Life Story
John Isaac Rippey grew up in Clark County, Kentucky, in a household that brought together three generations of Rippey life. In 1850, five-year-old John was living with Sarah Rippey, a sixty-seven-year-old woman born in Virginia, and Elizabeth Rippey, who was forty and Kentucky-born. The census did not explain how the three were related, but later records identify Elizabeth as John’s mother. Sarah’s 1853 will names Elizabeth as her daughter and Gilkerson Rippey as her son, while a deed from the same year records Sarah transferring land to Gilkerson. Taken together with the census, those records make Sarah John’s maternal grandmother and Gilkerson his maternal uncle, even though no single record states the entire relationship chain.1, 29, 28
By 1860, Sarah was no longer in the household, and John and Elizabeth were living together. Elizabeth was described as a farmer, with $600 in real estate and $410 in personal property. Those figures are not a complete measure of her circumstances, but they do show a woman managing a working household with land and movable resources of her own. John, only fifteen, was already listed as a farmer too. He was growing up inside an operating farm household, learning the work that would define much of his adult life.2
The war interrupted that rural life without turning John into a soldier. During Gen. John Hunt Morgan’s June 1864 raid into Kentucky, John was helping move horses and mules away from Confederate soldiers near Rev. John Morton’s farm on Boone Creek. He later described taking livestock toward Athens, where Morgan’s men captured him and an unnamed companion. They were released, but John’s horses were taken. His deposition preserves the experience of a young civilian farmer pulled suddenly into the violence and uncertainty moving through his own neighborhood.4
A few months after the war ended, John married Mary Jane Barnes. They were both twenty-year-old farmers from Clark County, beginning their first marriage in a place they already knew well. Gilkerson Rippey signed the marriage bond. Sarah’s will identifies Gilkerson as Elizabeth’s brother, making him John’s maternal uncle and placing a close family connection beside John at the start of his own household.3, 29
John and Mary did not begin their married life far from Elizabeth. In the years after their marriage, John and Elizabeth continued to appear together in the tax and census record. By 1870, Mary and the first three children had joined them: William, Elizabeth, and James. The household also included a young farm laborer. It was a family making room for its next generation while still connected to the land and household Elizabeth had helped maintain.5, 6
The family eventually chose a new beginning on the plains. A Clark County notice in November 1877 said that John would move to Kansas. By 1880, he, Mary, Elizabeth, and their six children were in Albion Township, Reno County. The older children had been born in Kentucky; Charles, the youngest, had been born in Kansas. Their household had crossed the state line together, with Elizabeth still part of the family as John and Mary established themselves in a new landscape.8, 9
Kansas gave John room to build an independent farm. He filed a pre-emption claim, and by 1891 he had acquired a J. I. Case steam thresher. A machine like that represented a substantial investment in the harvest economy, even though the record does not tell us whether John used it only on his own farm or also worked for neighbors. Elizabeth remained tied to the same landholding world: in 1894, she transferred property in the section associated with John’s claim. Their lives were still connected by land, work, and the practical decisions required of a family making its way west.10, 11, 12
The next move took John and Elizabeth south into Oklahoma Territory. In 1895, a newspaper reported that “John Rippey and mother” were visiting his son in Enid. Within a few years, both John and Elizabeth appeared in Galena Township, Woods County. A delinquent tax notice is a dry record, but here it marks the continuation of a shared migration from Kentucky to Kansas and then into the Oklahoma settlement country.13, 15
In 1900, John and Mary were farming in Galena with their six children, and Elizabeth was again living with them as John’s mother. She died at John’s home near Galena on 2 January 1901. Her obituary remembered the moves she had made with her son, and a later land-office notice called John her “son and heir.” Those records make the mother-son relationship unusually clear: Elizabeth had not simply belonged to John’s early life; she had remained part of his household and migration for decades.16, 17, 18
John’s Oklahoma years also brought the older Rippey family into the lives of his children. His son James Walter appeared beside him in local public records. His son-in-law Robert H. Ferguson, husband of John’s daughter Elizabeth, stood with him as a witness and was later described with him as one of the area’s farmers trading in Alva. In 1906, Leonard Isaiah Nicholson was advertised as the auctioneer for a sale near Galena for J. I. Rippey. Leonard would later marry John’s granddaughter Myrtie Ferguson. The notices show a family network extending across farms, marriages, business, and the ordinary public work of a settled community.14, 19, 20, 21
