Elisabeth (Schuh) Ries (1844 - 1926)

Born 24 May 1844 in Greiveldange, Canton de Remich, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Ancestors

Wife of Nicholas Ries — married 9 Jan 1867 in Flaxweiler, Luxembourg

Descendants

Died 14 Jul 1926 at age 82 in Oakridge, Minnesota

Biography

Reunion Marks 80th Birthday of Old Resident

The eightieth birth anniversary of Mrs. Elizabeth Ries was celebrated on Sunday, May 25, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John R. Rivers in the town of Wilson. Mrs. Ries, who is in good health and very active, expressed enjoyment at meeting many of her children and friends on this occasion and receiving their congratulations. Elizabeth Schuh was born May 24, 1844, in Luxembourg, Germany, where she was married to to Nicholas Ries. In 1870 they came to America and settled on a farm at Oak Ridge, where Mrs. Ries spent her entire married life. Mr. Ries died in 1901. Since retiring from the farm in 1920 she has made her home with her daughter at Wilson. Mrs. Ries was the mother of 14 children, eight of whom are now alive and six of whom were present at the anniversary celebratin. The children present were Mrs. J. A. Speltz and J. P. Ries, both of Oak Ridge, Mrs. J. R. Rivers and Mrs. Louis Speltz, both of Wilson; Henry Ries of Lewiston, and J. P. Rivers of Rollingstone. The children not able to be present were John Ries and Conrad Ries, both of Conrad, Mont. Others besides the children and their families present at the celebration included Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Phillips and family of Oak Ridge, Mrs. Catherine Neyers and Mrs. Peter Schuh, both of Rollingstone, and Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Schuh and family of Winona.

Publication: Winona Republican-Hearld; Date: May, 31, 1924

Woman Meets Death When Dress is Ignited by Flames

Mrs. Elizabeth Ries dies few hours after sustaining severe burns-grandson witnesses tragedy.

Habits of good housekeeping for many years ago cause the tragic death of Mrs. Elizabeth Ries, aged 82, and a pioneer resident of this county, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John Rivers at Wilson, yesterday. She succumbed to severe burns on the greater part of her body received at the Rivers home Tuesday noon. Your concern over the next success of the dinner being prepared for her daughter and family who were expected home from a shopping trip here at noon Tuesday resulted in the accident which caused her death and her attempt to take the boiling potatoes from the kerosene stove for clothing caught fire and fatally burned her. The story the only witness to the tragedy, Reinart River, age 16, her grandson, who was home at the time, reveals a habitual concern of the cooking of the noon day meal and a watchfulness on her part developed through years of work and housekeeping duties. Young Rivers had remained at home to care for his grandmother and prepare the noonday meal for the remainder the family when they returned home from Winona. He had placed potatoes on the stove to boil and was engaged in painting just outside the house near window. After a time he said his grandmother had motioned for him to come in the house and when he did so she declared that the potatoes were cooked and that they should be taken from the stove and drained. The boy said he told her that they were not yet quite done and went out to resume his work About 10 minutes after the incident the boy said that he noticed his grandmother enveloped in flames standing by the side of the stove. He rushed into the house and threw a coat over her after which he pour water on the flames. Mrs. Ries made hardly any outcry. He said as soon as he had the flames extinguished and had seated her in a chair, she said, "Take me to bed I'm cold." The flames had burned Mrs. Reese from her hips to her her head so that when he lifted her to the bed, her skirts fell to the floor, completely burned away. The boys hands were very badly burned while quenching the fire. As soon as he had put his grandmother to bed and covered her with a blanket Reinart called a relative Mrs. Adolph Phillips, living about 3 miles from the Rivers home. She arrived about 20 minutes after the tragedy and the Rivers family soon returned home. A doctor was called as soon as Mrs. Ries was put to bed. Although it will never be known exactly how the accident happened, the circumstances concerning it have been closely gone over by relatives. Apparently Mrs. Reese used her apron to grasp the steaming potato vessel and in someway the bottom part of the garment ignited from the kerosene flame. The potatoes were found drained and place probably at the back of the stove to keep warm although the kerosene stove was still burning. Mrs. Reese has a large number of relatives in this territory around Winona and in the in the city. She was an early resident in the county and a former resident of Oak Ridge and Mount Vernon. Funeral services will take place Friday morning at 8 o'clock at the Immaculate Conception Church at Wilson and a 10:30 o'clock at St. Mary's Church at Oak Ridge. Surviving Mrs. Ries are four daughters, Mrs. John Rivers, Wilson; Mrs. J. A. Speltz, Oak Ridge; Mrs. John P. Rivers, Rollingstone,; and Mrs. Louis Stoltz, Rollingstone, and four sons, John and Nick living in Montanna. John P. , Oak Ridge, and Henry Ries, Lewiston. John P. Schuh is a brother. Winona Republican-Herald, July 15, 1926

Daughter of Franz Schuh and 1st wife Catherine Muller who died Feb. 3, 1847 when Elisabeth was a young girl.

Sources

• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 16 October 2018), memorial page for Elisabeth Schuh Ries (24 May 1844–14 Jul 1926), Find A Grave Memorial no. 37820765, citing Saint Marys Cemetery, Oakridge, Winona County, Minnesota, USA

• Minnesota State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQF9-2S4 : 5 August 2017), Nicholas Ries in household of Nicholas Rivers, Mount Vernon, Winona, Minnesota; citing p. , volume Winona, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 565,759.