Mamie (Marshall) Bridges

Born on a glorious Leap year day, February 29, 1924, Mamie Lee Dell Marshall was born to O.B. and Annie Marshall in Dawson, Terrell County, Georgia. She was their ninth child of twelve and quickly became a favorite because of her sincere smile and ever pleasant personality. At an early age, she came to know and love the Lord and was baptized at Rose Hill Baptist church along with her siblings. She so enjoyed going to church, and reading her Bible on a daily basis a practice that she maintained throughout her life, especially when she couldn’t physically attend church. Like so many the rest of her siblings, she went to school, played with them and worked in the fields to help her family. Her life changed when she met her forever love Jim B Bridges. They married and remained as each other’s best friend and cheerleader for 61 years until his death in November 2011. Early in their marriage, they migrated north to Chelsea where they resided and built their life together. Raised in a large family, in the rural south, post depression, she learned to share, to love fully and unconditionally, to bring her best to the Lord and to share her beliefs in her own quiet way. She graciously opened the doors of her home to family members who needed a place to call home temporarily. As we look back over the years, so many family members’ first address up north was in the “℅ Mrs.Mamie Bridges”. Always a pleasant easy going spirit, she kept a clean home, grew her green plants indoors, and enjoyed her reputation as a good cook - she really “put her foot in some of everything”. Had she lived in another time, you might have thought she was a numerologist because she had a thing for numbers, loved to take pictures, the one-use camera was her friend and for a time she was a bowler. Over the years, she became a true Red Sox fan, but of all the things she enjoyed, her daytime soap operas were her “musts”- and her day was structured to ensure she didn’t miss very many episodes. Aunt Mamie could always be counted on to call her nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, other family and friends to keep up with news in their lives and to check on their well being. And she always sent cards; she was a one-woman greeting card promoter, celebrating family and friends on their birthdays, at Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although seemingly limited in her means, she gave generously to her as though she was the only Santa Claus anyone might ever know. On Christmas morning, all the gifts would be bagged up for distributing and though she loved to see the Christmas joy, she loved even more that you opened your gifts at your house. She was a good employee whenever and wherever she worked. She was a long term employee of Morse Shoe in Canton, working as an Assembler alongside niece Eula Ballon. And she believed in being on time even though they needed to take multiple buses and trains to get there on time. Upon her retirement, with over 30 years of service, she received numerous accolades for her personality, her work ethic and loyalty to the company. In her retirement, she enjoyed riding around with her sister and niece, shopping, attending church and people watching. As a member of Emmanuel Baptist church, she could be seen entering church with her sister, Louise Robinson and niece Rena Wilkerson as often as their health would allow. Having accepted Christ early in life, she was a daily Bible reader, switching to the large-print edition favored by the seasoned saints With her husband’s passing and as her health declined, her nephew and niece, Terry and Paula Robinson stepped in to make sure she got to her appointments, did her grocery shopping, banking and other errands as needed. Paula spent many days being her companion as she watched her favorite soap operas and especially when she met with her health care professionals and others. Aunt Mamie came to rely on the two of them to make things happen on her behalf, even to the point of looking for Terry to just take her home from the hospital without being discharged. Nephew Mikey Lopez filled in for other special assignments that also made her happy on a daily basis. Predeceasing her were her parents and her husband, her siblings Ulysses Dublin, Walter Marshall, John D Marshall, Milton Marshall, Ed Lee Marshall, Mattie Taylor, Ida Mae Marshall, Eddie “Dune” Marshall, Josephine Daniels and Eutha Mae Robinson. Also left to cherish her memories are her Best Friend Forever and sister, Louise Robinson of Chelsea, MA; her sisters in law, Minnie Lee Marshall of Georgia and Lois Crumbley of Illinois. Though she had no biological children, she was mother, second mother and one of the best aunts to her many nieces and nephews left to mourn her passing who do rejoice in her transition including Tom Dublin (Renee), Charlie Floyd, Evelyn Hicks, Carolyn Marshall, Barbara Marshall, Ed Marshall (Archie Dean), Eula Balloon (James), Ulysses Dublin, Gwendolyn Greene, Eddie Marshall (Rose), Theresa Edwards, Evelyn Decker, Walter Bonner, Jr., Ronnie Bonner (Corendis), Bonita Bonner, Caroline Bonner, Eddie Mae Marshall, Pat Marshall, James I Robinson, Mamie Robinson-Lopez (Michael), Terry Robinson, Jacqueline Perry, Margaret Robinson Williams, John Wesley Marshall, Dwayne Marshall, Douglas Marshall. Sheila Jackson (Calvin) and Joseph Darren. In addition, Shannon Marshall, Winifred Marshall, Reginal Wilkerson (Marisol), Tracey Balloon Trotman,(Reese) Chelsea Cofer, Sabriya Dublin, Autumn Lopez, Dyana Langley Robinson (Jeff), Alissia Cofer, Amber Lopez, Chantalle Robinson, Shana Cofer, James Corey Robinson, Jaime Robinson, Mikey Lopez, Chandra Robinson (Godchild), Amanda Robinson, Reginald Wilkerson II, Demetreus Wilkerson, Manny Wilkerson, Derrick Miller, Bryanna Fraser - Wilkerson, Chris Marshall, Alexxa Wilkerson, Nita Walton, N’Dea Jackson, C’Dne Jackson, Kai Jackson, Brittany Marshall, Christopher Marshall, Aaliyah Trotman, Khalil Washington, Robinson Cofer, Avi Chornock, Cherai Reese, Jamaurie Brown, Chyle’ Rivera, Patrick Robinson, Jaelyn Lopez, Antonio Sao, Jeilani Lopez, Orlando Lopez, Omari Lopez, Z’Andra Lopez, Michael Brown III, Mason Wilkerson, Madison Wilkerson, Zenaya Wilkerson, Albert Cofer, Melvin Ford (KB) and Rev Dr Lorraine Brown Cross.

Visitation will be held in the Emmanuel Baptist Church, 20 Hillside Avenue, Malden on Wednesday, April 14th beginning at 11 AM followed by a Funeral Service at 12 Noon. Services will conclude with interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. 

Livestreaming will be available on the Emmanuel Baptist Church Facebook page.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mamie (Marshall) Bridges, please visit our floral store.