Ruth Lenell Bridges

Ruth LeNell Bridges was welcomed into this world on May 28, 1951, by her parents Archie Lee Fleming, Sr. and Mae Bell Robinson-Fleming in Temple, Texas. Ruth was the fifth child out of six children and the baby sister of the family. Ruth attended Temple High School in Temple, Texas, and graduated with the class of 1970. She attended Huston-Tillotson College in Austin, Texas where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1974. Here is where she met Selman, Jr.

After college, Elyose, her oldest brother, gifted her a trip to Hawaii, where she lived with him for a year. She then returned to Texas where she joined the United States Army in 1975, as a Behavioral Science Counselor. She then deployed to Germany where she was stationed at Ludendorff Kaserne for 3 years. While walking around the base, she ran into Selman, Jr. several times and started a courtship. They later married on September 3, 1976. Ruth and Selman returned back to Texas where she was stationed at Fort Hood. At the end of her tour in the Army in 1978, she settled in Temple, Texas with her family.   She started working at Temple College in May 1979. She took a break from Temple College when Selman’s positions in the Army stationed their family in Germany for 3 years.  When they returned back to Temple, Ruth continued her career at Temple College and remained there for 42 years as the Director of Student Life, until she transitioned.

Ruth accepted Jesus Christ at an early age at Corinth Missionary Baptist Church in Temple, Texas. She served in many ministries there, youth matron, youth ushers, senior ushers, greeters, deaconess, ministers’ wives, ambassador choir, florist, hospitality, and more. However, making custom flowers for all the church events, and managing the annual Christmas Float for the City of Temple brought her the most joy. Ruth had a love for people, especially children, and she desired to help, so she opened her home to foster care. She impacted the lives of many children, students, and adults in the community financially and spiritually. Her home was always open to anyone who needed a meal and a place to lay their head. Ruth naturally connected with people and she never met a stranger.

Ruth earned her Master's Degree in Counseling with Selman, Jr. from Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas in 2004. Ruth looked forward to Sunday dinners which she hosted weekly for her family. She enjoyed cooking for them and looked forward to seeing her children and grandchildren to discuss their week, and share memories and laughter. Ruth was an active supporter of all her grandchildren’s sports and school activities, rotating when her grandsons had conflicting schedules. She shouted the loudest and let everyone around her know, “That’s my grandbaby!”

Ruth is preceded in death by her father, mother, oldest sister, Mary Alice Henry-Dubose, and sister-in-law, Eloise Fleming.

She leaves to cherish her memory her devoted husband of 47 years Selman Bridges Jr. Temple, Texas, her daughter Aisha Bridges, Lewisville, TX, two sons Selman (Shakena) Bridges III, Sharrod (Lawanda) Bridges of Temple, Texas; nine grandchildren James, Jamesha, Zakia, Qatarah, Selman IV, Kayden, Sharrod, Jr., Chase, and Tyler; seven great grandchildren Lorenzo, Leandre, Naeoni, Kaeson, Kyng, Harlem, and Barrick; her siblings, Elyose Fleming of Landover Hills, MD, Archie (Terri) Fleming, Jr., Susie Fleming, Richard (Shelia) Fleming, all of Temple, TX; her nieces and nephews Billie (Gary) Henderson, Jr., of Maryland, Lakisha Henry of Temple, TX, Kimberly (David) Reeders, Cedar Park, TX, Toni (Raymond) Blackmon, Hutto, TX, Davielle Henry, Fred (LeKar) Fleming, Helen Wedderburn, Andrea (Reggie) Byrd all of Temple, Tia Fleming, Richard Fleming, Jr., Dana (Gary) Clement, Terrance Fleming all of Fort Worth, TX; and a host great nieces and nephews, family, and friends.