Wilton Dana Rittenhouse (1873 - 1961)

Born 12 Apr 1873 in Rockfish, Nelson, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Huldah Emma (LaFave) Rittenhouse — married 27 Dec 1903 in Hawarden, Sioux, Iowa, United States

Descendants

Died 11 Dec 1961 at age 88 in Riverside, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Cheryl Cruise [send private message], Linda Steiner [send private message], and William Murdoch [send private message]

Biography

Wilton Dana, "Dana" or "W.D.," as he was often called in adulthood (he was never called by his first name), was born 12 April 1873, in Rockfish, Nelson, Virginia, to David Washington Rittenhouse and Sarah "Sallie" Netherland (Roberts) Rittenhouse. He was the third child and third son to bless their union.

Dana's first years were spent on the family farm in Nelson County, Virginia, with two older brothers, and a younger brother and sister. By the time Dana was 5 years old in 1878, the family had moved to Delaware County, Ohio, near Ostrander (the move by covered wagon likely took place sometime between the winter of 1875 and winter of 1876 when Dana was very young and his little sister was an infant). Four more children joined the family while they lived in Ohio--another little brother and three little sisters.

In 1884, the year Dana turned 11, the family moved again, this time to Dakota Territory. The youngest Rittenhouse child, Sidney Noble, was born near Sterling, Dakota Territory. The industrious family set about farming there near Sterling, North Dakota.

About 1896, a young man named Lewis H. Ells held a series of Seventh-day Adventist evangelistic meetings in the vicinity of the Rittenhouse farm and the family attended. Dana's parents were converted to the faith, along with most of their children who remained at home at the time. Dana had not attended the meetings, as he was out on the plains of North Dakota herding cattle with his older brother, Charles. The parents wrote to Dana and Charles telling them about their new faith. Dana and his brother were very disturbed by the news that their parents had been so misled! So, while Dana tended the herds, Charles went home to "straighten out" their parents on doctrine. However, soon he returned to tell Dana, "They are right!" Now Dana told Charles that he would go home and accomplish what his brother had failed to do. But he too, was convinced, and these two sons joined the rest of the family and became life-long Seventh-day Adventists. The only exception was the oldest Rittenhouse daughter, Emma, who was engaged to be married to Thomas F. Campbell, a school teacher who was a Presbyterian. After their marriage on 28 December 1896, Emma joined her new husband's church.

Their faith was very important to them, and Dana's parents decided they wanted their children to have the advantage of attending Seventh-day Adventist schools. A new school and college had just been built in Walla Walla County, Washington, surrounded by beautiful, fertile farm land. They decided this would be a perfect place for the family, and in July of 1897, the family set off again in covered wagons for Walla Walla, Washington. When they were not far from Antelope, North Dakota, they stopped for the night and made camp near the railroad tracks. An approaching train came by and frightened a team of horses, who began to run away. Dana's father, David, a stout man in his older years, ran after them and tried to jump onto the wagon. He fell onto the wagon and was severely injured, dying just a few hours later. He was buried at Hebron, North Dakota. Dana was 24 when this happened.

After the loss of the family patriarch, the sad family had to change their plans. They did continue to travel westward, making it as far as the Gallatin Valley of Montana, where they settled in Bozeman. A fledgling Seventh-day Adventist school was located there. Several of the Rittenhouse children did attend Adventist schools as their parents had hoped, both at Bozeman, Montana, and at Walla Walla College, in College Place, Walla Walla County, Washington. Later, several of Dana's children would become administrators and educators in the Seventh-day Adventist elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educational system.

Dana remained faithful to the Seventh-day Adventist faith for the remainder of his life, as did all of his siblings that converted to that faith. It was a very important facet of his life.

Dana met and married Huldah Emma LaFave, a young woman who was born in 1883 in Indian Lake, New York. The couple married on 27 December 1903 in Hawarden, Sioux County, Iowa. They had 7 children.

Name

Name: Wilton Dana /Rittenhouse/^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Birth

Birth:

Date: 12 APR 1873

Place: Virginia^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

Birth:

Date: APR 1872

Place: Virginia^[12]

Found multiple copies of BIRT DATE. Using 12 APR 1873

Death

Death:

Date: 11 DEC 1961

Place: Riverside, California^[13]

Residence

Residence:

Date: 1900

Place: Township 144, Burleigh, North Dakota^[14]

Residence:

Date: 1930

Place: Oronoko, Berrien, Michigan^[15]

Residence:

Date: 1880

Place: Dover, Union, Ohio, United States^[16]

Residence:

Date: 1920

Place: La Mott, Gallatin, Montana^[17]

Residence:

Date: 1910

Place: School District 43, Gallatin, Montana^[18]

Wilton was born before 1885. He passed away about 1962.

Wilton was born in 1873. He passed away in 1961. ^[19]

