wandering
My Great Grandparents were Samuel Ridgeway and Mary Elizabeth. Samuel was born 4 Apr 1851 in Marion IN and Mary on 17 Dec 1858 in Auglaize Cty, OH, and were married 3rd April 1880 in Spickard, Grundy Cty, MO. From there they moved to Thompson Nebraska and started their family.
The first of 12 children Simon Albert arrived on 25 Feb 1881 then Lenna Leota born on 9 Jan 1883 flollowed by Willaim Allen on 3rd Mar 1884 and Dads mother Dora Alma was born on 11th Aug 1885, then Samuel Curtis on 16 Jan 1887 followed by Leslie Harrison on 18 Aug 1888, Lewis Leland 28 Dec 1889, Mary Jane 15 May 1891 all born in Auglaize Nebraska.
So now we have a family with 8 children supported by a man whos’ source of income was from gun repair and black-smithing as well as serving as an itinerant preacher of the Gospel. This information was told to me by my Grand Mother Dora when I was a teenager. It seems that my Great Grandfather Samuel heard the call of Oregon so he packed up the family in the SUV of the day, his wagon and went to Milton Freewater, Oregon.
This trip took some where after Mary Jane was born in 1891 and the birth of Lester Arlando on 20 Mar 1895 after arriving in Milton Freewater Oregon. They didn’t stay there long and started a return trip to Nebraska stopping in Rawlings WY where Ira Lyman was born on 12 Nov 1896 before continuing their journey to Thompson Nebraska where Esta Adna was born on 30 Jan 1898.
Now the family has grown to 11 kids and I guess times were tough and work was almost no where to be found so Samuel loaded up the family in the wagon and head south towards my hometown of Caney KS in 1899 where Ada Adell was born on 26 April 1899. The reason for heading south to Caney was 2 fold, there was already family living there and a promised job for Samuel in Oklahoma (Indian Territory). Samuel journeyed alone to Oklahoma to start the new job , but had to shortly return after becoming desperately ill no longer able to work.
Samuel died on Jun 13 1899 and was buried in the “Potter’s Field” section of Sunnyside Cemetery and was joined there by son, Bert, who died Feb. 27, 1901, due to the lack of money to purchase a plot in the cemetery.
Fortunes improved for the family as the older boys were employed by both the brick yard and the smelters which were in operation at the time. Also, Great Grandmothers mother (Nancy Morrison Adams) died and left her $500.00 with which she built a modest residence at 215 West Howard Avenue which the family moved into on Dec. 2, 1902. Although the original structure was destroyed by fire in 1974, another modest residence replaced it and it is occupied by a Mitchell.
Evidence of the great faith and pride imparted to the children is known by the fact that the first thing done when financial conditions improved was to move father and brother Bert over to the respectable section of the cemetery.
This is my family plot where Samuel and Mary rest surrounded by by their sons Simon, Samuel, Lesley and daughters Dora, Mary and Esta.
I did know Samuel, Leslie, Lewis and of course my Grandmother Dora who died in 1973. They were not wealthy but rich in being a family that took care of each other and was respected by all.
November 14, 2006
Posted in: Kannard, Roots
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