In old age, John and Mary were carried by the family they had built. By 1910, they were living with their daughter Minnie and her husband, Robert L. Combs, in Major County. They visited the Combs family in Kansas in 1914, and by 1915 John and Mary were living near them again in Waldo Township. When John died in February 1916, the notice placed him at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Bert Combs. The family name in the notice was indirect, but the nearby census identifies her as Minnie. His last years were therefore spent within the household of one of his children, just as Elizabeth’s last years had been spent within his.22, 23, 24, 25
Mary Jane Barnes Rippey outlived John. Her 1920 obituary remembered their move to Kansas and named their six surviving children. It contains a mistaken middle initial for John and a few compressed details, but its family summary agrees with the census record. Taken together, the records show John not simply as a man who moved repeatedly, but as a farmer who kept carrying his family with him, and who was carried by that family in return.26
Research Notes
Parentage
The public profile treats Elizabeth Rippey as John Isaac Rippey’s mother and his father as unidentified. This is not based on the 1850, 1860, or 1870 censuses alone, because those records do not state relationships. The strongest direct evidence comes later: the 1880 census identifies Elizabeth as John’s mother; the 1900 census does the same; Elizabeth’s 1901 obituary says she died at the home of her son John near Galena; and a 1901 land-office notice identifies John I. Rippy as the “son and heir” of Elisabeth Rippy, deceased.9, 16, 17, 18
A separate proof argument also supports Elizabeth as the biological mother of John Isaac Rippey. That analysis weighs the Clark County household pattern, Elizabeth’s unmarried status, the absence of stronger alternative parent candidates among nearby Rippey relatives, and autosomal DNA evidence connecting John’s descendants more strongly to the family of Samuel Rippey and Sarah Vance Rippey than to other candidate Rippey branches.27
Sarah Rippey, Elizabeth Rippey, and Gilkerson Rippey
Sarah Rippey’s 1853 will names Elizabeth Rippey as her daughter and Gilkerson Rippey as her son and executor. A deed recorded two months earlier shows Sarah transferring land to Gilkerson. The 1850 census places Sarah, Elizabeth, and five-year-old John in the same household, while the 1880 and 1900 censuses identify Elizabeth as John’s mother. The combined evidence supports Sarah as John’s maternal grandmother and Gilkerson as his maternal uncle. The relationship is established by correlation across the records rather than by a single document that names all three generations.28, 29, 1, 9, 16
Possible Rutledge Connection
John Isaac Rippey’s father has not been identified. Autosomal DNA and Clark County proximity suggest a possible connection to the Rutledge family, but no specific Rutledge man has been established as John’s father. This profile therefore does not name John Rutledge or any other Rutledge man in the parents: frontmatter. The Rutledge connection should remain a cautious research note unless a later DNA and documentary analysis can narrow the evidence beyond a broad family-level hypothesis.27
Elizabeth Rippey’s Marital Status
Several records support the interpretation that Elizabeth Rippey was unmarried. The 1877 Clark County map labels one woman as “Miss Rippey” and a separate woman as “Mrs. Rippey,” and the 1880 census records Elizabeth as single. The 1900 census, however, records Elizabeth as widowed. Because the 1900 entry conflicts with the earlier “Miss Rippey” map label, the 1880 single-status entry, and the broader Clark County evidence, the profile treats “widowed” as a reported or assumed status rather than controlling proof of a marriage.7, 9, 16
Reported Birthplaces of John’s Parents
The records do not agree on the birthplace of John Isaac Rippey’s father. The 1865 marriage return appears to use ditto marks suggesting both parents were born in Clark County, Kentucky; the 1880 census reports John’s father born in Kentucky and mother born in Virginia; the 1900 census reports father born in Virginia and mother’s birthplace unknown; and the 1910 census again reports father born in Kentucky and mother born in Virginia. Because John’s father has not been identified, these entries are treated as reported clues rather than proof.3, 9, 16, 22
Name Variants
Records use both Rippey and Rippy. John appears as John I. Rippey, John I. Rippy, J. I. Rippey, J. I. Rippy, and in some indexes as John J. Rippey. The manuscript records and the broader pattern support John Isaac Rippey as the profile name. The 1920 obituary for Mary Jane Barnes Rippey prints her late husband as “John T. Rippey,” but that appears to be a newspaper error when compared with the full record set.26
Death Notice Identification
John Isaac Rippey’s 1916 death notice refers to him as “Grandfather Rippey” rather than by his full name. The identification is strong when correlated with the 1915 Kansas census, which placed John Isaac Rippey and Mary Jane Rippey in Waldo Township, Russell County, Kansas, immediately near the Bert or Robert and Minnie Combs household. The death notice says he died at the home of his daughter Mrs. Bert Combs, matching Minnie Hart Rippey Combs.24, 25
Evidence Timeline
-
Birth in Clark County, Kentucky
The 1850 census places John in a Clark County household with Sarah and Elizabeth Rippey.
-
Sarah Rippey's will and land transfer
Sarah named Elizabeth as her daughter and Gilkerson as her son and executor; a deed records land transferred to Gilkerson.
