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ROWLAND RICHARDS – FUNERAL HANDOUT
Services for
ROWLAND RICHARDS
Born
DECEMBER 10, 1872 LLANRHYSTID, CARDIGAN SHIRE, WALES
Passed Away
...
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ROWLAND RICHARDS – FUNERAL HANDOUT
Services for
ROWLAND RICHARDS
Born
DECEMBER 10, 1872 LLANRHYSTID, CARDIGAN SHIRE, WALES
Passed Away
AUGUST 21, 1956 NEWTON, KANSAS
Services from
MOODY'S FUNERAL CHAPEL NEWTON, KANSAS 2:00 P.M. AUGUST 23, 1956
Clergyman
REV. FLOYD E. KAISER
Internment in
BURRTON, CEMETERY BURRTON, KANSAS
Casket Bearers
JOHN KOEHN CORNIE KOEHN JAMES RUTTER TED JONES EDWARD NICHOLSON JOHN MEEK
Note: Special Thanks to Sharon Hall for providing the Funeral notice.
BIRTH: Birth Certificate for Rowland Parry Davies provided by the North Cardiganshire Registration Office, Aberystwyth indicated the following: Rowland Parry was born 10 December 1872 at Troedrhiw, Llanrhystyd Myfenydd to Ellen Davies. No father was listed. The informant was Ellen Davies, mother of Rowland.
LIFE: Rowland was the illegitimate son of Eleanor Davies and a Mr. Parry. Mr. Parry was the son of a wealthy man for whom Eleanor served as a maid. Thomas Richards later adopted Rowland following his marriage to Eleanor. The following was provided in a family history by his daughter, Lillian. Rowland was born in a straw-thatched house called Troedyrhiw (meaning "Foot of the Hill") located one mile north of the village of Llanryhstyd, Wales. He immigrated to the United States on 22 May, 1894 and settled in Burrton, Kansas, buying a farm home in September 1898. His mother, two brothers, and two sisters came to the U.S. in May 1910. He had a limited education, entering school at three and quitting at 10 1/2 and subsequently working in the coal mines for the next 11 years. He established the Burrton Presbyterian Church in Page School, was the Sunday School superintendent for three years and was made an elder, serving in that position until the church was disbanded. Moved to Newton, Kansas in October 1943 and joined the Newton church in 1944.
IMMIGRATION: Rowland Richards immigrated to the U.S. on the S.S. Chester, arriving in New York City from Southampton, England on 22 May 1894. The manifest indicated that the 21-year-old Rowland travelled in steerage and was listed as a miner from Wales whose final destination was Burrton, Kansas. He carried with him one piece of baggage.
WHY THE RICHARDS FAMILY CHOSE BURRTON, KANSAS TO IMMIGRATE TO: The following is a tribute to the 50th wedding anniversary of Rowland and Mary Richards written by the Rev. E.L. Hughes, a longtime friend of Rowland and the sheds light why Rowland immigrated to Burrton in 1894 with his siblings and mother later following: CELEBRATING HALF A CENTURY OF HAPPY LIVING TOGETHER The last day of the year 1950 a very happy time was had at the celebration of the Golden Wedding Anniversary of good old friends, Rowland and Mary Richards, of 813 High Street, Newton, Kansas. Open House was had from two to five o'clock at the home of one of the daughters, Mrs. Henry J. Penner. Welcoming the callers and well-wishers were the three daughters, Mrs. Penner, (Eleanor), Mrs. D.T. Le Fever, (Lillian) of Phoenix, Arizona, and Mrs. E.W. Medlock (Louise) of Wichita, Kansas. The table, beautifully decorated in a pattern of golden trimmings, was loaded with good things to eat. Many gifts were received in honor of the occasion, as well as cards bearing messages of congratulations to the happy couple. All those who were able to be present wrote their names in the guest book which was in charge of a grand-daughter, Karen Le Fever, Phoenix, Arizona. A message of congratulation was received also from the Governor of the state. Of the 25 who were present at the wedding fifty years ago, 15 are still living; seven in Burrton, Kansas, two in Montana, three in California, and three in Newton, Kansas. It is interesting to trace the devious wanderings through the ranges of the past. Rowland was born at Troedyrhiw, about a mile or so from Llanrhystyd, Cardiganshire, Wales, and Mary was born in Burrton, Kansas, U.S.A. There is considerable distance from Wales to Kansas, relatively greater fifty years ago than it is today. But according to the words of a well-known Welsh hymn, "Heaven's great and glorious Providence, How strange are all thy ways!!! On this point the words of Susan B. Spaulding are most appropriate: “Two shall be born the whole wide world apart, And speak in different tongues, and have no thought Each for the other's being, and no heed, And these o'er unknown seas to unknown lands Shall cross, escaping wreck, defying death; And all unconsciously, shape every act, And bend each wandering step to this one end ¬That, some day, out of the darkness they shall meet And read life's meaning in each other's eyes” So it was with Rowland and Mary. Strange it is that a seemingly simple thing can be the means of giving new direction to one’s life. In the summer of 1891, Mary’s uncle, Richard Jones of Burrton, Kansas, was paying a visit to Wales. It appears that something in Mr. Jones' conversation aroused a desire in our friend to forever abandon the narrow runways of the Rhondda Valley coalmines for the wide-open agricultural ranges of Kansas. In course of time this desire developed into a firm resolution. So, on the fourth day of May, 1894 he bid a final farewell to the coal mines, The following day he left Treorchy for Southampton, fully intending the next day to sail for the United States on the S.S. City of Paris. But having spent the night in Cardiff, Rowland missed the boat the following day. He then decided to go to London to spend a week with an aunt, his mother's sister, Mrs. Jane Edwards, who is now ninety-five years old, in good health, with mind and memory clear in spite of the confusing events and grim destruction of the late war. I had the good fortune of spending some time