From Prairie Rose, we continued south and west toward Guss - passing through Iveyville and past the farm where my Grandpa Joe and Grandma Delphia Ridnour lived on the Adams-Taylor County Line. Maple Grove Cemetery is north of Guss in Taylor County. Guss Cemetery - which it now seems to be 'officially' known as - has a nice new sign with plot maps showing where graves are located.
I don't need a map to find the grave of my grandfather, Joseph Rufus Ridnour (June 11, 1896-February 22, 1960), I've been coming here 52 years. I was 16 when Grandpa died. His was the first death I really felt. My maternal Grandma, Delphia Verda Means Ridnour (May 10, 1896-August 15, 1991) once said to me, "I know who will put flowers on the graves when I am gone, but who will put flowers on yours?" I hardly ever missed a year of taking her and my Mom around to the cemeteries. That was her way of acknowledging my commitment. Delphia and Joe were married April 2, 1916.
Susana Whipkey Ridnour (April 28, 1837-April 26, 1931) was my great-great grandmother. She was born in Cameron, VA where she married Benjamin Ridnour November 20, 1856. They migrated to Page County, Iowa. The couple had eleven children. Susana was buried here on her 94th birthday.
At this point, I had planned to take Preston to the grave site of Susana's husband, my great-great grandfather, Benjamin Ridnour born in PA in 1836, but time was getting away from us. Benjamin died in 1886 and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery west and south of Hepburn in Page County. His grave was unmarked until just a few years ago when family members erected a stone for him and two others buried nearby. Benjamin and his brother Samuel Ritnour both came to Page County. It was at this time the spelling of the last name became different in the records. My grandmother Delphia used to say the Ritnour's and Ridnour's in southwest Iowa weren't related. Now, of course, we know we are.
This picture of Susana and Benjamin shows their daughter, Kate standing behind them with baby Ida on Susana's lap.
From Guss, we went 'cross country' to the Nodaway Cemetery, north and east of Nodaway in Adams County. I think I had Preston totally lost by then - but he was seeing some pretty countryside.
If you were looking for my great-great Mauderly grandparents, you wouldn't find them by the name carved on their headstone - it reads Manderly instead of Mauderly. This error always makes me think of the opening of Rebecca: "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." Apparently the carver mistook the U as an N.
Franz Xavier Mauderly (April 16-1829-1896) was born in Stusslingen, Solothurn, Switzerland. Maria Romang (November 11, 1835-March 17, 1890) was also born in Switzerland. She came to America with her brothers about two months before her marriage to Xavier December 21, 1855 in Illinois. They came to Iowa ten years later. Their farm was a mile north, a mile east and another 1/2 mile north of this cemetery.
Next to his grandparents is the grave of Freddie Ridnour, my grandpa Joe's little brother. I can find no information about him - date of birth, death, etc.
Here are two of my great grandparents I do have some memories of. Rufus Ridnour (January 6, 1869-July 13, 1950) was born in Galesburg, IL. He was fifteen years old when his father, Benjamin, died. He helped raise his siblings. I have heard that Rufe inherited his father's veterinary equipment, but have no stories about either Ben or his son being a veterinarian. To my knowledge, Great Grandpa Ridnour was a farmer. He and Lydia Katherine Mauderly (March 16, 1872-May 29, 1954 [58 yrs. ago today]) were married September 29, 1895.
Great Grandma Ridnour was always called Katherine or, more often, Kate. Her's was the first funeral I remember attending. I was 10 years old. As I watched her children and grandchildren quietly shedding tears, I kept thinking "I should be crying, too. I should be sadder", but of course I didn't really know her all that well. The year Grandma Kate died, she had seven new great-grandchildren, one of which was my little brother, Leslie.
My main memory of Grandpa Rufus was going to see him a couple times during his final illness. The last time, he was in bed. I was rather frightened by the whole experience. I don't know if I realized he was dying or was just confused about seeing him in bed. I do have a fond memory of being at their home about three years earlier for a family reunion. It is of the pergola and grapevines growing over the cave entrance east of their house. They lived on the Mauderly farm after Kate's parents died.
From Nodaway we went west on Hwy 34 into Montgomery County, past Hwy 71 and across the West Nodaway River to the first crossroads then north more than a mile to Arlington Cemetery. This newer signage is at the entrance to a long lane leading up to the cemetery.....
....where this older sign still stands. This is where my dear sister-in-law, Ruthie, is buried.
Ruth Anne Nicolaisen (April 22, 1942-January 29, 2004) married my brother, Ronald, April 6, 1968 in Arvada, CO. Ruth was as Scandinavian as you could get - her mother was from Sweden and her Dad was from Denmark. Ron and Ruth moved back to SW Iowa from Colorado in 1970 and to the Stanton area in 1971. She fit right into the Swedish community. Ruthie worked as a nurse before her children were born. We lost both Ruth Lynam's within six weeks - Mom and Ruthie - it was a very sad winter. The word in the upper left corner of the tombstone is TAK - Danish and Swedish for Thanks.
And finally....back to Adams County.....
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