-
Caught up in Morgan's Raid
John described moving livestock away from Confederate soldiers, being captured at Athens, and later released.
-
Marriage to Mary Jane Barnes
They married in Clark County, Kentucky, and began a family that would include six children.
-
Move from Kentucky to Kansas
A Kentucky notice announced the move; the 1880 census found the family in Albion Township, Reno County.
-
Oklahoma Territory years with Elizabeth
John and his mother appear together in Galena-area records; Elizabeth died at John's home in 1901.
-
Later years with Minnie Combs
John and Mary lived with or near their daughter Minnie before John died at her Kansas home.
Family Group Sheet
- Spouse / family connection
- Mary Jane Barnes, married 15 August 1865 in Clark County, Kentucky
- Children and direct-line notes
-
- William Gilkerson Rippey
- Elizabeth Rippey Ferguson - direct-line child
- James Walter Rippey
- Eliza Clara Rippey
- Minnie Hart Rippey Combs
- Charles Esra Rippey
Photographs
Photograph Index
Images embedded in the story are gathered here with the additional family photographs connected to this profile.
Documentary Base
Sources
census
[1] Sarah Rippey household, 1850 U.S. census, Clark County, Kentucky
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "United States, Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6RM-NYP : accessed 9 July 2026), entry for Sarah Rippey, Elizabeth Rippey, and John J. Rippey, Clark County, Kentucky; citing NARA microfilm publication M432, digital folder 004193962, microfilm 7849, image 488.
Access: FamilySearch database entry and digital census image.
- Provides the earliest located record of John Isaac Rippey, listed as a five-year-old child in Clark County, Kentucky.
- Places John in the household of Sarah Rippey and Elizabeth Rippey in 1850.
- Records John's birthplace as Kentucky and supports an estimated birth year of about 1845.
- Records Sarah Rippey as age 67, born in Virginia, with real estate valued at $600.
- Records Elizabeth Rippey as age 40 and born in Kentucky.
- Does not state relationships because the 1850 census did not include a relationship-to-head column.
- FamilySearch indexes the child as John J. Rippey, but the manuscript appears to read John I. Rippey; later records support John Isaac Rippey.
census
[2] Elizabeth Rippey household, 1860 U.S. census, Clark County, Kentucky
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "United States, Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZBL-4KQ : accessed 9 July 2026), entry for Elizabeth Rippey and John J. Rippey, District No. 2, Clark County, Kentucky; citing NARA microfilm publication M653, digital folder 005169944, microfilm 803362, image 367.
Access: FamilySearch database entry and digital census image.
- Places Elizabeth Rippey and John I. Rippey in the same household in District No. 2, Clark County, Kentucky, in 1860.
- Records Elizabeth Rippey as age 47, a farmer, born in Kentucky, with real estate valued at $600 and personal estate valued at $410.
- Records John I. Rippey as age 15, a farmer, born in Kentucky, supporting an estimated birth year of about 1845.
- Shows continuity from the 1850 Sarah Rippey household after Sarah's death.
- Does not state relationships because the 1860 census did not include a relationship-to-head column.
- FamilySearch indexes the young man as John J. Rippey, but the manuscript appears consistent with John I. Rippey; later records support John Isaac Rippey.
marriage
[3] John Isaac Rippey and Mary Barnes marriage bond and return, 1865
Strong support Back to first citationCitation: "Clark, Kentucky, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89SJ-XPCZ?view=explore : accessed 9 July 2026), image 943 of 1355; Kentucky County Court, Clark County, Image Group Number 005592317.
Access: FamilySearch digital image.
- Establishes the marriage of John Isaac Rippey and Mary Barnes in Clark County, Kentucky, in August 1865.
- Records John Isaac Rippey as a 20-year-old farmer, resident of Clark County, Kentucky, born in Clark County, Kentucky, and entering his first marriage.
- Records Mary Barnes as a 20-year-old resident of Clark County, Kentucky, born in Clark County, Kentucky, and entering her first marriage.
- Names Gilkerson Rippey as surety on the marriage bond, supporting a close Rippey-family connection but not stating a relationship.
- Appears to record the birthplaces of John's father and mother as Clark County, Kentucky by ditto marks; this should be treated cautiously because other records conflict on Elizabeth Rippey's birthplace.
court-record
[4] John I. Rippey deposition concerning Morgan's Raid, 1865
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Bourbon, Kentucky, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSY9-91N7?view=explore : accessed 9 July 2026), image 2637 of 3132 and adjacent deposition images; Bourbon County (Kentucky) County Clerk, Image Group Number 008344522.
Access: FamilySearch digital images.
- Places John I. Rippey about 41/2 miles east of Winchester, Clark County, Kentucky, in a deposition taken 1 April 1865.
