After a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, Louise Pauline (Grob) Bridges passed away at home in the early morning of Friday, March 28, surrounded by family.
Louise was born on September 9, 1943 to Louie and Wanda Grob in Olympia, Washington, while her father was serving overseas in World War II. After the war, the family moved home to Colusa, California and had 3 more children. Louise was the oldest sister to Barbara, Dolores
and Louie Jr.
Growing up in Colusa, Louise was active in 4-H doing cooking and sewing, was a member of Girl Scouts, ran for Miss Colusa County, and assisted her dad with early-morning deliveries for the family business, Colusa Dairy. While in high school, her summer job was weighing the trucks that were delivering plums to the local prune plant!
The family had a Criss Craft Continental ski boat and spent many afternoons and weekends water skiing on the Sacramento River. Every day during the summer they had the boat packed up and ready to go to the river as soon as their father got off work. In fact, the first time her daughters saw Louise water ski was on a family vacation to visit friends in Cour d’Alene, Idaho and they were surprised and impressed at her skill and adeptness at
slalom skiing!
Louise received an Associate of Arts degree from Yuba College, then attended Chico State where she met her future husband of 53 years, Victor Bridges, and they married in 1964. They continued to live in Chico and had two daughters, Debra in 1966, followed by Kathryn in 1969. In 1969, Vic accepted a teaching position at Umpqua Community College and moved the family to Roseburg, where they lived until their passing.
Louise worked as a bookkeeper, first for the family-owned Harvard Texaco service station and after it was sold, for Harrington Petroleum Fuels where she became lifelong friends with the owners Russ and Suellen Harrington. Throughout her life, Louise was heavily involved in the activities of her husband and daughters. The family spent weekends at the dragstrip and later the race track in Roseburg, where Louise could be seen in the pits. When her daughters started riding and showing horses, she was there hauling them to horse shows, riding lessons, and rodeos (when Debra was on the Umpqua Valley Round-up Rodeo Court). Louise continued to support her husband and daughter’s endeavors throughout her life. Her greatest joy was spending time not only with her immediate family but also with her sisters, brother, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, other extended family members, and especially her mother before she died in 2020. We will all miss her
very much.
Louise enjoyed tole painting, sewing, gardening, and was an animal lover and took care of the family animals – horses, pigs, chickens and even a steer – in addition to the family pets: dogs, cats, parakeets, hamsters, rabbits and a guinea pig. In her later years she gave generously to her favorite charities including Saving Grace, Wildlife Safari, and Best Friends
Animal Sanctuary.
After retiring she joined an exercise group and formed new friendships that she treasured. She enjoyed joining the group for walks, meeting for breakfast/brunch/lunch, and other outings. She traveled with her daughter Debra to Spain, Switzerland, Finland, Bonaire, Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Mexico, and Virginia. During her last year she and her sister Barbara also made a bucket-list
trip to Graceland.
Louise is preceded in death by her father and mother, Louie and Wanda Grob, her in-laws, Malcolm and Thelma Bridges, husband, Victor Bridges and brother-in-laws, Malcolm Bridges, Jr and Art Genera. She is survived by her daughters and their spouses, whom she loved and treated as her own, Debra Bridges (Coyote Quay), Kathryn (Kathy) Thomason (Trevor); her three siblings Barbara Genera, Delores (Dan) Biesecker, Louie Grob Jr and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews.
She will be missed by everyone who knew her, but we are happy that she is now in the Lord’s arms and her suffering has ended. We also want to thank the wonderful caregivers from Amedisys Hospice for the care they gave our mom during her last week with us.
There was a Celebration of Life Service on Saturday, April 19 at Faith Lutheran Church in Roseburg, Oregon. A burial service will be held in Colusa, CA at the Colusa Cemetery on Saturday, May 31st at 11 am. Everyone that knew her or that she touched is invited to attend.
Donations can be made in Louise’s memory to Saving Grace Humane Society of Roseburg, Wildlife Safari of Winston, or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary of
Kanab, Utah.
Thursday, June 19, 2025