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S00063 Page: Year: 1880; Census Place: Dover, Union, Ohio; Roll: T9_1073; Family History Film: 1255073; Page: 164.1000; Enumeration District: 80; Image: 0334. Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1872Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1880Residence place: Dover, Union, Ohio, United States Note: @N04877@
2. ↑ Source: #S00061 Page: Year: 1900; Census Place: Township 144, Burleigh, North Dakota; Roll: T623_1226; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 232. Data: Text: Birth date: Apr 1872Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1900Residence place: Township 144, Burleigh, North Dakota Note: @N04876@
3. ↑ Source: #S00070 Page: Year: 1910; Census Place: School District 43, Gallatin, Montana; Roll: T624_832; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 148; Image: 862. Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1875Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1910Residence place: School District 43, Gallatin, Montana Note: @N04878@
4. ↑ Source: #S00066 Page: Year: 1920; Census Place: La Mott, Gallatin, Montana; Roll: 31109_4313238; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 69; Image: . Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1873Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1920Residence place: La Mott, Gallatin, Montana Note: @N04879@
5. ↑ Source: #S00011 Data: Text: Birth date: 12 Apr 1872Birth place: VirginiaDeath date: 11 Dec 1961Death place: Riverside, California Note: @N04880@
6. ↑ Source: #S00069 Page: Year: 1930; Census Place: Oronoko, Berrien, Michigan; Roll: 977; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 44; Image: 94.0. Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1872Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1930Residence place: Oronoko, Berrien, Michigan Note: @N04881@
7. ↑ Source: #S00063 Page: Year: 1880; Census Place: Dover, Union, Ohio; Roll: T9_1073; Family History Film: 1255073; Page: 164.1000; Enumeration District: 80; Image: 0334. Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1872Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1880Residence place: Dover, Union, Ohio, United States Note: @N04877@
8. ↑ Source: #S00070 Page: Year: 1910; Census Place: School District 43, Gallatin, Montana; Roll: T624_832; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 148; Image: 862. Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1875Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1910Residence place: School District 43, Gallatin, Montana Note: @N04878@
9. ↑ Source: #S00066 Page: Year: 1920; Census Place: La Mott, Gallatin, Montana; Roll: 31109_4313238; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 69; Image: . Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1873Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1920Residence place: La Mott, Gallatin, Montana Note: @N04879@
10. ↑ Source: #S00011 Data: Text: Birth date: 12 Apr 1872Birth place: VirginiaDeath date: 11 Dec 1961Death place: Riverside, California Note: @N04880@
11. ↑ Source: #S00069 Page: Year: 1930; Census Place: Oronoko, Berrien, Michigan; Roll: 977; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 44; Image: 94.0. Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1872Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1930Residence place: Oronoko, Berrien, Michigan Note: @N04881@
12. ↑ Source: #S00061 Page: Year: 1900; Census Place: Township 144, Burleigh, North Dakota; Roll: T623_1226; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 232. Data: Text: Birth date: Apr 1872Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1900Residence place: Township 144, Burleigh, North Dakota Note: @N04876@
13. ↑ Source: #S00011 Data: Text: Birth date: 12 Apr 1872Birth place: VirginiaDeath date: 11 Dec 1961Death place: Riverside, California Note: @N04880@
14. ↑ Source: #S00061 Page: Year: 1900; Census Place: Township 144, Burleigh, North Dakota; Roll: T623_1226; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 232. Data: Text: Birth date: Apr 1872Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1900Residence place: Township 144, Burleigh, North Dakota Note: @N04876@
15. ↑ Source: #S00069 Page: Year: 1930; Census Place: Oronoko, Berrien, Michigan; Roll: 977; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 44; Image: 94.0. Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1872Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1930Residence place: Oronoko, Berrien, Michigan Note: @N04881@
16. ↑ Source: #S00063 Page: Year: 1880; Census Place: Dover, Union, Ohio; Roll: T9_1073; Family History Film: 1255073; Page: 164.1000; Enumeration District: 80; Image: 0334. Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1872Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1880Residence place: Dover, Union, Ohio, United States Note: @N04877@
17. ↑ Source: #S00066 Page: Year: 1920; Census Place: La Mott, Gallatin, Montana; Roll: 31109_4313238; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 69; Image: . Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1873Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1920Residence place: La Mott, Gallatin, Montana Note: @N04879@
18. ↑ Source: #S00070 Page: Year: 1910; Census Place: School District 43, Gallatin, Montana; Roll: T624_832; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 148; Image: 862. Data: Text: Birth date: abt 1875Birth place: VirginiaResidence date: 1910Residence place: School District 43, Gallatin, Montana Note: @N04878@
19. ↑ Personal recollection of events witnessed by William Murdoch Jr. as remembered 1 Dec 2021.

• WikiTree profile Rittenhouse-61 created through the import of harvey.ged on May 28, 2011 by Debbie Harvey. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Debbie and others.

• Source: S00011 Author: Ancestry.com Title: California Death Index, 1940-1997 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.Original data - State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics.Original dat; Repository: #R00018 NOTEAncestry.com, California Death Index, 1940-1997 (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.Original data - State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics.Original dat), Source Medium: (null) CONT _APID: 5180::0 CONT .
• Repository: R00018 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com E-Mail Address: Phone Number:
• Source: S00061 Author: Ancestry.com Title: 1900 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623,; Repository: #R00018 NOTEAncestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623,), Source Medium: (null) CONT _APID: 7602::0 CONT .
• Source: S00063 Author: Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Title: 1880 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limite; Repository: #R00018 NOTEAncestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1880 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limite), Source Medium: (null) CONT _APID: 6742::0 CONT .
• Source: S00066 Author: Ancestry.com Title: 1920 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 on roll 323 (Chicago City.Original data - United States; Repository: #R00018 NOTEAncestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 on roll 323 (Chicago City.Original data - United States), Source Medium: (null) CONT _APID: 6061::0 CONT .
• Source: S00069 Author: Ancestry.com Title: 1930 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626; Repository: #R00018 NOTEAncestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626), Source Medium: (null) CONT _APID: 6224::0 CONT .
• Source: S00070 Author: Ancestry.com Title: 1910 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Thirteenth Census of the Unit; Repository: #R00018 NOTEAncestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Thirteenth Census of the Unit), Source Medium: (null) CONT _APID: 7884::0 CONT .

Notes

Note N04876http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1900usfedcen&h=50693346&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

Note N04877http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1880usfedcen&h=45485905&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

Note N04878http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1910uscenindex&h=15256622&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

Note N04879http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1920usfedcen&h=54002828&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

Note N04880http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=cadeath1940&h=6195820&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

Note N04881http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1930usfedcen&h=13296410&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

• family record