Nathaniel moved with his parents from Industry, Maine where they had farmed , in 1856 to Medford, Steele County, Minnesota. He attended schools in Industry and Pittston. "Our father often told us about the fun and pranks the Ring family had at Industry: Swimming in the pond, cultivating potatoes or fishing in the Kennebec River. There was the town hall and the meeting house. The church sexton's duty was to use a long stick with a feather at the end to tickle the ear of the sleepers to awaken them in time to put an offering into the collectin plate. At school the head master taught his lessons well - Pupils repeated their poems together over and over and over. Our father remembered them all through his life and his children could remember him often reciting those same poems years later," Beryl Ring.
After moving to Minnesota, Nathaniel hired out during harvest time to raise money for marriage. He met Mary when she was cooking for the harvesters on one of the farms he worked. He asked to walk her home and their courtship began. Many years later he would tell his children how fascinated he had been with the beautiful young girl with the long black ringlets.
After their marriage they settled on their own farm near Merton, Minnesota. They lived and worked there for 20 years. Their home was about 5 miles from Medford and 8 miles from Owatonna. It was 60 acres of hard and soft maple, hickory nut and shade trees with meadows. They enclosed the pastures with wooden fences. Nathaniel worked along side his hired help. He raised cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and chickens.
He survived severe winters with blizzards and seasons of tornados. Once he was blown up into the air from a hay rack during an electrical storm, still carrying the leather reins from the horse's bit. Once he lost his way coming home from Gettysburg in a snow storm. He unhitched the horses, put blankets on them, and then he walked and jumped around to keep from freezing. He spanked the horses to keep himself and them awake and alive.
He fought several prairie fires during his lifetime and even saw and survived a locust plague. They came from the north and destroyed all the fields in their path. Nathaniel and Mary prayed; the sky was darkened by the locusts and as they looked up they saw the hordes fly over their fields, leaving the wheat crop alone.
In 1883 they began hearing about the land available out West so in 1885 they moved with their nine children to South Dakota to pioneer. They were over 50 miles from Blunt, 18 miles NE of Gettysburg.
In 1903 they moved to Bowdle, Nebraska where 3 sons lived with their families. They were all engaged in the feed business and later bought the Bowdle Flour Mill.
In 1907 Nathaniel, Mary and their daughter Beryl moved to Sunnyside, Washington.
In 1922 they made their final move to Tacoma, Washington.
(from the research and book by Beryl Ring)
After moving to Minnesota, Nathaniel hired out during harvest time to raise money for marriage. He met Mary when she was cooking for the harvesters on one of the farms he worked. He asked to walk her home and their courtship began. Many years later he would tell his children how fascinated he had been with the beautiful young girl with the long black ringlets.
After their marriage they settled on their own farm near Merton, Minnesota. They lived and worked there for 20 years. Their home was about 5 miles from Medford and 8 miles from Owatonna. It was 60 acres of hard and soft maple, hickory nut and shade trees with meadows. They enclosed the pastures with wooden fences. Nathaniel worked along side his hired help. He raised cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and chickens.
He survived severe winters with blizzards and seasons of tornados. Once he was blown up into the air from a hay rack during an electrical storm, still carrying the leather reins from the horse's bit. Once he lost his way coming home from Gettysburg in a snow storm. He unhitched the horses, put blankets on them, and then he walked and jumped around to keep from freezing. He spanked the horses to keep himself and them awake and alive.
He fought several prairie fires during his lifetime and even saw and survived a locust plague. They came from the north and destroyed all the fields in their path. Nathaniel and Mary prayed; the sky was darkened by the locusts and as they looked up they saw the hordes fly over their fields, leaving the wheat crop alone.
In 1883 they began hearing about the land available out West so in 1885 they moved with their nine children to South Dakota to pioneer. They were over 50 miles from Blunt, 18 miles NE of Gettysburg.
In 1903 they moved to Bowdle, Nebraska where 3 sons lived with their families. They were all engaged in the feed business and later bought the Bowdle Flour Mill.
In 1907 Nathaniel, Mary and their daughter Beryl moved to Sunnyside, Washington.
In 1922 they made their final move to Tacoma, Washington.