- Describes John's experience during Gen. John Hunt Morgan's June 1864 Kentucky raid, including his effort to move horses and mules away from Confederate soldiers.
- States that John was at Rev. John Morton's farm on Boone Creek in Clark County near Jones Nursery on 8 June 1864.
- Names James H. G. Bush, A. H. McCoy, and William Rippey as men connected with John during the event.
- States that John was captured at Athens on 9 June 1864 by Morgan's soldiers, taken into Fayette County, and later released, while horses were taken.
- Does not establish military service, parentage, or John's exact residence parcel.
tax-record
[5] John I. Rippey and Elizabeth Rippey in Clark County, Kentucky tax record, 1867
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Clark, Kentucky, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLC-17QL-K?view=explore : accessed 9 July 2026), image 345 of 582; Clark County (Kentucky) Tax Assessor, Image Group Number 008188350.
Access: FamilySearch digital image.
- Places John I. Rippy/Rippey in Clark County, Kentucky, in the 1867 tax records.
- Places Elizabeth Rippy/Rippey in the same tax-record context.
- Shows Elizabeth assessed for 30 acres in Clark County, apparently on or near Four Mile or Four Mile Creek, with the land valued at $600.
- Supports Elizabeth's continued separate landholding after John Isaac Rippey's 1865 marriage.
- Does not state a mother-son relationship and should be correlated with census and probate records.
census
[6] Elizabeth Rippey household, 1870 U.S. census, Clark County, Kentucky
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "United States, Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX7R-TMF : accessed 9 July 2026), entry for Elizabeth Rippey and John J. Rippey, Precinct 5, Clark County, Kentucky; citing NARA microfilm publication M593, microfilm 000545955, image 203.
Access: FamilySearch database entry and digital census image.
- Places Elizabeth Rippey, John Rippey, Mary J. Rippey, and John and Mary's first three children in the same Clark County, Kentucky household in 1870.
- Records Elizabeth Rippey as age 58, born in Virginia, keeping house, with real estate valued at $700.
- Records John Rippey as age 25, born in Kentucky, farming, with personal estate valued at $600.
- Names Mary J. Rippey and children William G., Elizabeth, and James W. Rippey.
- Names Beverly Johnson, a twelve-year-old Black farm laborer, in the household.
- Does not state relationships because the 1870 census did not include a relationship-to-head column.
- FamilySearch indexes John as John J. Rippey; the broader record pattern supports John Isaac Rippey.
map
[7] Clark County, Kentucky land ownership map showing Miss Rippey and Mrs. Rippey, 1877
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Clark County, Kentucky, 1877, map image showing precincts 1, 2, and 5, labels for Miss Rippey and Mrs. Rippey; Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1127/images/31617_072085-00355 : accessed 9 July 2026), Collection Number G&M_24, Roll Number 24; citing county land ownership atlases microfilmed by the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Access: Ancestry.com digital image; subscription database.
- Shows a land ownership or residence label for 'Miss Rippey' in Clark County, Kentucky, in 1877.
- Shows a separate nearby label for 'Mrs. Rippey,' likely the widow of Gilkerson Rippey.
- Supports the interpretation that Elizabeth Rippey was unmarried and distinct from Gilkerson Rippey's widow.
- Supports the broader Clark County locality context for Elizabeth Rippey and John Isaac Rippey before John's move to Kansas.
- Does not name John Isaac Rippey and does not directly state that 'Miss Rippey' was Elizabeth Rippey; that identification depends on correlation with census, tax, probate, and family records.
newspaper
[8] John I. Rippy move to Kansas notice, 1877
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Clark County," The Citizen-Advertiser, 7 November 1877, page 2, notice for John I. Rippy; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-citizen-advertiser-clark-county-j-i/201246329/ : accessed 8 July 2026), clip page for "Clark County J I Rippy" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Reports that John I. Rippy intended to move to Kansas within a few days of 7 November 1877.
- Supports the timing of John Isaac Rippey's migration away from Clark County, Kentucky.
- Uses the surname spelling Rippy, a variant of Rippey.
- The notice is prospective and should be correlated with later Kansas records before being treated as proof that the move was completed.
census
[9] John J. Rippey household, 1880 U.S. census, Albion Township, Reno County, Kansas
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "United States, Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF5N-1RV : accessed 9 July 2026), entry for John J. Rippey and Mary J. Rippey, Albion Township, Reno County, Kansas; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, affiliate film no. 0394, digital folder 005160655, image 131.
Access: FamilySearch database entry; original census image should be reviewed for final manuscript reading.
- Places John J./John Isaac Rippey in Albion Township, Reno County, Kansas, in 1880.
- Records John as a married farmer, born in Kentucky, with father born in Kentucky and mother born in Virginia.
