Bios: Joseph Ringle & William Ringle: from Allegheny County, PA 

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Alice Gless.
 
USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals
               and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices
               and submitter information is included. Any other use,
               including copying files to other sites requires
               permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to
               any other sites. We encourage links to the state and
               county table of contents.
____________________________________________________________

>From "History of Henry County, Illinois", by Henry L. Kiner, Volume II,
Chicago:  The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1910.  Alice Gless

JOHN RINGLE

John Ringle, who since March 1900, has lived retired in Cambridge, was
for many years actively and successfully identified with the
agricultural interests on Henry County.  His birth occurred in
Minersville, Pennsylvania, on the 21st of May, 1841, his parents being
Joseph and Mary Ann (Whitesell) Ringle, likewise natives of the Keystone
state.  The paternal grandfather, Mathias Ringle, was a Revolutionary
soldier and took up his abode in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania,
where his son Joseph was born.  The mother of Joseph Ringle bore the
maiden name of Mary Ann Clawson and lived to an advanced age.  Mathias
Ringle, who was twice married and reared a family of twenty-one
children, passed away when sixty-seven years of age.  Jonathan
Whitesell, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of
Pennsylvania and followed general agricultural pursuits throughout his
active business career.  He and his wife died in that state when well
advanced in years.  They had five children.

Joseph Ringle, the father of John Ringle, was a coal miner and owned a
number of teams, hauling coal into Pittsburg.  Having determined to
establish his home in this state, he first sent his son James to Henry
County with four horses and a wagon and in the spring of 1857 came here
with the other members of the family.  They took up their abode on a
rented farm in Munson Township and later the father purchased a tract of
one hundred and sixty acres in Osco Township where he reared his
children.  During the last fifteen years of his life he lived retired in
Cambridge, having won a comfortable competence through the careful
conduct of his agricultural interests.  His demise, which occurred at
the home of his son William in Osco Township, was the occasion of deep
and widespread regret.  His wife, who survived him, was called to her
final rest on the 3d of December, 1898, when eighty-four years of age.
They were both devoted and faithful members of the Presbyterian Church.
Their union was blessed with nine children, seven of whom still survive,
namely:  James; John, of this review; Catharine, the widow of Harrison
Moore, of Newton, Iowa; William [also bio in this book], 
a resident of Cambridge; Louisa, the
widow of A. J. Combs, of Cambridge; Mary, the widow of J. C. Sherrard,
of Cambridge; and David, living in Geneseo Township.

John Ringle, who obtained his education in the district schools, was a
lad of sixteen years when he came with his parents to Henry County,
Illinois, and grew to manhood on his father¹s farm in Osco Township.  On
the 10th of September 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company C, Ninth
Illinois Cavalry, with which he served for a little more than three
years.  He participated in the battles of Tupelo, Franklin and Nashville
and also took part in numerous skirmishes, ever proving a most brave and
loyal soldier.  When hostilities had ceased he returned to Henry County
and engaged in farming for two years, on the expiration of which period
he removed to Caldwell County, Missouri, where he was identified with
agricultural pursuits for four years.  At the end of that time he
returned to this county and purchased a partly improved farm of one
hundred and fifty acres in Osco Township, on which he made his home
until the spring of 1883, seventeen acres lying a mile north of
Cambridge and successfully continued its cultivation and improvement
until March, 1900, when he took up his abode in Cambridge, where he has
since lived retired in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil.

On the 28th of February, 1867, Mr. Ringle was joined in wedlock to Miss
Mary Humphrey, who was born in New York City on the 31st of March, 1844,
her parents being Nicholas and Sophia (Van Allan) Humphrey, both natives
of Canada.  The father was of French parentage and the mother came of
German lineage.  Of their family of ten children, seven lived to attain
years of maturity and two still survive, namely: Mrs. J. M. Loomis, of
Missouri; and Mrs. John Ringle.  Nicholas Humphrey passed away in New
York City in 1862, at the venerable age of ninety-eight years, and the
demise of his wife occurred in the year 1847.  Unto Mr. And Mrs. Ringle
have been born three daughters, as follows:  Annie L., who is now the
wife of Daniel Conneghy, by whom she has three children‹Ora, Clayton and
Lela; Ida A., who is the wife of Charles C. Curtis and has four
children‹Delia, Mabel, John and Chester; and Kate L., who gave her hand
in marriage to Thomas M. Neville and has two children‹Gladys and
Mildred.

