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THE RIDENOUR (Reitenauer) FAMILY GENEALOGY

THE GEORGE T. RIDENOUR FAMILY OF TEXAS

Paul Ridenour
Garland, Texas

email

Revised
01/27/2008

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Table of Contents

Introductory Article Page i

The Ridenour Family Genealogy

Anton Reitnower (9^th great grandfather)                                         Page 1
Hans Reitenauer (8th)                                                                      Page 2
Nicholas "Klaus" Reitenauer (7th)                                                  Page 3
Nicholas Ridenour II (6th)                                                               Page 5
Mathias Ridenour (5th)                                                                    Page 6
David Ridenour (4th)                                                                        Page 7
David Ridenour, Jr. (3rd)                                                                 Page 8

Genealogy of the George T. Ridenour Family of Texas

George T. Ridenour (2nd)                                                                 Page 9
Errol "Earl" Thurlow Ridenour (1st)                                                Page 11
Geneva Lenora Ridenour                                                                  Page 12
Hugh Stanley Ridenour (grandfather)                                             Page 13
Jefferson Davis Ridenour                                                                 Page 15
Lee Earl Ridenour                                                                             Page 16

The Ridge/Watie Family and Cherokee History Page 18
(Ancestors of Dorothy Louise (Doyen) Ridenour)

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Introductory Article

Contributed by George Fredric Ridenour

Springfield, Ohio

Edited by Paul Ridenour
Garland, TX

A record of the Reidenauer Family and its line of descent and branches, according to the authentic account (ex Bibl Vien) of the Vienna Library:

The origin of the Reidenauer Family is to be sought among the wild cliffs of the Rhine. Pertinax Reidenauer is the first Reidenauer of recorded history. He probably built the Shadeneck castle in the Rugesian Mountains. They were a warlike people. Five hundred men died while building the castle. The castle is a few miles from Koblenz. The injuries which were wrought by them in the country gave the castle its name. The castle ruins can still be seen today.

Pertinax married Fredegunde Von Ekenen. Together they laid waste the surrounding territory. He was killed accidentally by an arrow on a hunt in 893 A.D.

The early Reidenauer made fun of the Crusades to the Holy Land. A German King, Rudolph of Hapsburg, destroyed sixty castles along the Rhine but took the family into his protection, because a knight, George Reidenauer, with his men at arms, had taken sides with him against his enemy in brave service.

In the year 1300, George Reidenauer was the only man in his family still living. He married Isabella Fontenay, a French countess. They had three sons. One was Bernhard Reidenauer. Bernhard married Anna Von Bauerheim, the beautiful daughter of Herrman Von Bauerheim, the Mayor of the city on the Rhine. She died at the birth of her son, Nicholas Reidenauer. Bernhard died in 1374. Nicholas died in 1386 in the battle of Sempach.

Nicholas married twice and had four sons. One son, Robert, was a warrior in a foreign land and there is no more knowledge of the man. Another son, Rudolph, lived at Shadeneck, where in 1525 he took part in the suppression of the Peasant Revolt. This turned out happily for the family at Shadeneck. The peasants, however, killed many of the inhabitants.

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We hear of an Ignacious Reidenauer who seems to be the only representative of the family. He settled near Heidelberg. Following the waste wrought by the French troops in the Palatinate toward the end of the Seventeenth century, the survivors were mostly workers, farmers, and craftsman.

The Ridenours came to America for religious freedom. They followed the teachings of Martin Luther and had to escape the tyranny and persecution of the Catholic kings.

They came to America on three ships:

Robert and Alice
Lydia
Boston

The ships were packed with people where disease and death were common.

A man named Rupp took care of the ship's list of passengers in Philadelphia, where most of the Ridenours are presumed to have landed. In not one case did he produce the lists exactly as he found them in the originals. Therefore, he changed the spellings of the names. Of course, no man living can decipher with certainty the awful scribbles of some of the writers.

Below is some of the exact spellings given in Rupp's book:

Renhowser, Redinhower, Reitenhower, Reytenaar, Reithnauer, Reidenar, Reudnauer, and Reitenauer.

Most of the Ridenours settled in Washington County, Maryland.

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B means Birthdate
D means Date of Death
= means Married
M means Wedding Date
(*City*) means Birthplace

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- Page ii –

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THE RIDENOUR FAMILY GENEALOGY

Brian Paul Ridenour

Garland, Texas

The following information on pages 1 and 2 were provided by Melvin O. Ridenour of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This information has not been verified.

Anton Reitnower
(ca 1586- )
(Condiswill, Aargau, Switzerland)
(9th Great grandfather)

Page 1

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Page 2

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The information on this page was provided by Ken Ridenour of Phoenix, Arizona. He is a retired history teacher and is probably the most knowledgeable person on the Ridenour families. He has volumes of information on Ridenours, Ritenours, Ridenhours, etc.

Nicholas "Klaus" Reitenauer died in Tieffenbach, Alsace, France.

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The following information from pages 4 - 8 was obtained from a book titled "The Ridenour Family History and Genealogy", by John Ridenour, Stone Creek, Ohio, 1973. The book goes into greater detail and has family pictures. On page 80 of that book, my second great grandfather George T. Ridenour and his children are listed but there is no more information on them. I have the rest of that information in this booklet from pages 9 - 16.

Nicholas Ridenour II and his family (see page 5) came to America on 9/3/1739 on the British ship “Robert and Alice".

Nicholas II and brother-in-law, John Hager, settled 6 miles south of Prince George County, Maryland. This site became Hagerstown, Maryland. There used to be a pond called "Ridenours Pond" in Hagerstown. Nicholas II and sons, Henry and Mathias, founded the First St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church with sixty others in Hagerstown. Today, the church membership is 1,200.

The Ridenours of early recorded history were known as ruthless people. It is interesting that the Ridenours in America were quite the opposite. They donated land and money to build several Lutheran churches.

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Note: Nicholas Ridenour II’s first wife was Anna Magdalena Arnet

Mathias Ridenour was too old to carry a gun in the Revolutionary War, but he served his country by furnishing grain for the army. All his descendants are eligible for D.A.R. and S.A.R. membership. Mathias took up 3,000 acres of land in Hagerstown.

Nicholas II died in Hagerstown, Maryland. All his children died in Hagerstown. George was killed by Indians and may not have died in Hagerstown.

Alsace was part of Germany until the French army seized the area in 1685 under King Louis XIV.

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Another source indicates John Nicholas born 1752.

Another source indicates Henry born 1756.

Other sources indicate Henry died 3/10/1810 or 5/20/1810.

Another source indicates Mathias, Jr., born 4/11/1770.

Interesting Note: Daniel Ridenour (page 7), son of David and Margaret (Wiles), married Susannah Shauver in Ohio on 3/2/1820. With help, Daniel started the Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Zion Lutheran Church in Stone Creek, Ohio. Daniel and Susannah had twelve children.

One son, John, married Lydia Elwood in Ohio, and came to Wabash County, Indiana, in 1851. John and Lydia had nine children. Three daughters married Stouffers. They are:

Mary Ann Ridenour who married Jacob Stouffer.

Ida Ridenour who married William Stouffer.

Sarah Catherine Ridenour who married John Stouffer.

A Lillie Stouffer married a Mont Ridenour.

A Harriett Stouffer married a Loy Ridenour.

William, Lillie, and Harriett Stouffer are brothers and sisters.

Source: A STOUFFER LINE OF DESCENT THAT ORIGINATED IN LANCASTER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA, compiled by Charles H. Cory, Jr., St. Petersburg, Florida, 1951.

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Another source indicates Margaret Ridenour died 3/6/1888.

Another source indicates Elizabeth Ridenour born 8/21/1821.

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David and Sarah (Shauver) Ridenour took up 160 acres in Wabash, IN. He ran a sawmill on his farm for a time but the creek was scarce in water. They are buried in the Lutheran Cemetery near Wabash.

One source indicates Samuel died in 1860.

One source indicates David Christopher born 4/1/1843.

Interesting note:

Catherine married Jonas Wiles, probably related to Margaret Wiles.

Lydia married Isaac Roser.

Susannah married Jeremiah Roser.

Sarah married Amos Roser.

John Benjamin married Emma A. Bent, sister of George's wife, Mary Ellen Bent.

Samuel's second wife was Augusta Bent, probably related to the Bent's above.

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The Genealogy of the George T. Ridenour Family of Texas

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                                Lincoln G. Bent = Mary Anna Bent
                                B Circa. 1818         B Circa 1820        |
                                (Ohio)                        (Maryland)         |
                                                                                              |
Nancy P. Chapman = George T. Ridenour = Mary Ellen Bent
B                                             B 3/28/1845                          | B 2/7/1848
D 7/6/1932                           D 12/29/1911                           | D 1/21/1890
M 9/10/1891                       (Waltz Township,                    | M 10/17/1867
(Mississippi)                        Wabash, IN)                          |   (Wabash, IN)
                                                (Great-great                         |
                                                grandfather)                        |
                                                                                              |
                                                                                              |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|                               |                              |                           |
Albert Newton       | Errol Thurlow    | Martha             George Frances
Ridenour                | Ridenour             | Ridenour           Ridenour
B 12/13/1870          | B 8/9/1876           | B 7/14/1884      B 4/25/1888
D                             | D 4/19/1961        | D 10/4/1982      D 11/8/1918
(Indiana)                | (Nebraska)         | (Nebraska)         (Texas)
                                | (Great grand-     |
                                |      father)             |
                                |                              |
               Nora Vilima               Charles Edward
                Ridenour                    Ridenour
                B 12/31/1874             B 7/8/1882
                D 1961                       D 7/14/1900
                (Indiana)                    (Nebraska)

George T. Ridenour served with the Indiana Volunteers, Company E, 10th Regiment, during the Civil War 1863-1865. He moved his family to Nebraska around 1874. The winters were too cold and his wife had failing health, so he left Nebraska in 1884. They traveled by covered wagon through Kansas and Oklahoma (Indian territory) and settled in Buffalo Gap, Texas. We believe that his middle name is Thurlow. George was raised Lutheran as a small boy but became a Methodist with his second wife, Nancy Pimela (Ashford) Chapman. George lived in Buffalo Gap for 30 years before he died in the house of his daughter, Martha (Ridenour) Proctor. He is buried next to his first wife in the Buffalo Gap Cemetery.

Nancy P. Ridenour was a resident of Buffalo Gap for over 35 years before she died. She is also buried in the Buffalo Gap Cemetery, close to George.

Lincoln G. Bent was a farmer. Mary Ellen Bent had a brother named George (B Circa. 1844) and a sister named Emma (1844-1905).

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Errol "Earl" Thurlow Ridenour, my great grandfather, owned Blue Moon Dairy in north Dallas, TX., during the 1920's. He sold the dairy and bought a gas station in downtown Dallas. The dairy was located on the property where St. Paul and Parkland hospitals now stand.

Nora Vilima Ridenour married Claude M. Robinson on 11/4/1903, in Abilene, TX. They moved to California in 1910. They had two children, Lois and Alvin. Claude died in 1959. Lois died in 1960. Nora died in 1961.

Martha Ridenour married Robert Oscar Proctor of Abilene, TX, on 10/21/1903. She was a baby when her family moved from Nebraska to Texas. She said "I have been in a covered wagon and a jet airplane." Together they had five daughters and a son. The son is Oscar Bruce Proctor, a Church of Christ Minister in Abilene. One daughter, Mabel (Proctor) Hawkins, lived in Abilene. The other children are Ruth (Proctor) Meek, Louise Proctor, Tomi Doris (Proctor) Foster, and Ada Lee Proctor.

Robert Oscar Proctor's dad served in the Civil War for the South. Martha's father served for the North. When Martha and Robert married, a few eyebrows were raised. George, his son Charles Edward, and both his wives are buried on the south side of the cemetery and some Proctors are buried on the north side, separated by a road, at Buffalo Gap Cemetery. Martha Ridenour kept an extensive diary and wrote numerous poems. Martha, Robert Oscar, Ruth Meek, Louise, and Tomi Doris Foster, and husband Charles Clarence Foster are buried in the Hamlin Cemetery, Lane 2, about 40 miles north of Abilene, TX.

George Frances Ridenour died in WWI, just two days before the signing of the Armistice of 1918. He wanted to be a preacher.

Albert Newton Ridenour was a Presbyterian minister in East Texas.

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Alfred Jackson Horn = Rachel Lenora Horn
(Georgia)                                                   | (Alabama)
                                                                   |
Errol "Earl" Thurlow Ridenour = Clara Lela Horn
B 8/9/1876                                           | B 1/2/1887
D 4/20/1961                                         | D 1/25/1952
(Great grandfather)                            | M 4/21/1907
(Nebraska)                                          | (Athens, TX)
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|                               |                                 |                         |
Geneva Lenora   Hugh Stanley         Jefferson Davis Lee Earl
Ridenour             Ridenour                 Ridenour            Ridenour
B 9/2/1909           B 6/19/1912            B 5/31/1914        B 8/19/1917
D 9/18/1968         D 10/20/1976         D Circa. 1978    D 11/23/1975
(Roscoe, TX)         (Grandfather)      (West or            (Dallas, TX)
                               (West, TX)            Dallas, TX)

See page 12 See pages See page 15 See page 16
13-14

Earl Thurlow Ridenour lived in Yucaipa, California, for 24 years before he died in San Bernardino, California. He is buried in the Hills Memorial Park in Yucaipa.

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Harry C Panner = Geneva Lenora Ridenour = Morris A Wilson
B 8/31/1894 (PA)                    | B 9/2/1909 (Dallas)                       | B
D 9/9/1940                              | D 9/18/ (Redlands. CA)                | D
M 10/25/1930                         | (Roscoe, TX)                                 | M 1946
                                                |                                                        |
                                                |                                                       Kenneth L Wilson
                                                |                                                       B 6/3/1952
                                                |                                                       D 10/23/1985
                                                |                                                       (Redlands, CA)
                                                |
                                                |
                                                |
Richard Porter Adams = Marjorie Jean Panner = Alvin D Tockstein
B 9/6/1929 (Hollywood)         | B 1/6/1932 (Yucaipa, CA)               B
D                                             | D 11/26/1987 (St. Louis, MO)        D
M 1950                                  |                                                          M
                                                |
                                                |
                                                |
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|                                                                              |
Raymond Glen Adams = Deborah                      | Donald Alan Adams = Susan Daniels
B 4/5/1953 (Redlands, CA)                                 | B 4/7/1955                     B 12/20/1959 (Palo Alto, CA)
M                                                                           | (Redlands, CA)
M 1/31/1981(Bellevue, WA)                                |
                                                                ----------------------------------------------------
                                                                |                                                               |
                                  Teresa Jean Adams = James Suire               Christina Lee Adams = Steven Ray McGraw
                                                B 7/18/1956                                                         B 7/25/1957
                                                M 7/22/1978                                                        M 9/7/1975

Geneva Lenora (Ridenour) Wilson lived in the Redlands, California area for 38 years before she died. Her cremation was in the Mt. View Cemetery in San Bernardino, CA.

Kenneth Wilson was a native of Redlands and died in Phoenix, Arizona. He served in the U.S. Navy.

Donald and Susan (Daniels) Adams children:

Mary Adams B 11/26/1981 Coeur D’ Alene, ID married Jayson Nolan Wiser on 12/13/2003
Maxine Adams B 11/26/1981 Coeur D’ Alene, ID
Richard Daniels Adams B 12/26/1985 Alpena, MI
Ted Porter Adams B 12/14/1988 Seattle, WA
Alberta Bess Adams B 11/5/1991 Spokane, WA

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Hugh Stanley Ridenour is buried near Redlands, CA.

My father, Robert Stanley Ridenour, was the president of The Ridenour Company, a plumbing, heating, and air conditioning company in Dallas, TX.

Brother Robert Dale Ridenour is a mechanic at Freeman Oldsmobile in Irving, TX. Dale was one of the top tennis players in Dallas between 1975 - 1977.

I am Brian Paul Ridenour. I work at Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in Plano, TX for 22 years. I was in a Contemporary Christian band that toured Russia between June 20th - July 7th, 1991. I played the drums for Lake Pointe Baptist in Rockwall, TX, between 1991 – 2000. You can visit my web site at www.paulridenour.com/ridfam.htm for information on the Ridenours.

Brother David Carl Ridenour, after 12 years at Texas Instruments and one year at Perot Systems, is now a computer programmer for EDS in Plano, TX.

Mother Mary Alice (Joines) Ridenour, daughter of Leonard Melvy (L. M.) Joines (1901-1989 Baptist minister) and Alice Lorraine (Hurst) Joines (1904-1986). Mary Alice Ridenour has worked as a receptionist for several law firms and is a Baptist who currently works at the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas.

My wife, Dorothy Louise (Doyen) Ridenour, is a 4th great granddaughter of Cherokee Chief, Major Ridge. See pages 17 - 19 for information on Dorothy Ridenour's ancestors or www.paulridenour.com/mrmain.htm. Dorothy was self-employed as a technical writer. Her company was "Ridenour Documentation Services," located in Garland, TX. She now works for Alcatel as a Sr. Technical Writer/Project Manager.

My father's half-sister, Linda Ridenour, is married to Pat Pfiffner who has his family tree traced back to the "Mayflower."

My family grew up as members of East Grand Baptist Church, Dallas, TX., where my parents were still members until 2007, when they joined First Baptist in Rockwall, TX. My brothers and our spouses are members of other Baptist churches.

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                                Jefferson Davis Ridenour (J.D.) = Elizabeth Whiting Genet
                                B 5/31/1914                                         B
                                D Circa. 6/1978                                   D
                                M 4/18/1960
                                (West or Dallas, TX)

J. D. Ridenour was from Yucaipa, California, and was last seen at the Grand Canyon in May of 1978. On May 25, 1978, he sent a postcard to Edith Martin, his girlfriend of four years, stating that he was taking a three day hike (26 miles). A message pinned to his bike said he would return in the late afternoon on May 28th. Authorities found no trace of him or his clothes. Canyon Rangers do not suspect criminal activity in his disappearance. His glasses, epilepsy medicine, bike, and Bible were found at his campsite. Authorities searched for over two weeks using helicopters at the cost of $10,000. JD most likely had a seizure due to his epilepsy and fell off a cliff. JD was officially pronounced dead six months later.

"The Ridenour Family Genealogy to the George T. Ridenour Family of Texas" was written by Brian Paul Ridenour with the help of information sent by J. D. Ridenour in 1974, Linda Sue (Ridenour) Pfiffner, Ken Ridenour, various newspaper clippings, and the John Ridenour book.

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                Lee Earl Ridenour = Mary Lucille Lane
                B 8/19/1917         | B 12/20/1916
                D 11/23/1975       | D circa 1995
                M Summer 1936 | (lived in Venus, TX)
                (Dallas, TX)         |
     -------------------------------------------
|                                                               |
Gail June   = Charles Ernest            Daryl Lee   = Sanae Tsukuda
Ridenour               | Kirksey              Ridenour               | B 6/21/1946
B 5/25/1940          | B 5/21/1939       B 2/6/1944             | D
D 2/2000               | D 2001                 D 1/11/2008           | (Nagano, Japan)
M 10/26/1963       | (Bowie, TX)