- Identifies Mary J. Rippey as John's wife.
- Names children Wm. G., Elizabeth, James W., Eliza C., Minnie H., and Charles E. Rippey.
- Identifies Elizabeth Rippey as John's mother.
- Records Elizabeth Rippey as single, age 68, and born in Virginia.
- Supports the family's migration from Kentucky to Kansas between Minnie Rippey's Kentucky birth about 1877 and Charles E. Rippey's Kansas birth about early 1880.
newspaper
[10] John I. Rippey pre-emption final-proof notice, 1880
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Land office at Wichita, Kan., Sept. 14, 1880," Kingman County Citizen, 22 October 1880, page 5, notice for John I. Rippey; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/kingman-county-citizen-john-i-rippey-cla/201264318/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "John I Rippey Claim" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Places John I. Rippey in Kansas by 1880 after the 1877 Clark County, Kentucky notice that he intended to move to Kansas.
- Shows that John I. Rippey filed notice of intention to make final proof for pre-emption application no. 17069.
- Identifies the claimed land as the southeast quarter of Section 26, Township 26 South, Range 6 West.
- Names Lewis Woods, Lery or Levy Patten, Chas. Asher, and Wm. Marx of Purity P.O., Reno County, Kansas, as witnesses.
- Does not by itself prove that final title or patent was issued; land-office or patent records should be used for that conclusion.
newspaper
[11] John I. Rippey J. I. Case steam thresher notice, 1891
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Albion Jottings," Hutchinson Times, 17 July 1891, page 1, notice for John I. Rippey; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/hutchinson-times-harvest-in-kansas-john/201295927/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "Harvest in Kansas John I Rippey" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Places John I. Rippey in the Albion / Pretty Prairie farming community in Reno County, Kansas, in 1891.
- Reports that John I. Rippey had a new J. I. Case steam thresher.
- Supports John's agricultural occupation and suggests investment in substantial farm equipment.
- Does not state whether John operated the thresher commercially or only for his own farming.
newspaper
[12] Elizabeth Rippey real estate transfer to Jacob Krehbiel, 1894
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Real Estate Transfers," The Hutchinson News, 1 May 1894, page 5, Elizabeth Rippey to Jacob Krehbiel land transfer; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-hutchinson-news-elizabeth-rippey-sel/2163782/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "Elizabeth Rippey sells her land 1 May 1894, The Hutchinson News (Hutchinson, Kansas)" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Reports that Elizabeth Rippey transferred land to Jacob Krehbiel in 1894.
- Identifies the land as the southwest quarter and west half of the southeast quarter of Section 26, Township 26 South, Range 6 West.
- Places Elizabeth Rippey in the same Kansas land section connected to John I. Rippey's 1880 pre-emption notice.
- Supports the family's continued landholding in Reno County, Kansas, before the later move to Oklahoma Territory.
- Does not name John Isaac Rippey and does not itself state Elizabeth's relationship to him.
newspaper
[13] John Rippey and mother visit son in Enid, 1895
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Galena Items," The Alva Pioneer, 21 June 1895, page 4, notice for John Rippey and mother; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-alva-pioneer-rippey-items/201298092/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "Rippey Items" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Reports that John Rippey and his mother were visiting his son in Enid, Oklahoma Territory, in June 1895.
- Supports Elizabeth Rippey's continued association with John after the family's move from Kansas to Oklahoma Territory.
- Places the John Rippey family in the Galena-area newspaper context by 1895.
- Shows that one of John Rippey's sons was in Enid by June 1895, though the notice does not identify which son.
- Correlates with the 1900 census and Elizabeth Rippey's 1901 obituary, both of which place Elizabeth with John near Galena.
newspaper
[14] J. I. Rippey and J. W. Rippey listed as witnesses in Woods County notice, 1895
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "July 4, 1895," The Alva Pioneer, 12 July 1895, page 1, Woods County bills allowed listing J. W. Rippey and J. I. Rippey as witnesses; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-alva-pioneer/201298172/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clipping by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Lists J. I. Rippey and J. W. Rippey under witnesses in a Woods County, Oklahoma Territory notice of bills allowed.
- Places John Isaac Rippey in Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, by July 1895.
- Likely places John's son James W. Rippey in the same Woods County context, though the notice does not state the relationship.
- Supports the broader pattern that the Rippey family had moved from Reno County, Kansas, to Woods County, Oklahoma Territory by the mid-1890s.
- Does not identify the court case or matter for which the witness fees were paid.
newspaper
[15] J. I. Rippy and Elizabeth Rippey in Woods County delinquent personal tax notice, 1898
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Notice of Delinquent Personal Taxes," The Alva Pioneer, 29 July 1898, page 4, entries for J. I. Rippy and Elizabeth Rippey in Galena Township; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-alva-pioneer-dilquent-taxes-woods-co/201296574/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "Dilquent Taxes Woods County Oklahoma JI Rippy and Elizabeth Rippey" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Lists J. I. Rippy in Galena Township, Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, in a delinquent personal tax notice.
