William Washington Riggen (1864 - 1927)

Born 13 Jan 1864 in Elmore, Peoria, Illinois, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia Louise (Frye) Anderson — married 25 May 1886 (to before 1893) in Osceola, Clarke, Iowa, USA

Husband of Lillian Evelyn (Hillerby) Nelson — married 3 Jun 1893 in Stark, Illinois, United States

Descendants

Died 21 Dec 1927 at age 63 in Millbrook, Peoria, Illinois, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Catherine Ryan [send private message]

Biography

William Washington Riggen was born in 13 Jan 1864 in Peoria, Illinois to Thomas John Riggen and Julie Ann Stargel. He was a jockey, often riding at the local county fairs. He also worked on a ferry between Illinois and Iowa. Not sure how he met Lydia Fry of Iowa but they were married on 25 May 1886 in Osceola, Iowa. The first daughter, Anne was born in Illinois in 1886, but the other two children John Thomas and Kathern A were born in Jamison, Clark County, Illinois. There is no record found on the divorce in either home county but they were not always recorded. By 1894 Lydia had remarried as had William.

William married Lillian Evelyn Hillerby on 3 Jun 1893 in Stark County Illinois. They had 5 children, William continued to work as a jockey and was severely injured in a fall while riding at the county fair in September 1896. The article indicated he was not expected to live from the broken spine, but he did live another 30 years and fathered 3 more children.

He died 23 Dec 1927 in Millbrook, Peoria, Illinois and was buried in Glendale Cemetery, Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois, USA

Research Notes

The children of William and their children never knew of the existence of the other family. One long time researcher of this Riggen line was insistent that there was no first marriage until the Iowa marriage record was found and a review of the Illinois record indicated a second marriage on the back of the form.

• Fact: Residence (1880) West Jersey, Stark, Illinois, United States
• Fact: Residence (21 Dec 1927) Elmore, Ill
• Fact: Burial (23 Dec 1927) Elmore, Ill.

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 08 June 2020, 02:45), entry for William Washington Riggen(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LJNY-Z8Q); contributed by various users.
• Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 10 July 2017), memorial #21421339 for William Washington Riggen (1864 - 1927) - Find A Grave Memorial.

• " Iowa, Select Marriages, 1809-1992" Ancestry.com , Marriage of J T Reagan and Emma Schultz; Marriage of William Riggen and Lydia Fry

• "Iowa, Select Marriages Index, 1758-1996" online database Ancestry.com; Marriage of William Riggen and Lydia Fry

• Clarke County Iowa Marraige Book 8-12-1880 to 3-26-1891

• Osceola, Clarke County Iowa Book #5 3-24-1890 to 2-20-95