Marjorie Bridges

Family-Placed Obituary

Marjorie Bridges Marjorie "Marge" Bridges, co- founder and namesake of the Marbridge Foundation, died January 11, 2005. She was 96 years old. Mrs. Bridges, a 59 year resident of Austin, along with her husband J.E. (Ed) Bridges, Sr. established Marbridge Foundation Inc. in Manchaca, Texas in June 1953 as a private nonprofit organization to provide supervised living and training for their son Jim and other adults with various cognitive challenges. Mrs. Bridges was predeceased by her husband of 74 years; brothers Gardner Davis, of Charleston, S.C.; W.J. Fullbright, Jr. of Orangeburg, S.C.; and a sister, Betty Fullbright Hubbard of Sebastian, Fla. She is survived by their son, J.E. (Jim) Bridges, Jr., and her nephews, Robert W. Fullbright, President and Chairman of Marbridge; Britt Hubbard of Jupiter, Fla., nieces Mary Lynn Fullbright of Manchaca, Tex., Gloria Bruce of Columbia, and Rhonda Wilkins, of Clearwater, Fla. The family will receive friends on Wednesday January 12th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Weed Corley-Fish funeral home located at 3125 North Lamar in Austin. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on January 13, 2005 in the Marbridge Chapel of All Faiths at Marbridge Ranch located at 2310 Bliss Spillar Rd., Manchaca, led by Rev. Tom Heger of St. John's Presbyterian Church, Manchaca, Texas. Interment will follow in a private ceremony at the Bridge's family cemetery located on the Marbridge Ranch campus. Pallbearers will be long-time Marbridge residents. Honorary Pall Bearers will be all former and current members of the Marbridge Foundation Board of Directors. Marjorie Davis Bridges was born July 10, 1908 to William A. and Mary Ray Davis in Whitepath, Georgia. She and Ed Bridges owned and operated Bridges Furniture located at 416 Congress Ave., in Austin from 1946 until 1966. With the closing of Bridges Furniture, Mr. and Mrs. Bridges devoted their full energies to Marbridge. Marbridge was founded in a small ranch house on 87 acres in Manchaca. Today, Marbridge is home for more than 200 residents residing in three separate communities located on 300 acres that is now adjacent to Austin's southwest city limit. Mrs. Bridges was a long-time member of 1st Baptist Church of Austin. In 1982, she was corecipient with her husband, of the American Association on Mental Deficiency Special Award, given by the American Association on Mental Retardation, and in 1987, was recognized as one of 10 outstanding citizens by the Counseling and Pastoral Care of Austin. Mrs. Bridges was a long-time member of the Austin Woman's Club. Arrangements are under the direction of Weed Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 North Lamar, Austin, Texas 78705. The family expresses its heartfelt appreciation to all the staff members of the Marbridge Villa that surrounded Mrs. Bridges with loving care in her final days. The family requests memorial contributions in lieu of flowers are made to Marbridge Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 2250 Manchaca, TX 78652. Memorials and guestbook online at wcfish.com