Glenn William Bridges

Funeral services for Glenn William Bridges, 88, of Vinemont will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, at First Church of the Nazarene in Cullman, the Rev. Aaron Coffey officiating, with interment in Ebenezer Cemetery. The body will lie in state from 1 to 2 p.m. at the church.

Cullman Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Bridges passed away Friday morning, Nov. 6, at his home in Crane Hill. He was born Sept. 29, 1921, in Cullman County to Elige and Annie Vest Bridges. He was a school teacher in Cullman County for over 25 years, with most of those at West Point High School. Many of those same years were spent driving a school bus for the school day and then transporting the band to their events after school. He took great pride in the success of his “former students” and could always remember something good to say about them.

Mr. Bridges’ life revolved around his family and his church. He wanted his children to have all of the advantages that he didn’t have growing up. His childhood consisted of working on the farm just to survive the Depression. He liked to tell of plowing the field which is now the parking lot at Cracker Barrel, with a team of mules when he was still a young boy. He finished high school after his children were in school, and completed his master of education degree before his youngest child graduated from high school. He had been an active member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Cullman since the 1930s. If the doors were open, he and his family were one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. He served his church over the years as a trustee, board member and teacher. His special ministry was teaching Sunday School classes at several nursing homes in Cullman for many years. He was completely involved in every building project of the church from the very first building.

He was a kind-hearted, loving man. He always had a servant’s heart, an encouraging word, and a forgiving spirit. He was a true example of how a follower of Jesus Christ should live. Without reservation, Jesus Christ could look at Glenn at his homecoming and say, “Well done,  my good and faithful servant.”

He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Nora Fay Watson Bridges; his parents; two brothers, Arnold and Earl Bridges; and a sister, Jewel Adamson.

Survivors include a son, Jim (Jennifer) Bridges of Crane Hill; a daughter, Becky (Dwight) Jones of Anchorage, Alaska; a son, Bill (Terry) of Richmond, Va.; a brother, Irving Bridges of Haleyville; nine grandchildren, Jill (Brian) Orr of Leesburg, Va., Joey (Richard) Orr of Cullman, Jessica (Jason) Hoffman of Alabaster, Dena (Adam) Jurhs of Longview, Wash., Trina (Eric) Lemcke of Grand Rapids, Mich., Kimberly (Chad) McCotter of Wasilla, Alaska, Amy (Ramon) Wycoff of Knightsdale, N.C., Daryl (Beth) Bridges of Gallatin, Tenn., Scott (Sara) Bridges of Hill Air Force Base, Utah; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday.