John Henry RIDDLEBAUGH / REIDELBAUCH

John Henry RIDDLEBAUGH/

Johann Heinrick REIDELBAUCH

 b. 1824 Germany d. 1917 Ohio

My great-great grandfather John Henry RIDDLEBAUGH/ Johann Heinrich REIDELBAUCH (Henry) is an ancestor that I don't know if I'm ready to tackle...or if family members are ready for me to tackle. I will just say that he was not known to be a nice man and leave it there. Family History is about more than just names, dates, and places, it's about the people and who they were. But when you don't know any good stories, is it right to share the bad ones (when Henry isn't around to defend himself)?

I also have to add here that I am not the best researcher...sometimes my organization stinks. I think I have copies of some records...i.e. something regarding Henry's immigration (which is why though one source had 1851 as the year, I have 1852), but, of course, I can't find what I think I have. Frustrating. So, from what I can find, this is what I currently have available at my fingertips.

Anyway, this line of RIEDLEBAUCH has been traced back to 1676 (not by me, by the way) in Holenbrunn, Oberfranken, Bavaria, Germany. Henry arrived in New York on 24 April 1851 or 1852.  In the 20th Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, 1910 there is an article on John Henry RIDDLEBAUGH (which I will type up and post later). Anyway, according to the article Henry was kicked out of Germany "on account of participating in the Revolution of 1849, he was expelled with other revolutionists, and came then to America."

The name went through just a few changes:

RIEDELBAUCH is Henry's father's name (and 3 more generations back)
REIDLEBAUGH is what was written on his marriage certificate and his 1900 census record (Pleasant Twp, Fairfield, Ohio)
RADEBAUGH in the 1860 census (Greenfield, Fairfield, Ohio)
RIDDLEBAUGH in the 1870 census (also Greenfield)
(I cannot find him in the 1880 or 1910 census)
and RIDLEBAUGH in a few cases as well. One of his grandchildren (Howard Hayes RIDLEBAUGH) chose to spell his name this way.

John Henry REIDELBAUGH is the son of Johann Michael RIEDELBAUCH (1781-1861) and Eva Barbara KOEGLER. (1785-1843). He was a blacksmith.

born 18 June 1824 in Wunsiedel, Oberfranken, Bavaria, Germany
immigrated to the US on 24 April 1851/2

married on 9 November 1856 to Ann Catherine SHOEMAKER. They were later divorced. She will have her own post next week.


died 25 July 1917 Whetstone Township, Crawford, Ohio
buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Galion, Crawford, Ohio

Henry and Catherine had 6 children together:

1-Jacob Albert RIDDLEBAUGH b. 28 July 1857 Lancaster, Fairfield, Ohio d. 17 December 1915 Bucyrus, Crawford, Ohio (m. 25 November 1888 to Catharine Augusta HELFRICH)

2-John Henry RIDDLEBAUGH, Jr. b. 28 September 1859 Burnstation, Fairfield, Ohio d. 28 September 1951 (yep, he died on his 92nd birthday) (m. 9 November 1882 to Almeda Elvira WISELEY--later divorced)--my great-grandparents

3-Therese Ellen RIDDLEBAUGH b. 10 March 1862 Fairfield county, Ohio d. 6 March 1949 (m. 4 September 1879 to John H. SNIDER)

4-Mary Elizabeth RIDDLEBAUGH b. 18 September 1864 Lancaster, Fairfield, Ohio d. 29 September 1940 Falls Township, Hocking, Ohio (m. 5 January 1888 to Charles ANGLE)

5-James Jonathan RIDDLEBAUGH b. 5 September 1867 d. 24 December 1945 (m. about 23 January 1892 to Olive Loretta NORMAN) interesting note: Olive's mother-in-law Ann Catherine SHOEMAKER many years later became her step-mother when Olive's widowed father, Mark NORMAN, married the divorced and then widowed Catherine.

