Preston County, West Virginia Biography of JEREMIAH RINGER This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: ********************************************** ***The submitter does not have a connection*** ********to the subject of this sketch.******** ********************************************** This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 574-575 Preston JEREMIAH RINGER. The duties of life as presented suc- cessively to him through a period of over forty years Jeremiah Ringer has discharged to the extent of his ability and in such manner as to merit the esteem and respect in which he is held. He recently sold his farming interests, which con- stituted his active career, and is now living retired at Terra Alta. He was born in Portland District of Preston County, December 17, 1858. His grandfather, Philip Ringer, probably a native of Preston County, was one of several brothers who in their day were accounted among the best citizens and lead- ing farmers in the community of Centenary Church. Philip Ringer is buried on the farm he owned at Centenary. He was a Methodist, a democrat, and took an unassuming part in local affairs. John Ringer, father of Jeremiah, was born near the Cen- tenary Church in Pleasants District March 2, 1823. He lived there and followed farming until about the opening of the Civil war, when he moved to the Crab Orchard community of Preston County and remained there the rest of his years. During the Civil war he drilled as a militiaman, but was never called to front line duty. His holdings eventually became extensive and occupied him as one of the leading farmers of the county. His specialty as a farmer was raising hay, grain and stock. He represented the family tradition and charac- teristics of quiet and unpretentious citizenship without seek- ing the notoriety of politics. He was active in the Albright Evangelical Church, was a republican and voted for the party candidate at every opportunity. John Ringer married, November 5, 1846, Susan Bishop, daughter of Henry Bishop, and representative of one of the old families of Preston County. Their children were: William Henry and Harrison, both of whom took up farming as their vocation and lived in the Crab Orchard District and were survived by children; Elisha, a farmer on Muddy Creek near Lenox; George A., a retired farmer at Kingwood; Jeremiah; Amanda J., whose first husband was M. L. Feather and her second dark May of Terra Alta; Rhuey Belle, who died near Terra Alta, the wife of Robert A. Seal; and Joseph R., a farmer at Lenox, along the Brandonville Pike. Jeremiah Ringer acquired his early education in the Lick Run schoolhouse in the community where he was born and reared. His advantages were superior to those of his father, chiefly in the matter of more abundant and better text books. From such books he studied reading, spelling, geography, grammar and writing. Jeremiah Ringer was exceptionally faithful to his parents as long as they lived, was the mainstay of his father on the farm, and even after his marriage, at the age of twenty-five, he remained and took charge of the home- stead. In the past eighteen years his home has been at or near Terra Alta, and he sold his farm there in September, 1921, and is now living in comfort in the village. February 7, 1884, at Lenox in Preston County, Mr. Ringer married Miss Dorothy Isabel Chidester, who was born October 3, 1862, daughter of Harrison Chidester and sister of Mrs. Daniel C. Feather, under whose name more detailed mention of the family is made. Mr. and Mrs. Ringer have one daugh- ter, Nora May, wife of Earl Freeland of Terra Alta. Mr. and Mrs. Freeland have two children, Leslie Earl and Lucile L. Jeremiah Ringer votes as a republican in national affairs and in local politics gives his ballot to the man he considers best qualified. He and Mrs. Ringer are members of the Lutheran Church, he joining that church after being reared a Methodist. He is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias Lodge.