Thomas Rife^[1]

1847 - 1923  (75 years)

• Name	Thomas Rife
  Born	10 Jun 1847	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1861	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Dunkard
  Occupation	1901	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Laborer
  Eby ID Number	00092-5285
  Died	6 Apr 1923	Glen Christie, Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co. , Ontario
  Buried	New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I10613	Generations
  Last Modified	12 May 2025

  
  

  Father	Samuel Rife,   b. 12 Oct 1818, , Adams Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 27 Sep 1898, Guelph Township, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 79 years)
  Mother	Mary Hilborn,   b. 26 Aug 1823, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 15 Apr 1875  (Age 51 years)
  Married	10 Mar 1840  [4, 5]
  Family ID	F3041	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Clara Wade Thompson,   b. 1852, , Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. 5 Sep 1918, Barton Twp., Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 66 years)
  Married	18 May 1874	Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada
  Children	1. Mary Ellen "May" Rife,   b. 1875,   d. 13 Mar 1933  (Age 58 years)   2. Clarence Ward "Ward" Rife,   b. 1877, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1965  (Age 88 years)   3. Thomas Arthur Rife,   b. 10 Jul 1882, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 2 Aug 1970  (Age 88 years)   4. Roy Bernard Rife,   b. 1885, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   5. Leigh Francis Rife,   b. 1888, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1975, Rochester, Monroe, New York, United States  (Age 87 years)
  Last Modified	13 May 2025
  Family ID	F3046	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	?,   b. Abt 1847,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Children	1. Ward Rife,   b. 22 Sep 1877, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	13 May 2025
  Family ID	F21426	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Children	1. Ward Rife,   b. 22 Sep 1877, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Art Rife,   b. 10 Jul 1882, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Lee Rife,   b. 11 Dec 1888, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	13 May 2025
  Family ID	F21737	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Thomas Rife, "was born June 10th, 1847. He is married to Clara Thompson and resides in Hespeler, Ontario." Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.]. ___________ Burglary at Hespeler Mr. D. Krig's Dry Goods Store Robbed \endash The Burglars Traced to Guelph Hespeler, Ont., Jan. 6 \endash While Mr. Thos. Rife, of this place, was returning home at an early hour this morning, he noticed that the doors of Mr. H. Krig's dry goods store were open, and at once notified Mr. Krig. Chief McMaster was also notified, and immediately commenced working on the case. On close investigation it was found that the parties had driven up to the door, effected an entrance, and extracted goods to the amount of about one hundred dollars. The burglars were traced to Guelph, where it was learned they had left for Campbellville. Chief McMaster discovered that their horse had a broken hoof, by which they are being traced. Daily Mail and Empire 7 Jan 1898 _____________ RIFE, THOMAS A gloom has been cast over our hamlet (Christieville, later Glen Christie) at the death of Mr. Rife, which occurred about 12: 30 on Friday, April 6, 1923, at his son, Ward Rife's residence. He had been a resident of this vicinity practically all his life. He was born in Waterloo Township, where he farmed for some years, later moving to Puslinch Township but of late years, he has resided with his son, Ward. Being of a kindly, genial disposition, he endeared himself to both old and young and will be greatly missed in our midst. His wife predeceased him about three years ago. He leaves a family of five, Mrs. Cunningham of New York City; Lee of Rochester, NY; Arthur and Roy of Toronto; Ward of Christieville. Mrs. Salyards of Rochester, NY; Mrs. Henry of Los Angeles; and Mrs. Thomas of Guelph are sisters. John of Hespeler and James of Guelph are brothers. The funeral, which was private, was held from the residence of his son, Ward. Interment Hespeler Cemetery. -Information from the death certificate: of Lot 1, concession 4, Puslinch. B. June 10, 1847 in Waterloo Twp. , son of Samuel Rife (born in Pennsylvania) and Mary Hilborn (born in Waterloo Co. ). Informant - Ward Rife of R. R. #1, Hespeler, his son. -Information from the marriage certificate: Married Clara Thompson, born c. 1853, daughter of Samuel and Mary Thompson, on May 18, 1874. -Information from birth certificates: Children were Mary Ellen (b. 1875); Clarence Ward (b. 1877); Oscar Lindsay (b. 1880); Thomas Arthur (b. 1882); Roy Bernard (b. 1885); Leigh Francis (b. 1888). -Information from the marriage certificate of May Helen Rife: Born c. 1874, daughter of Thomas and Clara Rife. She married Clarence A. Cunningham on June 20, 1894. A Celebration of Lives Obituaries of Puslinch Township, Wellington Co., Ontario Vol 2 Anna Jackson & Marjorie Clark Used with kind permission of Marjorie Clark

  
  

• Sources

  [S10] Book - Vol II A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., 183. [S143] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1901, Hespeler (Village) D-1 Page 26. [S131] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1851. gives age and country of birth [S894] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1861, Sect. 6 Page 43. [S10] Book - Vol II A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., 182.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 10 Jun 1847 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Dunkard - 1861 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 18 May 1874 - Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada Occupation - Laborer - 1901 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 6 Apr 1923 - Glen Christie, Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co. , Ontario Buried - - New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth