The Riley Boys

This picture of the Riley boys was taken just before Norm left for the service.  Ray, Dave and Ron will be traveling to San Jose next week to join with Norm's family and friends for a Memorial Dinner in honor of Norm.  They are looking forward to sharing their memories with Norm's children and grandchildren.  

There is a funny story about this picture.  Ray stuck the bow tie on as the picture was taken.  No one knew he had done it until the picture came back from the photographer.

Sunday Special: How the English Riley Family came to be Lutheran

Of course, Selma was raised in a Lutheran family.  Sid Riley's family came to the States from England.  His family was Church of England/Episcopalian until they moved to Dover. Ohio.  There wasn't an Episcopalian Church in Dover at that time.  They joined a Lutheran Church and Sid was confirmed a Lutheran.


At some point after their marriage,  he and Selma joined "The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity" (aka Holy Trinity) located on North Prospect in Akron.   

Thomas Riley and family's home in Akron

Sid's family lived in this house in Akron.  It was a "company home" built by Goodyear.  Ray thinks it is interesting that these English immigrants ended up owning a home that looked very English.  This house is still standing and located at 430 St. Leger Ave in Goodyear Heights.  Here is a picture of the home when the Riley's lived there

It was built in 1918, has three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and 1196 square feet.  I am amazed that it is valued at only  $68K.  The drive way is to the left and is shared with that house.  It leads to separate garages.  Here is a current picture.

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More info on Ryley/Riley Surname

It has been thought in our family the Riley was an Irish last name.  As I mentioned last week, the family was originally using Ryley.  I found it used, not only in the 1841 Census, but in baptismal records for the generation of Ezra's mother.  Given the fact that the family was located in Lancashire, I believe it is not Irish but is derived as listed below:


From Surname Database:


This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a variant of Riley, which is either of locational derivation from Ryley in Lancashire or Riley in Devonshire, or a topographical name given to someone who lived at the rye clearing. Both the placenames and the topographical terms have the same derivation, that is, from the Olde English pre 7th Century "ryge", rye, and "leah", a wood or clearing. The surname itself is more likely to have originated from the place in Lancashire, as it is most widespread in the North of England. 


Early examples of the surname include: Henry de Ryley, in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire (1327); Johannes de Rylay, in the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire (1379); and John Ryley, mentioned in the Coroner's Rolls of Nottinghamshire (1488). Sir Philip Ryley (died 1733) was surveyor of the royal woods and forests, having attended the Lord Treasurer of England before 1702, and after 1706, and was knighted in 1728. The family Coat of Arms depicts a fess between three black crosses pattee fitchee on a silver shield, and the Crest being a black dragon's head erased, charged on the neck with three bezants. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Ryeley, which was dated 1284, in the "Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. 


Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Ryley#ixzz1B7daBFU7

Ryley vs Riley

In the 1841 British Census and in earlier baptismal records of this family, the surname was spelled RYLEY vs. what we use today, RILEY.


Ryley is an English habitational name from Ryley in Lancashire, so named from Old English ryge ‘rye’ + leah‘wood’, ‘clearing’. There is a Riley with the same meaning in Devon, but it does not seem to have contributed to the surname, which is more common in northern England.  Most surnames are occupational or habitational in origin.  


In the 1841 Census. there were 462 people with the last name of RYLEY in Lancashire (the county where Manchester is located).  The county with the second most RYLEYs was Warwickshire (Birmingham).


It looks like most families had switched to RILEY by 1841 as there were 3699 RILEY individuals  in Lancashire and Yorkshire had 2270 people with RILEY.

By the 1851 Census, our family was using RILEY exclusively.

On this day in 1980

My dear Grandmother, Selma Brueggeman, died on this day in 1980.  She was 81 years old.  She was living on her own at 504 Gage Street, their home for many, many years.  Mark and I were living in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the time.  Unfortunately, a terrible snow storm was expected and it wasn't a safe idea to make the four hour drive in the storm.  It is truly something that I still regret.  She is still missed by her sons.