Rose A. Riney

Grandmother Rose is probably our most important ancestor. Her 5th great grandfather, Thomas Simpson immigrated to Maryland from Scotland about 1635 for religious freedom. In time he became a landowner, owning slaves and growing tobacco. His descendants eventually migrated to Kentucky with others who wanted to go west. Many still live in the Kentucky area, but ours migrated to Illinois and Missouri. Grandmother had at least two ancestors, a grandfather and a great-grandfather who fought in the Revolutionary War. It is through this ancestor that we are descended from the royalty of Europe, making us related to many important people.

Rose and Richard married in Springfield, Illinois, during the migration from Kentucky to Missouri. She and her husband settled in Northeastern Missouri and established the hamlet of St. Patrick. Rose helped build the first Catholic Church there with her own hands, and she and her husband are buried in the cemetery behind the present church. Strangely, she died on the same day as her husband, December 18, only fifty years later.

Mrs. Rose Simpson Riney died at her home in Jackson township, Friday, December 18, 1908, at the advanced age of 98 years and 5 months. Her death occured on the anniversary of that of of her husband who passed away just fifty years before the date of her death. The funeral took place from the church of St. Patrick, Sunday, December 20, at 11 o'clock, services being conducted by the pastor, Rev. Father Carney, who paid glowing tribute to the beautiful character of deceased. She had been a member of St. Patrick Parish for seventy-five years and had labored with her own hands in assisting to build the first house of worship at St. Patrick. At the conclusion of the church services the body was followed by a large concourse of sorrowing relatives and friends to the cemetery nearby where it was laid to rest by the side of the husband. Deceased was born in Kentucky, July, 1810, came to Sangamon county, Ill., and was united in marriage with Richard Riney at the age of 19. She came with her husband, to Clark county, Mo., in 1834, where she continued to reside until her death. Eight children, seven sons and one daughter, were born of the marriage but four of whom survive. They are John and George Riney of this county, Edmund of Lewis county and James of Iowa. There are also twenty-eight grandchildren, fifty-eight great-grandchildren and twelve great-great-grandchildren. Mrs. Riney had lived on the old homestead where her husband died through all the years of her widowhood. With the exception of failing eye-sight she had been in the full enjoyment of all her faculties.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Dec 16 2016, 18:44:07 UTC