Born Bennett Edward Riddle to CSA veteran Bennett Smith Riddle and Mary Elizabeth Martin Riddle, he was one of five boys and one sister. He always had a saying when asked how many siblings that he had five brothers and each of them had a sister, making the person think there were ten kids in the family!
Ben (Paw Riddle) lived in a rural part of Bienville/Natchitoches parish and at an early age got a job transporting mail from parish to parish on horseback. He would carry a pistol with him and when people would ask if it was for protection against bandits, he'd assure them it was only for snakes. It was on this route when he met Bessie Mitchell. They were married and had Vester, Grace (Mathews), and Earl while they lived in Readheimer, Louisiana. They waited a few years, then they had LaDell (Poindexter) and Christine (Blackstock). They were close to both sides of their families, and their house would be for years the meeting point for Maw's great cooking. They lived in Readheimer, Saline, and finally Jonesboro.
When the Riddles moved to the big town of Jonesboro, Ben opened up a pool and domino hall downtown. Paw loved fishing, but Maw would make the youngest daughter, Christine, go with him to the fishing hole because of his low blood pressure. When Chris married Bill Blackstock, he became his fishing partner on trips to Black Lake.
Paw also loved naming his children and if he didn't get his way with Maw, he would insist his children name his grandkids the names he loved. He was also extremely involved in the Free Masons and loved recruiting. Ben had begged Bessie to be an Eastern Star, but fraternal organizations were a luxury on Bessie's time spent cooking, sewing, and farming. Of the two, Ben was definitely the one who'd give whatever he had to whoever asked for it. That kept him in hot water with Bessie, who bore the brunt of the hard work of running the household and stretching the money. Many grandchildren came to stay with the Riddles in between marriages and moves. If someone needed a place to stay for a while, the house on Main Street was always available.
Ben (Paw Riddle) lived in a rural part of Bienville/Natchitoches parish and at an early age got a job transporting mail from parish to parish on horseback. He would carry a pistol with him and when people would ask if it was for protection against bandits, he'd assure them it was only for snakes. It was on this route when he met Bessie Mitchell. They were married and had Vester, Grace (Mathews), and Earl while they lived in Readheimer, Louisiana. They waited a few years, then they had LaDell (Poindexter) and Christine (Blackstock). They were close to both sides of their families, and their house would be for years the meeting point for Maw's great cooking. They lived in Readheimer, Saline, and finally Jonesboro.
When the Riddles moved to the big town of Jonesboro, Ben opened up a pool and domino hall downtown. Paw loved fishing, but Maw would make the youngest daughter, Christine, go with him to the fishing hole because of his low blood pressure. When Chris married Bill Blackstock, he became his fishing partner on trips to Black Lake.
Paw also loved naming his children and if he didn't get his way with Maw, he would insist his children name his grandkids the names he loved. He was also extremely involved in the Free Masons and loved recruiting. Ben had begged Bessie to be an Eastern Star, but fraternal organizations were a luxury on Bessie's time spent cooking, sewing, and farming. Of the two, Ben was definitely the one who'd give whatever he had to whoever asked for it. That kept him in hot water with Bessie, who bore the brunt of the hard work of running the household and stretching the money. Many grandchildren came to stay with the Riddles in between marriages and moves. If someone needed a place to stay for a while, the house on Main Street was always available.
Born Bennett Edward Riddle to CSA veteran Bennett Smith Riddle and Mary Elizabeth Martin Riddle, he was one of five boys and one sister. He always had a saying when asked how many siblings that he had five brothers and each of them had a sister, making the person think there were ten kids in the family!
Ben (Paw Riddle) lived in a rural part of Bienville/Natchitoches parish and at an early age got a job transporting mail from parish to parish on horseback. He would carry a pistol with him and when people would ask if it was for protection against bandits, he'd assure them it was only for snakes. It was on this route when he met Bessie Mitchell. They were married and had Vester, Grace (Mathews), and Earl while they lived in Readheimer, Louisiana. They waited a few years, then they had LaDell (Poindexter) and Christine (Blackstock). They were close to both sides of their families, and their house would be for years the meeting point for Maw's great cooking. They lived in Readheimer, Saline, and finally Jonesboro.
When the Riddles moved to the big town of Jonesboro, Ben opened up a pool and domino hall downtown. Paw loved fishing, but Maw would make the youngest daughter, Christine, go with him to the fishing hole because of his low blood pressure. When Chris married Bill Blackstock, he became his fishing partner on trips to Black Lake.
Paw also loved naming his children and if he didn't get his way with Maw, he would insist his children name his grandkids the names he loved. He was also extremely involved in the Free Masons and loved recruiting. Ben had begged Bessie to be an Eastern Star, but fraternal organizations were a luxury on Bessie's time spent cooking, sewing, and farming. Of the two, Ben was definitely the one who'd give whatever he had to whoever asked for it. That kept him in hot water with Bessie, who bore the brunt of the hard work of running the household and stretching the money. Many grandchildren came to stay with the Riddles in between marriages and moves. If someone needed a place to stay for a while, the house on Main Street was always available.
Ben (Paw Riddle) lived in a rural part of Bienville/Natchitoches parish and at an early age got a job transporting mail from parish to parish on horseback. He would carry a pistol with him and when people would ask if it was for protection against bandits, he'd assure them it was only for snakes. It was on this route when he met Bessie Mitchell. They were married and had Vester, Grace (Mathews), and Earl while they lived in Readheimer, Louisiana. They waited a few years, then they had LaDell (Poindexter) and Christine (Blackstock). They were close to both sides of their families, and their house would be for years the meeting point for Maw's great cooking. They lived in Readheimer, Saline, and finally Jonesboro.
When the Riddles moved to the big town of Jonesboro, Ben opened up a pool and domino hall downtown. Paw loved fishing, but Maw would make the youngest daughter, Christine, go with him to the fishing hole because of his low blood pressure. When Chris married Bill Blackstock, he became his fishing partner on trips to Black Lake.
Paw also loved naming his children and if he didn't get his way with Maw, he would insist his children name his grandkids the names he loved. He was also extremely involved in the Free Masons and loved recruiting. Ben had begged Bessie to be an Eastern Star, but fraternal organizations were a luxury on Bessie's time spent cooking, sewing, and farming. Of the two, Ben was definitely the one who'd give whatever he had to whoever asked for it. That kept him in hot water with Bessie, who bore the brunt of the hard work of running the household and stretching the money. Many grandchildren came to stay with the Riddles in between marriages and moves. If someone needed a place to stay for a while, the house on Main Street was always available.
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