• General Notes

  St. John News, August 16, 1979
  
  Rings helped start circle of settlement
  by Helen Schlobach
  
  My paternal grandfather, Thomas Ring, came to Holton, Kansas from Ohio in 1878 at the age of 20. He learned the Marcantile and Livery Stable business while residing in Holton. He became a close friend of Colonel Wm. F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody, who often visited him in later years. He married my grandmother, Malinda Alice Medaris of Spencer, Indiana of Oct. 28, 1880 and in 1885, they moved from Holton to St. John, Kansas, where they resided at 401 East Third Avenue until their death.
  
  Shortly after coming to St. John in 1885, Thomas Ring went into the Mercantile business on the south side of the square, which he conducted until the fall of 1904. In 1905, his wife was seriously injured and the care of her became his chief responsibiliy, but he found opportunity to conduct a Real Estate and Insurance business in St. John and vicinity.
  
  He took unusual pride in civic activities and, with others, he worked in setting out the trees, some of which still remain in our beautiful City Park. He was a charter member of St. John Lodge No. 539, I.O.O.F., organized on May 8, 1902. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ring were members of the United Methodist Church in St. John.
  
  My father, Wayne D. Ring, born in 1889, was their only child. but in 1891, Mr. and Mrs. Ring took the five-week old daughter of J.A. Ring and his wife into their home when the mother died and reared her as their own. J.A. and Thomas were brothers and had married sisters, hence, the double tie of blood relationship. The baby brought up as, their daughter. Mina (Dot) Ring, married Harry E. Vedder, son of Fred S. Vedder, one of the financial backers of the young town of St. John.
  
  There were four Ring boys and five Medaris girls. The four Ring boys married Medaris girls and the fifth Medaris girl married D. S. (Sig) Mull. whose daughter, Lois, married Percy O. Seevers, a member of another Pioneer family. Thomas Ring's brothers were all builders and contractors in and ar-ound St. John in the early 1900's.
  
  My maternal grandparents, John A. and Jeannette Russell Morgan, with sever-al of their younger children. came to St. John from the coal mine areas of Pennsylvania around 1903. He worked in the building trade, both as a carpenter and brick-layer and helped build the J.H. Tudor building as well as many of the other homes in the Northwest part of town.
  
  One daughter, Nina, mar-ried J .H. Hammitt, an early day photographer and long time typesetter and printer for the St. John News. One son, Jim, a building contrac-tor, constructed several of the first brick homes on south Main in the early 1920's. He married Lena Tudor, daughter of J.H. Tudor, an early day merchant, who, for many years, was associated in the Mercantile business with John A. Lynch.
  
  The youngest of their 13 children, Martha. and my father, Wayne D. Ring, were married on Nov. 4, 1911, and their union was blessed with five sons and five daughters. The eldest daughter, Jeannette, died March 28, 1948 and the fourth son, Max died Feb. 21, 1979. Eight children remain: Helen (Mrs. Paul Schlabach) of Refugio, Texas; Alice (Mrs. W.T. Coan) of Kennedy, Texas; Darlene (Mrs. Cleo Bartlett) of St. John. Ks.; Barbra (Mrs. Galen Atterbery) of Enid, Okla.; Thomas M. of Onyx, Cal.; Wayne D. of Lemon Grove, Cal.; Loren of Stafford. Ks; and Jack. D. of Paradise Valley, Az.
  
  Wayne and Martha Ring were both well known in the St. John community. They were both school teachers after graduating from high school. Wayne graduated in 1907, the first year of the four-year high school and Martha graduated in 1910. Wayne was a farmer-stockman, sales clerk, and, the last six years of his life, served as County Clerk of Stafford County.
  
  Each day of his public life was filled capably and generously even though he was a victim of arthritis for 25 years. Wayne and Martha's love and friendship went out to all who needed them and, at their passing in 1953 and 1954, their children were left with many fond memories of devoted parents who not only provided the necessities of life, but left them with a spiritual courage and fortitude surpassing any monetary inheritance.
  
  Wayne and Martha were concerned with other young people as well as their own and worked constantly for the good of the town's education, music, athletics, drama and schools. To them, the Alumni Association and the Alumni Banquet was the highlight of each year as they looked forward to reunion with their classmates.
  
  St. John, Ks., will always be "HOME" to the Ring family and we are proud of our early settlers who helped bring the city of St. John from a barren prairie without a railroad to the beautiful shady spot it now is. We appreciate the present St. John people who worked so diligently to bring back the memories of our heritage. Like the pioneers, their efforts and devotion shall never be forgotten.
  

Details of Wayne's family with Martha Jane Morgan