6-Augustus Michael RIDDLEBAUGH b. 10 August 1870 Greenfield Township, Fairfield, Ohio d. 10 December 1936 Columbus, Franklin, Ohio (m. 10 December 1893 to Caroline Margaretha BUNZ)

I have not looked for Henry and Catherine's divorce record, but in the 1880 Catherine is already listed as the wife of John JOY (Ann C. JOY in Falls, Hocking, Ohio) with Michael (Gus) being with Catherine and the other 5 children are listed in 5 different households. As I mentioned above, I can't find Henry in the 1880 census. But Michael was born in 1870, so sometime between 1870 and 1880 the divorce must have been granted...


In the 1900 census (Pleasant Township District 19, Fairfield, Ohio) Henry REIDLEBAUGH is listed as an "inmate" (patient?) in the Fairfield County Infirmary and is listed as a widower...Ann Catherine didn't die until 1901. Of course, censuses (as I keep saying in just about every post) often contain inaccurate information.

According to a Riddlebaugh family history book put together by Kenneth McVICKER, Howard RIDLEBAUGH, grandson to the first John "Henry" RIDDLEBAUGH/Johann Heinrich REIDELBAUCH and Ann Alice Catherine SHUMACHER, said in a letter dated February 4, 1977 that Henry and Catherine were divorced and both remarried. I have found Catherine's 2 marriages, but not Henry's.

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Obituary clipping found on his daughter Theresa's sources at familysearch.org. Newspaper unknown but the date would have been in July 1917.

Crawford county, Ohio Obituaries

Riddlebaugh

John Henry Riddlebaugh died Wednesday evening at seven o'clock at the Crawford county home west of the city of complications due to old age. Mr. Riddlebaugh was born in Germany on June 18, 1824 and was at the time of his death 93 years, 1 month and 7 days old. When a young man he was married to Miss Catherine Shumaker who died about sixteen years ago and to this union were born six children. James who resides in Galion, Gust in Columbus, John, Mrs. Lizzie Angle, Logan, Mrs. Teresa Snyder at Lancaster, and also 45 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren. One son Jacob is deceased.

    Mr. Riddlebaugh was brought to the Snyder & Wisterman morgue last evening and prepared for burial, and the services will be held from the Snyder & Wisterman chapel at 2 o'clock, Friday afternoon.

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Bucyrus News-Forum, 

Bucyrus, Ohio

Friday, 27 July 1917

"Henry Riddlebaugh Passed away at the County Home at 7 o'clock Wednesday evening" 

summary: aged 93 years and 1 month. The body was taken to the home of his son, James in Galion, where the funeral service will take place. Henry was born in Germany and was admitted to the county home on 4-27-1905. His wife died many yrs ago and his survived by 2 sons and a daughter. 
One last note: "Our" Riddlebaughs weren't the only ones in Ohio. Perhaps the others were cousins? There is a "Jno. and Mary Reidlebaugh"  family living in Napoleon, Henry, Ohio in the 1880 census. I have corresponded with someone about this other family in the past, so it is not my John Henry (b. 1824 in Germany)...but "Jno" was born in 1828 in Germany. The 1880 census also has a John Riedlebauch living in Timber, Peoria, Illinois born 1834 in Germany. Also a Joseph (and Ida) Reidlebach b 1835 Germany living in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio in 1880...

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The Logan Daily News

Logan, Ohio

30 September 1940 Monday  Page 8

MRS. ANGLE, 76, SUCCUMBS SUNDAY    

Services To Be Held Tuesday Afternoon

    Rev. Stanlety W Wiant will conduct services Tuesday at 2:30 P. M. at the Leonard funeral home for Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Angle, 76, widow of Charles Angle, who died Sunday at 5:22 P. M. at the residence, 698 North Walnut Street, after an illness of several weeks.

    She is survived by two children, Seber E. Angle and Mrs. David Ellis, both of North Walnut Street, Logan; two brothers, John H. Riddlebaugh, Upper Sandusky, and James Riddlebaugh, Galion; one sister, Mrs. Theresa Snider, Lancaster.

    Burial will be made at Oak Grove cemetery.

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