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July 26, 2001 The Kings Mountain Herald EE ———— —— Hard work, honesty, By GARY STEWART Editor of The Herald Working hard and living by the Golden Rule were the characteristics that made Jake Hord Bridges so special to his family and friends, but it was perhaps his hat that made him most recog- nizable. Mr. B, as he was known by his co-workers at The Printin’ Press in Kings Mountain, died last week at the age of 88 from heart complications. Though he had been in failing health for the past three years, most of his life he was the picture of health and was always busy. Whether at work, church, with family or a baseball game - all of which he dearly loved - he was a tremendous in- fluence on the people around him. Bridges grew up on a farm between Kings Mountain and Cherryville where he learned to work hard. His professional life saw him run a grocery store at Crowders Mountain on three dif- ferent occasions, spend 40 years with AB Carter in Gastonia, and over 20 years working with his sons, Bobby and Eddie Bridges, and son-in-law Bill Swindell and others at The Printin Press. He retired as a supervisor with AB Carter in 1976. He took care of his ailing wife, the late Ethel . Mae Mullinax Bridges, during her battle with cancer, and after her death in 1977 he began working at The Printin Press. Bobby Bridges said that association came sort of unexpectedly. “He initially began coming in to say hello,” Bobby said. “He'd stay for a while and leave. The next thing you know we were teaching him to run a press and it ended up being a 20-year plus deal for him.” Even in his 80s, Bridges was probably the most punctual and dedicated employee at the shop, which for years was located in The Herald build- ing and recently moved to its current location on Cleveland Avenue. “He was from the old school,” Bobby Bridges said. “He believed in performing a hard day’s ‘work. Even though he came on board here later Anna Reynolds 100 vears old By GARY STEWART Editor of The Herald Center between Lincolnton and Lake Norman. She moved to FILE / HERALD Retired Printin’ Press employee Jake Bridges, 88, died last week. Family and co-workers re- member him as a hard working, honest and faithful man who was good to everyone. in life, he was as dedicated as any employee we had. He believed in being here at 8 o'clock and he believed in working a full eight hours. He didn’t mess around.” In fact, Bridges said his dad “hugged the print- ing press” that he ran, so much that four hats he and his wife Brenda found while going through Mr. B's possessions had ink on their brim. “His hats were his trademark,” Bobby said. “You didn’t see Jake without a hat on. Some of the folks that came through the line at the funeral home asked where his hat was.” Mr. B was an avid baseball fan. When his daughter Juanita and her husband, Bill Swindell, lived in Florida Jake would visit them every Celebrating your 100th birth- day is a milestone most folks don’t reach, and in the case of Anna Lawing Reynolds of White Oak Manor it was one she didn’t want to end. Mrs. Reynolds, who has basi- cally been confined to her bed or a wheelchair for the past five years, had ‘a ball July 16 whena host of her family members“ ' came from as far away as . Florida to help mark the special occasion. “She was as alert as she could be,” said her daughter Elaine Lynch of Shelby. “She didn’t want to go back to bed.” Mrs. Reynolds family took her into the Day Room at White Manor, which is located right next door to her room. She managed to sit in a chair while her family and others made her the center of attention. Many of the family members flew in from Georgia and Florida on July 14. One of Mrs. Reynolds’ favorite birthday gifts was a letter from President and Mrs. Bush on White House stationery. Mrs. Reynolds was reared near Maiden and lived most of her adult life near Pumpkin © those that if she’had just one White Oak Manor 11 years ago when it became too much of a task for Mrs. Lynch to care for her at her home. “I'd have to drive all the way up there to clean house and it got to where I couldn’t let her be alone,” Mrs. Lynch said. “She has always been an inde- pendent person. She was one of small piece of paper that need- ed throwing away she’d go out- side and put it in the trash bar- rel.” Mrs. Reynolds worked in a textile mill during her younger years, but after her marriage she became a full-time house- wife. She was one of 12 chil- dren. Her only living sibling is her youngest sister, Mrs. Jack “Tony” Moose of Maiden Mrs. Reynolds’ oldest daugh- ter, Evelyn Whitesides, is de- ceased. Her youngest daughter, Prue, lives in Douglas, GA. Mrs. Reynolds remembered spring so he could attend the major league teams’ spring training. He loved American Legion base- ball and attended most of the Southeastern Regional Tournaments. He and his sons, Bobby and Eddie, were attending the American Legion World Series in Las Vegas in 1998 when he be- came exhausted and had to go back to the hotel. After returning home, a Kings Mountain doctor discovered an aneurysm and doctors