- Lists Elizabeth Rippey in the same Galena Township tax notice.
- Supports the conclusion that John Isaac Rippey and Elizabeth Rippey were in Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, by 1898.
- Helps bridge the migration from Reno County, Kansas, to Woods County, Oklahoma Territory before the 1900 census.
- Does not state a household relationship and should be correlated with the 1900 census and Elizabeth Rippey's 1901 obituary.
census
[16] John I. Rippy household, 1900 U.S. census, Galena Township, Woods County, Oklahoma Territory
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "United States, Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMGP-DPC : accessed 9 July 2026), entry for John I. Rippy and Mary J. Rippy, Galena Township, Woods County, Oklahoma Territory; citing NARA microfilm publication T623, microfilm 1241343, digital folder 004119038_001_M9LY-H5F, image 388.
Access: FamilySearch database entry and digital census image.
- Places John I. Rippy/Rippey in Galena Township, Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, in 1900.
- Records John as a farmer, born in Kentucky in February 1846, with father born in Virginia and mother's birthplace reported as unknown.
- Identifies Mary J. Rippy as John's wife and records that she was the mother of six children, all living.
- Identifies Elizebeth Rippy as John's mother.
- Records Elizabeth as born in Virginia in August 1811, with both parents born in Virginia.
- Records Elizabeth's marital status as widowed, which conflicts with the 1880 census and 1877 map evidence suggesting she was unmarried; this entry should be treated cautiously.
- Supports the family's later migration from Kansas to Oklahoma Territory.
newspaper
[17] Elizabeth Rippey obituary, 1901
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Died in Oklahoma: Mrs. Elizabeth Rippey Former Well Known Reno County Woman," Hutchinson News, 14 January 1901, page 1; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/hutchinson-news-obituary-for-elizabeth-r/201296295/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "Obituary for Elizabeth Rippey" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Reports that Elizabeth Rippey died on 2 January 1901 at the home of her son John Rippey near Galena, Woods County, Oklahoma.
- Identifies John Rippey as Elizabeth's son.
- States that Elizabeth was 89 years old at death.
- Describes Elizabeth as a former well-known Reno County woman and early settler of Albion Township.
- Reports that Elizabeth and John moved from Clark County, Kentucky, to Albion Township, Reno County, Kansas, and later to Woods County, Oklahoma, after the opening of the Cherokee Strip.
- Gives the Kentucky-to-Kansas migration year as 1887, which conflicts with the 1877 Clark County notice, the 1880 Kansas census, and John Rippey's 1880 Kansas land notice; the date should be treated cautiously.
newspaper
[18] John I. Rippy final-proof notice as son and heir of Elisabeth Rippy, 1901
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Notice for Publication," Woods County Enterprise, 17 May 1901, page 4, John I. Rippy final-proof notice as son and heir of Elisabeth Rippy; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/woods-county-enterprise-john-i-rippey-la/201297098/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "John I Rippey land claim" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Identifies John I. Rippy as the son and heir of Elisabeth Rippy, deceased.
- Confirms Elisabeth/Elizabeth Rippy was deceased before the land-office notice dated 5 April 1901.
- Places John I. Rippy at Galena, Oklahoma Territory, in 1901.
- Reports John's notice to make final proof for land in Sections 5 and 6, Township 23 North, Range 14 West.
- Names George W. Jackson, Edward Rogers, Seth Horrel, and Marion S. English of Galena as witnesses.
- Does not by itself prove that final patent or title was issued; final land records should be checked for that conclusion.
newspaper
[19] John I. Rippy and Robert Ferguson as land-claim witnesses, 1901
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Notice for Publication," Woods County Enterprise, 8 November 1901, page 4, Henry W. Sevy final-proof notice naming John I. Rippy and Robert Ferguson as witnesses; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/woods-county-enterprise-john-i-rippey-an/201296792/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "John I Rippey and Robert Ferguson Witnesses" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Places John I. Rippy in the Galena, Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, area in November 1901.
- Names John I. Rippy as a witness for Henry W. Sevy's final-proof land notice.
- Names Robert Ferguson in the same witness list, also of Galena, Oklahoma Territory.
- Supports a local association between John Isaac Rippey and Robert Ferguson after the Rippey family's move to Oklahoma Territory.
