Emma Ridgway

Birth: She was born around 1863 in Illinois.  

Family Information: Married to Richard "Rollie" Ridgway.

Mother of Ida, India, Alice and Lelah Ridgeway.

Aunt of Alta Needham.  

Description:  

Pre-Colony History: In 1900 she and her husband were living with their children in Missouri, along with one servant. In 1910 they were still living in Missouri with their children.

In 1920 they were living in Oklahoma with their widowed daughter, Alice Denney, and her two children and all were unemployed.

She and her husband arrived in the colony in April 1930.  

Home in Colony: The family lived next door to Mother Pickett who visited them often. He and his wife felt honored at the privilege of "sitting and listening to her talk." They felt that she'd done a wonderful life work in teaching her son, George, to stand up and work for the new system that would help the poor and give them plenty.

In May 1936 they moved from an apartment in the Apartments de Llano, into the Rose House in Harriman Circle, where Dr. Kimmel had formerly resided.

Job in Colony: Worked in the colony quilting room.  

Other Info: She and her husband, along with Rex K. Dell and Charles Eldred were huddled in their hotel room over some Townsend plans in late 1935.

At the time of her husband's death in 1937 the Ridgway's had been associated with the Baptist denomination for some years.  

Post-Colony History: After her husband's funeral in 1937, she expected to return to Missouri with those of her children who came to the colony for his funeral, to make her home among them.  

Death: She died in 1947 at Waynesville, Missouri and was buried in the Ava Cemetery at Ava, Missouri.  

Sources: US Census: 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930; "Llano Colonist": July 26, 1930, November 23, 1935, December 21, 1935, May 16, 1936, October 2, 1937; FindAGrave.com