at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte discovered that many of his arteries were completely blocked, and the others partially blocked. “They would not attempt surgery because of his age,” Bobby said. “They basically sent him home and told him to do what he felt like doing Page 5A hat were Jake Bridges’ trademarks and make the best of it. He hung right in there until the very end.” Although Mr. B always brought his children up to be honest, Bobby admitted he had to fib a little bit to keep his dad from overdoing it. Even though his heart was wearing out, Mr. B still ‘wanted to work every day. “He would come into work and just couldn't hardly make it,” Bobby said. “I had to tell him we just didn’t have any work for him to do. He never did tell me this, but sometimes he’d tell Eddie, ‘Bob doesn’t want me to work. He's afraid I'll fall over dead.” “ Always the independent one, Mr. B wouldn't even consider leaving home and moving in with one of his children. Finally, two weeks before his death the doctors admitted him to Kings Mountain Hospital, and on July 16 he was moved to Eden Gardens. He died the next day. Thinking back on their younger years, the Bridges boys said their father disciplined by the Biblical proverb “spare the rod and spoil the child.” The phrase “this is going | to hurt me a whole lot more than it hurts you” wasn’t under- stood then, but it is appreciated now. He often told his children he'd better not ever hear of them smoking a cigarette or drinking al- coholic beverages. “He would make us walk a tight line,” Bobby said. “In our later years we certainly did respect that and appreciate it.” “The few times he had to spank me he would explain to me what I had done; spank me and then talk to me again, and usually back it up with a Bible verse,” Eddie said. Eddie fondly recalls the days when the family operated the small grocery store at Crowders Mountain. “Dad treated everybody fair,” he said. “This was back in the 1950s and a lot of people at Crowders Mountain didn’t have a car. He would take them to town, wait on them, take them back home, and never charge them,a cent.” See Bridges, 6A CIFIC PLIVI CEES FALL REGISTRATION Thursday, August 2nd 3:00-7:00pm 3:00-7:00pm 3:00-7:00pm Tuesday, August 7th Thursday, August 9th * Ballet Tap e Jazz ¢ Modern ¢ Pointe © Lyrical ¢ Gymnastics °* Pageantry and Modeling e Private Lessons ® Competition Teams Ages 2 and up At our location: 132 W. Gold Street, Kings Mountain 739-5923 (upstairs above Sub-Factory) 3 large dance rooms and parents room Over 4,000 sq. ft. of dance space. Hardwood Floors Susan Goodson Morris, Owner/Instructor Stacey Wortman, Gymnastics Instructor 23 years teaching experience, 33 years dance experience Outstanding Teacher Award in Choreography 8 Consecutive Years living in a two-story house on the top of a hill near Maiden, and getting up early to walk to work every day. She has been a cancer sur- vivor on two occasions. About See Reynolds, 6A Anna Lawing Reynolds celebrated her 100th birthday July 16 at White Oak Manor in Kings Mountain. She is pictured with five gen- erations of her family. Left to right are Prue R. Kirkland, Mrs. Reynolds’ daughter, and granddaughter Cheryl! K. Matthews, both of Douglas, GA; and great-granddaughter, Carrie M. Redish and great-great-grandson Austin Mullis, both of Tallahassee, FL. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Repos ¢ Liens ¢ Slow Pays ¢ Collections * Bankruptcies Had Some Past Credit Problems?? Call Our Confidential Credit Hotline oFirst Place “Overall” Regional Winners at “Showstoppers” in Solo, Duet Trio, Small Group and Large Group Categories, * Overall First Place Top Senior group at “Star Systems” * Overall Firgf Place Top Duet at “Star Systems” » 1st Place “National” Winners at “Showstoppers” held at Myrtle Beach * 1st Place DMI Regional Winners in Charlotte and Columbia, SC Come Join Our Winning Spirit! Bring 2 New Students and Receive 1 Month FREE TUITION! Registration Fees Must Be Paid At Sign Up. For More Information Call 739-5923 or 445-9229 Push, Pull or Tow A -BOO-265-8256 MOAI EYER 0Tad Experts On Staff Dedicated to Getting You A Loan Approyal 4 | up to 4 5 0 0 0 | REE ETRE ON one Toe vie. | You may Fax Your FOLLOWING INFORMATION ASK FOR THE FINANCE DEPT > Information To ! lesperson -No Embarrassment a ind Out Which Vehicles you Quali for oe Li 2 oe 484 - 9541 Copy. of current phone bill om Your Own Home Complete the Auto insurance information e Have Over 20 Financial “Current pay stub -5 complete references Following Information for Quick Response - Landlord/Mortgage information : ieTitle & Registration to trade-in if applicable |come See Don Fontenot at Shelby Motors! i : apa = ore ae EERE | Don Fontenot, Jr. —— gape ; nt. BL Special Finance Manager “5 Years Experience in Special Finance” 484-0049 MON.-FRI. 9-8pm ¢ SAT. 9-6pm Closed SUNDAY ss a ny er Taxes) e ent/Mortgage Payment ignat! | ONELD | =F Shelby, NC
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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July 26, 2001, edition 1
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