(from the research and book by Beryl Ring)
Nathaniel moved with his parents from Industry, Maine where they had farmed , in 1856 to Medford, Steele County, Minnesota. He attended schools in Industry and Pittston. "Our father often told us about the fun and pranks the Ring family had at Industry: Swimming in the pond, cultivating potatoes or fishing in the Kennebec River. There was the town hall and the meeting house. The church sexton's duty was to use a long stick with a feather at the end to tickle the ear of the sleepers to awaken them in time to put an offering into the collectin plate. At school the head master taught his lessons well - Pupils repeated their poems together over and over and over. Our father remembered them all through his life and his children could remember him often reciting those same poems years later," Beryl Ring.
After moving to Minnesota, Nathaniel hired out during harvest time to raise money for marriage. He met Mary when she was cooking for the harvesters on one of the farms he worked. He asked to walk her home and their courtship began. Many years later he would tell his children how fascinated he had been with the beautiful young girl with the long black ringlets.
After their marriage they settled on their own farm near Merton, Minnesota. They lived and worked there for 20 years. Their home was about 5 miles from Medford and 8 miles from Owatonna. It was 60 acres of hard and soft maple, hickory nut and shade trees with meadows. They enclosed the pastures with wooden fences. Nathaniel worked along side his hired help. He raised cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and chickens.
He survived severe winters with blizzards and seasons of tornados. Once he was blown up into the air from a hay rack during an electrical storm, still carrying the leather reins from the horse's bit. Once he lost his way coming home from Gettysburg in a snow storm. He unhitched the horses, put blankets on them, and then he walked and jumped around to keep from freezing. He spanked the horses to keep himself and them awake and alive.
He fought several prairie fires during his lifetime and even saw and survived a locust plague. They came from the north and destroyed all the fields in their path. Nathaniel and Mary prayed; the sky was darkened by the locusts and as they looked up they saw the hordes fly over their fields, leaving the wheat crop alone.
In 1883 they began hearing about the land available out West so in 1885 they moved with their nine children to South Dakota to pioneer. They were over 50 miles from Blunt, 18 miles NE of Gettysburg.
In 1903 they moved to Bowdle, Nebraska where 3 sons lived with their families. They were all engaged in the feed business and later bought the Bowdle Flour Mill.
In 1907 Nathaniel, Mary and their daughter Beryl moved to Sunnyside, Washington.
In 1922 they made their final move to Tacoma, Washington.
(from the research and book by Beryl Ring)
After moving to Minnesota, Nathaniel hired out during harvest time to raise money for marriage. He met Mary when she was cooking for the harvesters on one of the farms he worked. He asked to walk her home and their courtship began. Many years later he would tell his children how fascinated he had been with the beautiful young girl with the long black ringlets.
After their marriage they settled on their own farm near Merton, Minnesota. They lived and worked there for 20 years. Their home was about 5 miles from Medford and 8 miles from Owatonna. It was 60 acres of hard and soft maple, hickory nut and shade trees with meadows. They enclosed the pastures with wooden fences. Nathaniel worked along side his hired help. He raised cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and chickens.
He survived severe winters with blizzards and seasons of tornados. Once he was blown up into the air from a hay rack during an electrical storm, still carrying the leather reins from the horse's bit. Once he lost his way coming home from Gettysburg in a snow storm. He unhitched the horses, put blankets on them, and then he walked and jumped around to keep from freezing. He spanked the horses to keep himself and them awake and alive.
He fought several prairie fires during his lifetime and even saw and survived a locust plague. They came from the north and destroyed all the fields in their path. Nathaniel and Mary prayed; the sky was darkened by the locusts and as they looked up they saw the hordes fly over their fields, leaving the wheat crop alone.
In 1883 they began hearing about the land available out West so in 1885 they moved with their nine children to South Dakota to pioneer. They were over 50 miles from Blunt, 18 miles NE of Gettysburg.
In 1903 they moved to Bowdle, Nebraska where 3 sons lived with their families. They were all engaged in the feed business and later bought the Bowdle Flour Mill.
In 1907 Nathaniel, Mary and their daughter Beryl moved to Sunnyside, Washington.
In 1922 they made their final move to Tacoma, Washington.
(from the research and book by Beryl Ring)
Inscription
Ring Nathaniel B. with dates, at rest Mary M. with dates, Father, Mother
Gravesite Details
This is a family section of the Old Tacoma Cemetery
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Siblings
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