martin Frank remembers not being treated very well by Pappy's sister, Lucy, later in life.

 “They were strange people. When I took Mimi to Hale Center for Greta’s funeral, they all (Lucy, Dono, Lora Lee, etc.) ignored Ava (Mimi).  I felt so uncomfortable and wanted to leave, but Mimi insisted on staying. Another time, Mimi wanted to go see Lucy Day and Doris (Mimi's daughter) advised against it.  Mimi went anyway, and no one answered the door, yet Mimi could see someone looking out the window."

My thoughts: Strange what/how people react when estates are settled. 

Martin Harmon Jones and Mattie Bell Bridges Jones 

1946