Rob Roy RIDENHOWER, who occupies the responsible office of Sheriff of
Johnson County, is a fine type of the native-born sons of this section
of southern Illinois, who are taking a leading part in conducting its
various interests and are also identified witli its public life. Our
subject is classed among its capable, enterprising young farmers, and
he owns and
superintends a part of the farm in Vienna Township that formerly
belonged to his father, Harris Monroe RIDENHOWER, Sr., a native of
North Carolina, who was the most prominent man of his time in the early
days of the settlement of this county, and of whom an extended account
appears elsewhere in this work in the sketch of Harris M. RIDENHOWER,
Jr.
Our
subject was the eighth child of his parents, and was born April 14,
1861, on the old farm in Goreville Township, then occupied by his
parents, and where his mother now makes her home. The paternal
grandfather of our subject was a German by birth, who came to this
country and settled in North Carolina, where he pursued his trade as a
tanner until he died. The father of our subject was instructed in the
same trade by his father. He was married in Rowan County, his native
State, to Lavinia MILLER, who was born in that county, and in 1845 he
and his wife set out to traverse the intervening mountains and
wilderness between their old home and Illinois in a one-horse
carryall, taking with them their household effects and personal
property. They took up their abode in a lonely log cabin in Union
County, and he divided his time between farming and teaching. He was a
man of fine mental endowments, although he was mainly self-educated,
but he had studied to a good purpose, and had a good command of both
English and German, as well as a practical knowledge of mathematics and
other branches, and he had a wide reputation as a pioneer educator in
the sparsely settled country where he lived. He often taught a long
distance from home, and his brave young wife would be left in solitude
for days and nights, the only noise to break the silence when darkness
reigned being the howling of the wolves outside of the little dwelling,
and the occasional cry of a panther.
In
1857 Mr. RIDENHOWER, our subject's father, disposed of his place in
Union County, and coming to Johnson County, entered a tract of land in
what is now Goreville Township, and here they commenced to build
another home. In 1863 that farm was sold to George GIBSON, and another
partly improved was bought two and one-fourth miles southeast of
Vienna, upon which the father of our
subject spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1869. The mother
continued to live upon this farm until 1883, when she was married to
George GIBSON, the purchaser of her former home in Goreville Township,
and went back to preside over it again. By her marriage with Mr.
RIDENHOWER she became the mother of the following children, nine in
number: Otto Lebref, who sacrificed his life for his country during the
late war, having contracted measles while in the army, and returning
home to Johnson County, died shortly after; Peninna Ardanissa, who died
in Johnson County; Erastus Kimber, a farmer and teacher, residing in
Hamilton County, Tex.; Mary Ann, wife of W. A. SNOW, a farmer of Vienna
Township; Harris Monroe, Jr., a resident of Vienna; Carrie Levina, who
graduated at Carbondale with high honors, and subsequently died in the
midst of a successful career as a teacher; Addie May, wife of Alvis
BERRY, a teacher and farmer in Saline CountY; Rob Roy; and Fleta, wife
of James GIBSON, a farmer of Goreville Township.
Our
subject's boyhood was spent on the farm which was his birthplace, and
as he was but seven years old when his fattier died he had to help his
mother as he was large enough to be of use in doing the heavy farm
work, or his share of it. He remained with her until she married again,
when he began farming for himself, still remaining, however, on the old
homestead, a part of which he owns, and which he still makes his home,
except when he is engaged at his oflicial work in Vienna. He keeps his
farm up to a high standard of cultivation, and has a neat and
well-ordered place, from which he derives a good income by careful and
thrifty management.
When
he began life for himself in 1883, our subject also took another
important step by his marriage to Miss Alice CARTER, a native of
Johnson County, of which her parents, who were from Tennessee, were
early settlers, her father still living in the county, while her mother
is dead. Mr. and Mrs. RIDENHOWER have had three children, of whom Rob
Roy, Jr., is the only survivor. The others were Lotla Lavina and a
child that died in. infancy.
Our subject was brought up a Republican, but,finding himself of recent
years more in sympathy with the People's
party, he has transferred his allegiance to it, and is an enthusiastic
advocate of its principles. In 1890 he was made the candidate of his
party for the important office of County Sheriff, and was triumphantly
elected. He possesses fine qualifications for the position, whose
functions he performs in a manner highly creditable to himself and
pleasing to his constituency, always placing duty above personal
interests, and acting with tact, discrimination and firmness. He is
genial and open-hearted, and, though he may have incurred the enmity of
some, he has many strong friends.
transcribed by Nan Starjak
Source:
The Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope and Hardin
Counties
Chicago
Biographical Publishing Co., 1893
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