Politically, Mr. Ringle is a stalwart advocate of the Republican Party.
He still maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through
his membership in the G.A.R., and while in the service belonged to the
Union League.  His wife is a faithful and exemplary member of the
Congregational Church.  He has long resided in this county and owing to
his upright and honorable career, enjoys in unqualified measure the
confidence and esteem of all who know him.




WILLIAM RINGLE 

For fifty-two years, William Ringle has lived in Henry County and,
retiring from agricultural life, took up his abode in Cambridge where he
is now the senior member of the firm of William Ringle & Company, grain
buyers and owners of an elevator.  He is also the vice president of the
First National Bank, and is widely recognized as a man of affairs who
wields a wife influence.  His birth occurred in Allegheny County,
Pennsylvania, March 6, 1847, his parents being Joseph and Mary
(Whitesell) Ringle who were also natives of the Keystone state.  The
paternal grandfather was Mathias Ringle and he too was born in
Pennsylvania when it was still numbered among the colonial possessions
of Great Britain.  When the yoke of British oppression became
intolerable and the colonists made the attempt to sever all allegiance
with the crown, he was in hearty sympathy with the movement and served
for eight years in the army, which won American Independence.  He was
with Washington during the memorable winter at Valley Forge where the
American troops underwent untold hardships and he participated in many
of the long campaigns and hotly contested battles of the war.  He was of
German descent and died in Pennsylvania when well advanced in years.
The maternal grandfather of our subject passed away in the Keystone
state at the advanced age of ninety-two years after devoting his active
business life to farming.

Joseph Ringle, the father of William Ringle, was a farmer and dairyman
and came to Illinois in 1857, settling in Munson Township, Henry County,
where he purchased eighty acres of land to which he after ward added one
hundred and sixty acres.  Upon this he reared his family and greatly
improved the property, making it a valuable farm.  He died at the home
of his son, William, in Osco Township, his wife surviving him for
several years.  Both were members of the Presbyterian Church.  Their
family numbered seven children who yet survive: James; Katharine, the
wife of Harrison Moore; John [also bio in this book]; 
Louisa, the wife of Andrew J. Combs; William; Mary, 
the wife of John Sherrard and David W.  Of this family
John Ringle served for three years as a soldier in the Civil War with
the Ninth Illinois Cavalry.

William Ringle was a lad of only ten years when he accompanied his
parents to this county and upon his father¹s farm his youthful days were
passed in the free and untrammeled life of the fields.  He attended the
district schools and the Orion Prairie Home Academy, while his business
training was received under the direction of his father who assigned to
him such farm duties as his age and strength permitted.  He resolved to
make his life work the occupation to which he had been reared and with
one horse he started out for himself on a tract of rented land.  For
several years he continued to cultivate farms which he leased and
eventually was enabled to purchase one hundred and sixty acres of land
in Osco Township.  He still owns that property and has made other
investments until his possessions in this county aggregate three hundred
and twenty acres, while in Grant County, Minnesota, he owns six hundred
and forty acres.  He continued to reside on his farm in Osco Township
until the spring of 1909, when he removed to Cambridge.  He is now the
senior partner of the firm of William Ringle & company, owners of a
large elevator and conducting an extensive business in grain.  He also
has voice in the management of the First National Bank at Cambridge,
being its vice president.

On the 23d of October 1873, Mr. Ringle was married to Miss Ellen E.
Welton, whose birth occurred near Henry, Illinois.  Her parents, Lester
C. and Ora (Welton) Welton were natives of Connecticut and, coming to
Henry County at an early day, settled near Osco.  Her father was one of
the foremost men of the township in pioneer times and took an important
part in shaping its policy and promoting its growth.  Both he and his
wife died in Hutchinson, Kansas, and were laid to rest in the cemetery
there.  Their family numbered two sons and two daughters:  James,
Merritt, Helen and Margaret.

In his political views, William Ringle is a republican and for several
terms served as supervisor and in other township offices.  No trust
reposed in him has ever been betrayed in the slightest degree.  Mrs.
Ringle is a member of the Episcopal Church while Mr. Ringle is a member
of the Presbyterian Church.  Mr. Ringle is well known as a man of
integrity, of business ability, of keen insight and of public spirit so
that his words carry weight in matters of vital importance to the
community and he is widely recognized as a most influential and
progressive citizen.