- Does not state the family relationship between John Rippey and Robert Ferguson; that relationship requires correlation with the marriage of Robert Ferguson and Elizabeth Rippey.
newspaper
[20] J. I. Rippey and R. H. Ferguson trading in Alva, 1902
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "R. H. Ferguson and J. I. Rippey," The Alva Weekly Pioneer, 26 September 1902, page 3; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-alva-weekly-pioneer-j-i-rippey-and/201298761/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "J I Rippey and R H Ferguson Trading" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Places J. I. Rippey near Galena or Golena, Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, in September 1902.
- Describes J. I. Rippey and R. H. Ferguson as 'two of the splendid farmers' of the area.
- Shows John Isaac Rippey and R. H. Ferguson appearing together in a local Alva newspaper notice.
- Supports John's continued farming identity after the move to Oklahoma Territory.
- Likely connects John with his son-in-law Robert Henry Ferguson, but the notice itself does not state the family relationship.
newspaper
[21] 1906 Cleo Journal Item: L. I. Nicholson, Auctioneer of Elmot, to Cry J. I. Rippey Sale
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: 'L. I. Nicholson, the hustling auctioneer of Elmot' local item, Cleo Journal (Cleo, Oklahoma), 22 March 1906, p. 8; digital clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/cleo-journal-leonard-nicholson-cries-a-s/201059390/ : accessed 6 July 2026), clipped by Davis Simpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping supplied by Davis Simpson.
- Names L. I. Nicholson as the hustling auctioneer of Elmot in March 1906.
- Provides the earliest identified direct newspaper reference so far to Leonard's auctioneer work.
- States that Leonard would cry a sale for J. I. Rippey near Galena on 28 March 1906.
- Places Leonard in the Elmot/Galena/Fairview-area business and family network shortly after his 1905 marriage to Myrtie Ferguson.
- The item does not state Leonard's relationship to J. I. Rippey; describe Rippey as Leonard's grandfather-in-law or Myrtie's maternal grandfather only by correlation with separate family evidence.
census
[22] Robert L. Combs household, 1910 U.S. census, Crowell Township, Major County, Oklahoma
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "United States, Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLQN-VV1 : accessed 9 July 2026), entry for Robert L. Combs and Minnie Combs, Crowell Township, Major County, Oklahoma; citing NARA microfilm publication T624, digital folder 004973323, microfilm 1375275, image 119.
Access: FamilySearch database entry and digital census image.
- Places J. I. Rippey and Mary Jane Rippey in Crowell Township, Major County, Oklahoma, in 1910.
- Shows John and Mary living in the household of Robert L. Combs and Minnie Combs.
- Identifies J. I. Rippey as Robert L. Combs's father-in-law and Mary Jane Rippey as Robert's mother-in-law.
- Supports Minnie Combs as a daughter of John Isaac Rippey and Mary Jane Barnes Rippey when correlated with the 1880 census.
- Records John as age 65, born in Kentucky, with father born in Kentucky and mother born in Virginia.
- Records Mary Jane as age 64 and born in Kentucky.
newspaper
[23] John and Mary Rippey visit Mrs. Bert Combs, 1914
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Mr. and Mrs. John Rippey arrived Wednesday evening," The Waldo Advocate, 9 April 1914, page 3; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-waldo-advocate-john-and-mary-rippey/28609778/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "John and Mary Rippey visit daughter Minnie Hart Rippey Combs" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Places Mr. and Mrs. John Rippey travelling from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to visit Mrs. Bert Combs and family in April 1914.
- Identifies Mrs. Bert Combs as their daughter.
- Supports the relationship between John and Mary Rippey and Minnie Rippey Combs when correlated with the 1910 and 1915 census records.
- Helps bridge John and Mary's later movement from Oklahoma back into the Waldo Township, Russell County, Kansas area.
- Does not prove that John and Mary had permanently moved to Kansas by April 1914; it describes a visit.
census
[24] John Isaac Rippey and Mary Jane Rippey, 1915 Kansas state census, Waldo Township, Russell County
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Kansas, State Census, 1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGR2-2WQ5 : accessed 9 July 2026), entry for John Isaac Rippey and Mary Jane Rippey, Waldo Township, Russell County, Kansas; digital folder 101876811, image 612.
Access: FamilySearch database entry and digital census image.
- Places John Isaac Rippey and Mary Jane Rippey in Waldo Township, Russell County, Kansas, in 1915.
- Records John Isaac Rippey as age 70 and born in Kentucky.
- Records Mary Jane Rippey as age 69 and born in Kentucky.
- Shows John and Mary enumerated immediately after the Bert/Robert and Minnie Combs family, supporting continued close association with their daughter Minnie's household.
- Does not clearly establish from the extracted page alone whether John and Mary were in the same household as the Combs family or simply enumerated nearby.
newspaper
[25] Grandfather Rippey death notice, 1916
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Grandfather Rippey Dead," The Waldo Advocate, 18 February 1916, page 1; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-waldo-advocate-john-rippey-dies-in-w/28609597/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "John Rippey dies in Waldo" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Reports that 'Grandfather Rippey' died at the home of his daughter Mrs. Bert Combs.
