Edna Faye Bridges

Edna Bridges, longtime resident of Wood County, passed away on November 26, 2023, at the age of 82.

Edna Faye Bridges was born November 8, 1941, in Wichita Falls, Texas to Edwin and Ollie Faye Harris. She grew up in Union Bower, just west of Dallas in what is now Irving.  In her younger years, she spent her free time training and competing in roller-skating dance until she was 17.  When she wasn’t doing that, she was attending modeling classes.  She always had an interest in sewing but could never find any extra time due to her other activities.

Edna married the love of her life, Hollis Bridges, on August 16, 1984, in Henderson County. After they married, she rediscovered her passion and found time for crafting and sewing.  She loved crafting of any kind and at one time embarked on a ceramics phase. After seeing her ceramic work, a friend suggested she try making porcelain dolls.  Edna fell in love with doll making and began a small business. She sold handcrafted textiles, dolls, ceramics, antiques, cards, and potpourri.  Edna and Hollis moved to Quitman in 1995, and she continued to craft and grow her business. The happy couple were married for 36 years before his passing in 2019. After his passing, she slowed down to focus on this new chapter in her life.

Edna kept a blog and in January 2022 she wrote: “Here we are in a New Year!  Time, again, for new beginnings.  After several years of being absent, I hope to get back to creating my dolls later this year.  For the past thirty-six years I have been sharing my life space with my husband. Since his passing over two years ago I have devoted most of my time to making my space my own.  I have been repairing, remodeling, redoing, repurposing, getting rid of stuff.  Instead of creating dolls, I have been creating the life I now want. Life is a journey.  Look for beauty and blessings in each day.  They are there; we just have to take the time to see them.”

Later that year, she began crafting again.  She built a website and set up an Etsy shop to sell her doll patterns.  Because of her artistry, Edna gained a following, and was featured in doll-making magazines including “Art Doll Quarterly” and “Soft Dolls and Animals.”

Working with her hands always brought Edna joy. In addition to crafting, she enjoyed working in her yard and perfecting her flower beds with yard art.  She especially loved to get outside and mow her 2 acres with her zero-turn lawnmower.  She was a devout Christian and would read from her Bible every day. In her spare time, she could often be found watching the sunset from her porch or watching football inside.  She also loved “Zen to Color” and would compete with her niece to see how many pictures they could color. 

The world was a better place because of Edna. She was loved by many, and the hole left by her absence will be an impossible one to fill.

She greets in Heaven her husband, Hollis Bridges; all her siblings; her parents; and her beloved dogs, Sassy, Barney, Sugar, and Bebe.

Left to cherish her memory is her niece, Jennifer Hall and husband Justin of Royse City; neighbor and best friend, Chris Taylor; stepson, Hollis J. Bridges and wife Kathy of Quitman; cousins, Gary Smith of Trenton, TX, and Bruce Smith and wife Paula of Leonard, TX; many extended family members, and countless friends.