| Notes |
- Heritage of Faribault County, Minnesota
Tuff Publishing, Inc. (1987)
FRANK RIPLEY and MARY (PENGILLY)
by Elsie A. Rivard
Frank Mitchell Ripley was born April 10, 1879 at Taycheedah, Wisconsin
to Alice L. (Mitchell) and Willie B. Ripley. On August 25, 1905, Frank married
Mary Elizabeth Pengilly (born March 26, 1882 in Minneapolis, Minnesota),
daughter of Abbie S. (Hill) and James Pengilly of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
Mary and Frank were of English ancestry.
Mary (Pengilly) Ripley's mother, Abbie S. (Hill) Pengilly (1850?-1916)
was born at Brownville, Maine. Abbie moved to the Minnesota area and graduated
from St. Cloud Normal School in 1877. In 1881 Abbie married James Pengilly
(1841-1925) a well-read miller, who had emigrated from Cornwall, England.
One line of Frank Ripley's ancestry (Bassett) can be traced to
Mayflower passengers John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley. One ancestor,
Barachiah Bassett (1782-1859), a soldier in the War of 1812, left Martha's
Vineyard, Massachusetts to settle at Lowville and later Alexandria Bay, New
York. Barachiah, an active member of the Methodist Church, married Nancy
Butler (1785-1845) in July of 1806. Among their eleven children were Francis,
Cynthia, and Elizabeth all of whom eventually made their way to Faribau
County, Minnesota. Cynthia Bassett (1815-1901) taught school several years
before marrying Daniel Ripley (1801-1888), in 1846. Daniel and Cynthia Ripley
traveled with their infant son, Willie (1847-1936) by the lake route fr
Alexandria Bay, New York to Shelby, Wisconsin to reach their homestead of 40
acres of school land in Taycheedah Township, Wisconsin. Cynthia's letters well
describe their life in Wisconsin where Daniel, a colporteur, even performed
marriages. Their son, Willie Ripley, enlisted at age 17 in the 45th Wisconsin
Infantry during the Civil War. Most of his 6 months of service were spent at
the Union Hospitals in Nashville, Tennessee due to the effects of measles.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Bassett (1819-1884), a teacher, married Oscar Mitchell
(1823?-1937?) in 1848. Elizabeth took their only child, Alice L. Mitche
(1849-1937), to the Wisconsin Territory to visit her sister Cynthia (Bassett)
Ripley. During that visit the sisters' children, Alice and Willie, met and
fell in love. Alice Mitchell and Willie Ripley married at Taycheedah in 1847 -
a marriage spanning 67 years. Seven of their eight children were born at
Taycheedah. In 1883 the Willie Ripley family moved to Verona Township,
Faribault County where they acquired 460 acres. Daniel and Cynthia Ripley and
Elizabeth (Bassett) Mitchell Frost joined their children in the Winneba
area. Cynthia Ripley, active in the Methodist Church and called "Grandma
Ripley" by area residents, wrote a regular column for the Winnebago Pre
News. In 1910, part of the Willie Ripley family moved to West Plains, Missouri
to seek a milder climate. Alice and Willie Ripley were known for their
literary interests; Alice wrote beautiful poetry while Willie recorded his
Civil War experiences and memoirs in letters sent to grandchildre
Alice and Willie Ripley's children include:
Louis (1869-1951), unmarried, West Plains, Missouri
John G. (1872-1963) married Mary C. Dunbar, farmed at Verona Township
Winnfred (1875-1918), unmarried West Plain, Missouri
Bessie A. (1877-1965), married Joh Krosch; farmed near Blue Earth.
Frank M. (1879-1971), married Mary Pengilly (1882-1964), farmed near
Verona, Bass Lake, and Elmore.
Nellie B. (1881-1976 married and later divorced Swan Johnson, West
Plains Missouri.
Georgia A. (1883-1947) married Thomas Willis, moved to Ontario,
Canada.
Rose A. (1887-1970), married Maynard Smith; veterinarian at Elmore.
Frank and Mary (Pengilly) Ripley's first home was a house which Frank
had built for them on his parent's farm in Verona Township. In 1910 they moved
to West Plains, Missouri to join his parents in farming. Later, they moved to
the Roscoe, area of Missouri. In 1925, the family traveled to Minnesota to
visit relatives. They decided to not return to Missouri after their vehicle
caught fire and burned. The family lived at and farmed several locations
(Verona and Bass Lake) before Frank and Mary bought a small farm on the edge
of Elmore. Frank retired from active farming and took up carpentry for area
people. Frank held positions of leadership in the various churches they
attended. Both Mary and Frank were advocates of the Temperance Society. Their
children include:
Alice W. (born 1911), married Charles Herrmann (born 1913, see Herrman
article), farming at Delavan, Minnesota.
James W. (born 1921), married Eileen Noyes, residing at El Dora
Springs, Missouri.
Richard F. (born 1916) married Joyce Moore; farming at Elmore,
Minnesota.
Elizabeth H. (born 1921) married Robert Lawrence; reside at Hemphill,
Texas.
A number of their Ripley and Hermans descendants live and farm in the
Elmore, Blue Earth, and Delavan area.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1879 - Deceased