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Melvin Samson Rickard (1850 - 1937)

Melvin Samson Rickard
Born in Rickardsville, Dubuque, Iowamap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 4 May 1872 in Deer Creek, Madison, Nebraskamap
Died at age 86 in Bellingham, Whatcom, Washingtonmap
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Profile last modified | Created 14 Sep 2010
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Biography

Biography

Rickard was born in Rickardsville, Dubuque Co., Iowa. He had two sisters and two brothers. All three brothers later settled in Washington State and are buried there. Sister Laura J. Rickard, named after her aunt, Laura J. Martindale, died at a young age of five and is buried in Rickardsville. The other sister, Clarissa Conant Rickard, may have been a twin, or was born a year before Laura in 1843. We know that she was in school in Millville in 1858, age 15, and at age 18 married a widower named John W. Walker in August 1862. Mr. Walker lived near Millville, north of Rickardsville. Clarissa had two children and died in 1866 at the age of 22.

Melvin's older brother, Levi, was living in Norfolk, Madison Co., Nebraska, and Melvin must have followed him there and like his brother married a girl from Madison County. Emma Maudana Hoyt and Melvin Rickard were married in Nebraska in 1872. They stayed there at least eight years for their first three children were born in Nebraska. The 1880 census has them in North Dakota. Cylian Rickard (female) was born in 1873, but only lived several months. Norman Ellsworth Rickard was born in 1874, and he died 12-1/2 years later. He was killed by an accidental gunshot by his mother. Ralph Mace Rickard was born in 1877 in Cottage Grove, Nebraska. Melvin drove freight wagons between Omaha and Denver. By 1875 he operated the first freight wagons to the Black Hills of South Dakota, probably supplying the gold mines there.The 1880 US census has the family living in North Dakota. About 1881 he moved his family to the Milk River District in Montana. It is said that his was the first white family to locate there. Subsequently, he was a blacksmith at Fort Assiniboine, Fort Benton, and Fort Stevens, all in Montana. In the 1880 Montana census: The family is living at Ft. Stevens, Stevens Co., Dakota Territory. Melvin is a blacksmith,age 29,Emma 29, Norman 6, and Ralph 4. Son Ralph Mace Rickard was born at Columbia Falls, Montana in 1877. His daughter, Queen Leah Rickard, was the first white child born in the Milk River area. She was born on December 25, 1882, near Fort Assiniboine, Montana. He started a blacksmith shop at Columbia Falls, Montana, and also lived for a while near Big Sandy, Montana. His fifth child, Melvin Edward Rickard, was born in Columbia Falls, Montana, on 19 June 1889. Emma gave birth to their sixth child, Ashby Conrad Rickard, on 3 Sep. 1892. The family also lived in Oregon for a short time, where Melvin took a course in cheesemaking at Oregon State University in Corvallis. This was in 1906 and they lived in Alsea , Benton co.. The family also lived with Melvin's brother, Levi, for a brief time in Stanwood, Washington. Emma's sister, Olivia Hoyt Thomas, was also living in this area, Stanwood. In 1900 the family is living at Lowell (Everett) Washington near his brother Levi Rickard. It was at Big Sandy when he was sent a photograph of an elderly woman whom I believe to be his stepmother, Elizabeth Dinsmore Rickard, from Rickardsville, Iowa. About 1890, Emma suffered a stroke which affected her speech the rest of her life. She also favored one arm, which is quite apparent in many photos. Her grandchildren remember her saying, "Turkey, turkey!" when she was mad. Melvin was very patient with her as she was said to be a bit of a nag. Melvin was also known to enjoy alcohol and possibly for that reason none of her children ever drank alcohol while she was alive. Cecil Brock states that after the family left Columbia Falls, Flathead Co., MT, they went to Snohomish Co, WA, where his brother Lemuel was living. In April of 1910 the family was living at 616 3rd Ave. in Spokane, by June they were at Route 1, White Bluff prairie , Spokane, Wa. and on Dec 1912 they were at 1821 E. Sprague Ave in Spokane.

In 1914 the family went to Alberta to homestead. They settled on the NW 6-36-26-4 near Red Deer. They operated a blacksmith shop and made harnesses as well as farming. Emma milked goats to supply the household with milk. Melvin and Ashby were the only two children to move North to Alberta. Two of the children, Melvin and Ashby, married two sisters, Mary and Clara Biggs. For some reason the fathering instinct was not too strong in the three surviving sons, for they all left or abandoned their wives and children. In June of 1922 Melvin and Emma, now quite elderly, were living in Raven, Alberta, Canada. It is said that Melvin entrusted his two sons, Melvin and Ashby, to take a herd of horses to the city to sell in order to pay his mortgage. The two boys found a card game and lost all the money. Consequently, the parents lost their farm and for that reason moved back to the U.S.

By 1926, Melvin and Emma had moved to Bellingham, WA, where his brother Levi was operating a grocery store. Their daughter, Queen Rickard Day Hosea Smith later came to live in Bellingham. They made their home at 50 Lake Whatcom Blvd. Emma died in 1930 at age 80, and Melvin died in 1937 at age 87. After Emma's death Melvin (elder) and his brother Levi made a trip back to their boyhood home in Rickardsville, IA. They also may have visited other cousins in Southern Iowa.

He was buried 18 Jan 1937 in Bayview Cem., Bellingham, Whatcom, Washington.

Melvin was born in 1851.

Sources


  • "Nebraska Marriages, 1855-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X5Z5-TDF : 16 March 2018), Melvin S. Rickard and Emma M. Hoyt, 04 May 1872; citing , Madison Co., Nebraska, United States, various county courthouses, Idaho; FHL microfilm.
  • "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCV4-3W9 : 22 August 2017), Melvin S Rickard, 1880; citing enumeration district ED 90, sheet 207A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d), roll 0114; FHL microfilm 1,254,114.
  • "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMP5-PZD : accessed 18 May 2019), Melvin S Rickard, Allen, Edmonds, Lowell, McDonald, and Mukilteo Precincts Edmonds city, Snohomish, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 207, sheet 14A, family 274, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,750.
  • "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGJG-1ZT : accessed 18 May 2019), Melvin S Rickard, Spence, Spokane, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 130, sheet 21A, family 191, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1669; FHL microfilm 1,375,682.
  • "Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F37S-68K : 10 February 2018), Malvin S. Rickard in entry for Ralph Mace Rickard and Nannie E. Brock, 09 Apr 1922; citing Marriage, Libby, Lincoln, Montana, various county courthouses, Montana; FHL microfilm 1,902,500.
  • "Idaho Death Certificates, 1938-1961," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2M1-LFLM : 1 February 2016), Melvin Rickard in entry for Ralph M Rickard, 12 Jun 1953; citing Death, Grangeville, Idaho, Idaho, United States, Department of Health and Welfare, Boise..




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Melvin by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Melvin:

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Categories: Red Deer, Alberta