- Supports a death date of Tuesday, 15 February 1916, based on the notice stating he died Tuesday morning and was buried Wednesday, 16 February.
- Reports burial in Grand Center Cemetery on 16 February 1916.
- States that he had been in poor health for several months after suffering a stroke of paralysis nearly two years earlier.
- Attributes his death to dropsy, a historical term that usually described severe fluid swelling rather than a precise modern diagnosis.
- Does not give John Isaac Rippey's full name; identification depends on correlation with the 1915 Kansas census and the Minnie Rippey Combs household.
newspaper
[26] Mary J. Rippey obituary, 1920
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Mrs. Mary J. Rippey," Hutchinson News, 12 January 1920, page 9; clipping, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/hutchinson-news-obituary-for-mary-j-rip/38119150/ : accessed 9 July 2026), clip page for "Obituary for Mary J. Rippey (Aged 76)" by user davissimpson.
Access: Newspapers.com clipping.
- Reports the death and burial of Mrs. Mary J. Rippey of Wichita, described as an old settler of Hutchinson.
- States that Mary J. Rippey was 76 years old at death.
- Reports that Mary came with her husband, printed as the late John T. Rippey, to Hutchinson in 1877 and that they were later among the first settlers of Albion Township.
- Names six surviving children: William G. Rippey of Harmon, Oklahoma; J. W. Rippey of Oklahoma City; Charles Rippey of Idaho; Mrs. Lizzie Ferguson of Chickasha, Oklahoma; Mrs. Eliza Booting of Parsons; and Mrs. Minnie Combs of Wichita.
- Reports interment at Wichita.
- The reference to John T. Rippey is likely a newspaper error for John I. Rippey when correlated with the broader record set.
- The notice says Mary was buried about a week before publication but does not give an exact death date.
research-note
[27] John Isaac Rippey parentage proof and DNA note
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: Davis W. Simpson, "Identifying the Family of John Isaac Rippey of Clark County, Kentucky," unpublished proof argument and DNA analysis, 2019, privately held by the author; working copy supplied for MyFamilyHistory profile preparation, 2026.
Access: Private authored research note and DNA correlation summary; tester-specific details omitted for privacy.
- Supports Elizabeth Rippey as John Isaac Rippey's biological mother when combined with census, land, probate, and DNA evidence.
- Summarizes the evidence that Elizabeth Rippey of Clark County, Kentucky, was the daughter of Samuel Rippey and Sarah Vance Rippey.
- Discusses and weighs alternative parentage possibilities, including adoption by Sarah or Elizabeth, Gilkerson Rippey, William and Mary Rippey, and the children of David Rippey.
- Notes a possible Rutledge paternal connection based on autosomal DNA and Clark County proximity, but does not identify a specific Rutledge man as John's father.
- Should be used as proof-context evidence, not as a substitute for the underlying records or as authority for publishing tester-specific DNA details.
deed
[28] 1853 Deed from Sarah Rippey to Gilkerson Rippey, Clark County, Kentucky
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Clark, Kentucky, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLX-J98N-N?view=explore : accessed 10 July 2026), image 217 of 577; Clark County (Kentucky), Clerk of the County Court, deed from Sarah Rippey to Gilkerson Rippey, 19 March 1853; Image Group Number 008191834.
Access: FamilySearch digital image supplied by Davis Simpson.
- Records Sarah Rippey as the grantor and Gilkerson Rippey as the grantee in a Clark County land transaction.
- Shows Sarah transferring a tract of land to Gilkerson Rippey in March 1853.
- Places Sarah and Gilkerson in a direct land and family context shortly before Sarah's will was proved.
- Does not by itself establish the relationship of Sarah or Gilkerson to John Isaac Rippey.
will
[29] 1853 Will of Sarah Rippey, Clark County, Kentucky
Contemporary record Back to first citationCitation: "Clark, Kentucky, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GP3M-9LLF?view=explore : accessed 10 July 2026), image 253 of 623; Kentucky. County Court (Clark County), will of Sarah Rippey, proved June 1853; Image Group Number 004818834.
Access: FamilySearch digital image supplied by Davis Simpson.
- Names Elizabeth Rippey as Sarah Rippey's daughter.
- Names Gilkerson Rippey as Sarah Rippey's son and executor.
- Directly establishes the sibling relationship between Elizabeth Rippey and Gilkerson Rippey.
- When combined with the 1850 household and later records identifying Elizabeth as John's mother, supports Sarah Rippey as John Isaac Rippey's maternal grandmother.
- Does not name John Isaac Rippey directly.