Fred Oral Bridges' Obituary
Frederick Oral Bridges passed away on Friday, October 18, 2013. Fred was born on May 29, 1926, in Tupelo, Oklahoma, to Bess Bridges and Jessie (Smith) Bridges. He grew up in Tahlequah with his brother Dean, until the last of his high school years, where he graduated from Central High School in Tulsa. Central High is where he started his print shop career and met his sweetheart Colleen Donnelly, with whom he spent nearly all of the next 68 years. Fred and Colleen adopted 2 boys, Mike and Mark, who predeceased them. Colleen passed away in April of this year. To carry his memory and example, Fred leaves behind his brother Dean; nephews Brent, Kenny and Scott; niece Karen; grandchildren Michael, Melissa and Kristi; and his great-grandchildren Brennan, Kadyn, Braxton and Khloe, as well as many loving friends who brought him joy through good times and bad. Fred and his wife enjoyed going to garage sales, where his finds of antique furniture and motorized gadgets—and even cars—kept his backyard garage alive with activity. The door was open nearly every day of the year, inviting passers-by to stop and chat while he worked on the latest project. Sometimes people brought their own projects to work side by side with him. He was a great story-teller, a fun, down-to-earth man, and a model of practical wisdom for those of us who remain. If you’d like to enjoy some of Fred’s stories, the book Fred O & Pumpy is free to read online at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/571883. Paper copies may also be ordered. If you would like to make a donation instead of sending flowers, Fred and Colleen were avid supporters of John 3:16 Mission, which may be found at http://john316mission.org.
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