Death of Judge Rives: One of This Section's Best Known Residents Passed to His Reward. Died, on Friday, June 24 at 2:20pm, John Hood Rives, after an illness which continued through many weeks at his old home six miles southeast of Greenfield (**Rivesville, near Rockbridge). Aged seventy-seven years, ten months and twenty days. John Hood Rives was the son of James and Elizabeth (Hood) Rives. He was born August 4, 1826, in Eastern North Carolina, near the Virginia line. When he was about three months old his parents removed to Christian county, Kentucky, making the journey across the rough and thinly settled country in a one-horse cart and settled on and improved a farm. They lived there until the fall of 1884, when they moved to Green County, Illinois, and settled on section 24, town 10, range 10, where the family grew into man and womanhood. His mother died in 1851. Mr. Rives was married to Elizabeth Ann Randle, daughter of Rev, George D. and Lucy Randle, August 28, 1848, in the little log cabin which stood on the hill one mile south of Rockbridge, near where the wagon road crossed Macoupin creek. Barr Township, in the neighboring county of Macoupin, on a farm purchased of Dr. Milton Metcalf, where they resided until 1858. When they moved back and took up their residence on the old Rives homestead, which he purchased of his father, who decided to remove to Greenfield, where he died in 1866. His father, James Rives, was a zealous and a very useful local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church, while his father-in-law, Rev. Randle was one of the earliest and most successful pioneer circuit preachers in this section of Illinois. John Rives and his family continued to reside in the old homestead until February, 1868. When they moved into the new brick home just erected a short distance east of the old homestead. Here they lived and raised their family, the son, Robert bring the only child born in the new house. Mrs. Rives, wife of John H. died January 31, 1894, but Mr. Rives continued to reside there and remained active in his business operations till the frailties of his body during the past winter and spring compelled him to remain in doors, and even then he continued to dictate the management of his large farm until he became too feeble to further attend to business in a proper manner. There were born to John H. and Elizabeth Ann Rives ten children, sick of who are yet living. Two died in infancy; Ella, a daughter, died in 1870, aged fifteen; Edward N. the second son, died in Morrisonville, Illinois, February 28, 1904. Those surviving are Andrew J. of Greenfield; Charles W. Of Greenfield; John of Palmyra, Illinois, Elizabeth wife of Ralph Metcalf, of Greenfield; George of Fayette, and Robert Rives of Muldon, Mississippi Mar. Rives also leaves surviving him three brothers and six sisters, twenty-four grandchildren and several great grandchildren, besides numerous other relatives and hosts of friends who deeply regret his parting from us. As a man of business Mr. Rives was eminently, successful, being possessed of 1,400 acres of land in Greene County and 480 acres in Cumberland County, Illinois, yet with all was noted as a broad-minded, liberal man charitable almost to a fault. As a citizen he took a deep interest in public affairs, especially desiring that our public officials be men of irreproachable character and thoroughly qualified for their various positions of trust and honor. Mr. Rives served for a time on the board of county commissioners of Greene County and discharged his duties in a thorough and satisfactory manner. He was likewise the first supervisor from Rockbridge Township when township organization was established in Green County. As a Christian Mr. Rives was plain, constant and true. In the winter of 1847-8 he attended McKendree College at Lebanon, Illinois. For a term of six months, where in January, 1848, he sought and obtained forgiveness of sin and joined the M. E. church afterwards transferring his membership successively to Asbury. Rivesville, Fayette, and Greenfield of which later church he was a member at the time of his death. Mr. Rives has often stated to the writer that he never for a moment doubted his Christian experience and so remained faithful until the day of his death. Thus passing away a useful, honored and upright Christian character. Funeral services were held at the late residence on Sunday afternoon conducted by Rev. T.J. Wheat, pastor of the M.E. church at Greenfield, and the vast multitude who attended, estimated by some at nearly one thousand gave ample proof of the high esteem in which he was held by his friends and neighbors. The interment took place in the Rives cemetery and short distance from the old homestead.