HISTORY OF THE RINEY FAMILY
ABILENE, TEXAS
JANUARY 27, 1907

This is a brief history of our branch of the Riney family in America as related to me, W.A. Riney by my father, B.J. Riney before his death on January 29, 1907.

Our forefathers came to America from Ireland with Lord Baltimore and were among the first settlers of Maryland.  My mother’s people  came from Ireland about the same time.
My grandfather, Robert Riney, moved from St. Mary, Maryland to Washington County, Kentucky in 1800 where he remained until 1839 when he moved to Washington, Indiana where he died in about 1850.

My grandmother died when my father was quite young and I never learned much of her history.

To Robert Riney were born five sons and four daughters. The names of the children were: Benedict, Thomas, William, Cletus, Mathew, Theresa, Martha, Matilda, and another who died quite young whose name I did not know.

My father,William Elder, married Permelia Hodskins, daughter of Vincent Hodskins in the year 1838 , in Meade County ,Kentucky. To them ten children were born. One died while very young and the rest lived to be grown. The names of the children were beginning with the eldest:  Benedict Joseph, Martha Ellen, James Madison, Thomas Leo,  Isadore , Richard Pious, William Elder, Elizabeth, and John Alexander.

In 1863,October 23, I married Martha Ellen Yeager at Hancock, Illinois. She died on October, 1864. To us, one child was born who died at six months of age.

On April 23, 1871, I married Elisa Catherine Hays. To us ten children were born, five girls and five boys. The oldest child, Lula Florence was born April 30,1872 and died October 4, 1881, at Vandalia, Missouri.

Permelia Ellen Was born August 8, 1874. William Anderson was born January 22, 1878. Effa Daisy born July 13,1880. Joseph Hendricks was born February 20, 1883. Jessie James was born on January 22, 1885. Leroy Eugene was born January 24, 1887. Benedict Harrison was born August 24 1888. Elsie May was born May 4, 1890. Anna Maude was born October 25, 1893. Claude was born January 19, 1900.

My younger days were spent teaching school in Southeast Missouri.  It was at this time that I studied medicine and attended lectures at Keokuk, Iowa. Afterward, I was a druggist at Vandalia, Missouri  for five years.

I then moved my family to southern Kansas and engaged in farming and ranching for four years. My health giving way caused my return to Vandalia , Missouri where I engaged in the mercantile business for two years.

In February of 1882, we moved to Ft.Worth , Texas. In April of the same year we moved to Abilene Texas and engaged in the restaurant and grocery business. Afterward clerked for Mr. Allen, then engaged in the wholesale beer and ice business.

In 1887, I moved to Mulberry canyon and engaged in stock raising and farming until the fall of 1906 when I sold out to my four sons, Jessie, Joe, Roy, and Harry. I returned to Abilene.
 
                                                                                         Signed B.J. Riney