with this good woman last July (1950). The visit was most enjoyable. On the 12th of May our friend again turned his face toward Southampton, and, sailing on the S.S. City of Chester, landed in New York on the 21st, and arrived in Burrton on the 26th. And here and hereabouts the intervening years have been spent. For some time he worked for Mary’s uncle, Richard Jones. He spent one summer working on the Santa Fe Railroad, under the supervision of Mr. L. W. Lewis, Emporia, a Welshman of some prominence at that time. But in 1898 Rowland bought a farm about a mile and a half from Burrton. A number of Welsh families, mostly from Angelsey and Merionethshire, had settled in that part of the state and among them was a family bearing the name Rowlands who had come from Montgomeryshire, Wales. Before long Rowland fell in love with Mary, the daughter of John Rowlands, and on the last day of December 1900 they were united in the bonds of matrimony at the home of the bride, Rev. C.G.Bradford officiating. From this union were born three daughters, whose names have been given above. The first time I met Rowland was at the public school in Treorchy, about the year 1880. The family had newly arrived from Ffestiniog, North Wales, and before long they went to live at Tynewydd, a few miles further up the Valley. Here Rowland completed his schooling under the efficient supervision of the well-known educator and literary leader, M.O.Jones, Treherbert. When Rowland was about 14 years old the family moved back to Treorchy, and from that time until his departure to the United States we spent much time together. There were five of us closely associated during those years.¬ William Jones, later known as Rev. William Jones, Venedocia and Denver; Richard Harris, he too a most acceptable ordained minister of the Calvinistic Methodist (Welsh Presbyterian) Church; Hugh Williams, long since gone to his eternal reward after spending his days as an outstanding servant in the Lord's work at Bethlehem, Treorchy; then Rowland and myself. “Glorious memories I have”, says Rowland, “of those very happy days.” Rowland and I worked near to one another at the “Dare” pit. We attended regularly all the various services at Bethlehem chapel, including the morning and evening preaching services, the Sunday School and Band of Hope; the Young Men's Prayer meeting, under the guidance of John Davies, Mountain Ash. Also the Grammar and Bible Study Classes, with Daniel Peters Sr., as teacher. In 1913 I was pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Burrton, and we spent much of the time together talking about those early happy days. In his youth Rowland was a man of great strength, and was also possessed of a strong mind. But about 1943 he had a rather serious spell of sickness and on the advice of his physician moved to Newton so as to be near the daughter, Mrs. Penner. Since that time our friend has wisely adopted the policy of the slower pace, but at the present time he seems to be enjoying very good health and reports that he weighs 190 pounds. He has, throughout his life been a great reader, and has been faithful to the church. Mary, like Mary of Bethany, is of the quiet meditative type, but with sublime strength in her quietness. I had ample opportunity to observe her as she was directing the steps of her children in the way of right living. She would never tolerate any nonsense. Today her reward is seen in the excellent character of their three daughters. We most heartily wish for this couple a joyous journey to the end of their days.
LIFE: The following clipping from the Observer Leader and Free Press (Rhondda Valley, Wales newspaper from 1951) reflects some of the life of the Richards children growing up in Wales in the 1880s and 1890s. WELSH FOLK IN U.S.A. LOYAL TO THEIR MOTHER TONGUE Mrs. Lillian Gimblitt, of Newport, Monmouthshire, daughter of John Richards, Llanagan, Cardiganshire, both formerly of Regent Street, Treorchy, who is on a visit to her daughter in El Reno, Oklahoma, America, has been on a visit to Kansas. Her host was Rowland Richards, whose parents, sisters Nellie and Lizzie, and brothers Will and Evan lived in "Pengelly" when they were in the Rhondda. Mrs. Gimblett writes: What memories and events this visit recalled. These people were all members of the same church, Bethlehem, and know its congregation well. Will Richards recalled the time when as boys he and Stephan Jones used to go up Glyngoli and while Stephan should stand on the Garreg Fawr and preach, he stood below and listened. Will Richards enquired of so many people that I knew and was able to tell him a great deal as I have kept in touch with Treorchy folk. He wishes to be remembered to everyone there that recalls him. He has not been in good health for some time but can still sing and is in what they call here the Barber Shop Choir. He has had a very eventful life and has written some for publication. Still Speak Welsh -- "Two weeks later I returned to Kansas to the funeral of Evan Richards, who died in hospital. He was 63 years of age. Rowland Richards and John Richards were boyhood friends and have kept up correspondence for 53 years and both celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last Christmas. It surprised me to see the large number of Welsh people in Kansas and all could still speak Welsh. I only wish I could have had the opportunity to talk to all of them. The churches here are wonderful and in the mornings S.S. (Sunday School) at 9:30 and service at 10:40 are well attended. The country is so vast and the distances so great that I am disappointed I shall not be able to see as many Welsh folk as I would like to have done." Concludes Mrs Gimblett: "I wish that the Rhondda mothers could come over and see their daughters and realise how happy they are. My best wishes to all my friends in Treochy and Pentre". NOTE: bio info provided by Contributor: J Richards (49481774) |