Back in 2020 I mentioned a Vikki Ridgely, 35 of Frisco, Texas. Her body was found dumped under a bridge SW of Lone Grove in April 1986. Her husband was found guilty of the killing. I have been talking to the daughter of Mrs Ridgely in Illinois. After some help from a couple people this week, I located the bridge where her body was found. Her daughter, family and I hope that soon some kind of memorial plaque can be installed at the bridge. Below is a message from Nikki Ridgely’s daughter.
“You have no idea what your help means to me. I was only 14 years old when she was murdered. I was in Illinois with family when it happened – no doubt I would have been with her under that bridge had I been at home in TX. My mother was going to leave him, he was a horrible man. Abused me physically and sexually. He died in prison. He went up for parole every 3 years and it was so emotionally exhausting fighting his release.” -Donna Browder
Vikki Ridgely on Find-a-Grave.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/79585163/vikki-lynn-harr
I will get with County Commissioner Berry Lee-Brinkman since the bridge is in his district, see what his help and idea on a plaque may be. If we can raise the money for a plaque, the daughter and her family wants to travel from Illinois to here to see the installation.
2/15/26 4:50am – A 3.1 earthquake was recorded just west of Springer, Oklahoma in Carter County.
Payne Grocery store (1960s) that was located at C Street SE and 10th. Now just a vacant lot.
Mary and Lee Tatum, applied for a post office designation in 1895, beginning the town of Tatums in Indian Territory in the NW part of Carter County.
Reeves Barber Shop – Marietta, Oklahoma
Below is a group photo of the Thackerville, Oklahoma FFA band.
Oklahoma Emergency Telephone Act was enacted in 1977 for 911
My new search engine for my website seems to be working great. Much better than the one I’ve had on there for years. To have better more targeted results with your search, put the words in quotation marks, example: “old nuisance”.
https://oklahomahistory.net/
HAM Radio Talk By Butch Bridges KC5JVT
Allstar node # 58735 – Echolink # 101960 – HamsOverIP # 103010
From This Weeks Mailbag
Doug Williams has been entering in his website the graves info for the Seaman First Class Billy Turner Veterans Cemetery (<–link) at South Commerce and Plainview Road. The cemetery is the first federally funded, state-owned and operated veterans’ cemetery in Oklahoma (2022).
https://winterfamily.smugmug.com/History/Seaman-First-Class-Billy-Turner-Cemetery-
Butch, Speaking of tunnels, there was once one across from Lincoln
Grade School that went under Stanley Ave so that children wouldn’t
have to cross against Stanley street traffic to go to and from the
area south of Stanley. My much older brothers remember it, but It was
filled in by the time I started school at Lincoln.
Butch, Speakin’ of Lincoln Grade School, there was a song that us Lincoln brats used to sing about the school: “Lincoln stinkin’, what-cha been drinkin’? Smells like whiskey, tastes like wine > OH MY, it’s turpentine !!” Another choice song that graced the halls of Lincoln was: “On top of a beer can all covered with foam sits old lady McCulloh (or any other teacher we didn’t like), too drunk to go home!”
Fun fact: when they were demolishing the old Lincoln school, I was
busy appropriating the wood chalkboard rails. These were very
familiar to me, for I would have to clean them when forced to stay
after school for something I got blamed for during school hours.
Behind one of the boards, which backed up to a storage room, was my
chalked message from long ago: “Kilroy Was Here” (complete with the
familiar image of Kilroy peeking over a ledge with his nose hanging
over the edge). As you can tell, I was a busy child forever on a
candy sugar high. My source of sugar was a candy store across the
alley from Lincoln. Every penny, nickel or dime I could scrounge went
to this enterprise. Which accounted for a mouth full of fillings from
cavities. -Steve Miller (like the band)
Q. Hey Cuz, do you put your Louisiana cemetery photos online for viewing, like a website?
A. Yes Sir. I post them to www.Louisianagravestones.org. It’s free for all to use. I also check Find-a-Grave and post them there if there isn’t a photo. -Gary A. Bridges
“Courage isn’t having the strength to go on, it is going on when you don’t have the strength.” —Napoleon Bonaparte
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
580-490-6823
https://oklahomahistory.net