The famous auther, Ring Lardner, was born on March 6, 1885 in Niles, Berrien county, Michigan. His name was derived from the last name of a family friend. A great baseball sportswriter, he is mainly remembered as a writer of short stories, adept at catching regionalisms. He also wrote at least a dozen plays. He married Ellis Abbott on June 28, 1911 in Elkhart, Indiana. His sons were John, Jim, Ring Jr., and David. All inherited his talent for writing. He died on September 27, 1933 in Easthampton, Long Island, New York.