RIGGS, WELLS, COLEMAN, GOUGE, GREGG, TAYLOR, SWEARINGEN, THOMAS
My RIGGS Branch
Please click on any surname to go to that Branch.
Begins With Mystery and Confusion
After many years of research Wanda and I have not been able to document and determine with certainty the given name of our great, great grandfather RIGGS. Wanda did question our father, John William RIGGS, as to the name of his great grandfather. He answered that the name was Jesse. Our cousin, Hazel (RIGGS) DONNERBERG, during her many years of research, had determined that Jesse was born about 1802 in AL although no documentation has been found to confirm this date and place of birth. During her lifetime Hazel was able, in the company of her father, Alvin RIGGS, to visit areas where our RIGGS had settled.
During the course of our research, RIGGS researcher, Leo RIGGS, proposed an interesting theory that our great great grandfather was named John Washington RIGGS. In support of his theory, which was explored exhaustively, it is interesting to note that none of the known children of our great great grandfather named their offspring Jesse. Yet, one son, Samuel W. RIGGS, b. June 4, 1839, Lawrence Co., AL did name his first two children John and Melinda.
The given name, Jesse, was quite popular in the 1800's and there were many Jesse RIGGS to be found. Unfortunately, census records before 1850 showed only the name of the head of household. Attempts to match any Jesse with the number and ages of known children were unsuccessful.
Census takers wrote each individual's data in longhand which presented major confusion between the letters R and B. The bottom of R was often curled inward to resemble B, whereas the bottom of B was often left open resembling R. This resulted in confusing the surnames RIGGS and BIGGS, especially when there were RIGGS and BIGGS living in the same areas. The process of transcribing from the actual census pages was extremely difficult and leaves open the question: Are we RIGGS or BIGGS?!
The 1850 Census for Tishomingo County, MS, Southern Division, provided the first documentation of our great great grandfather's family members, but alas, his own name was not amongst them.
The census shows 6 of his 7 known children living with
Melinda RIGGS, 46, who was born in TN. Melinda owned real estate
valued at $200.00. They were a family of farmers. All of the children
are shown to be born in AL. By 1860 at least 4 of them had migrated to
Decatur Co., District 6, TN. No doubt there are descendants still
living in this area.
Melinda has not been found on any other census. Her maiden name is
unknown, and a record of her death has yet to be found. It is
assumed, until documentation indicates otherwise, that Melinda
is the mother of the listed children.
This map illustrates the somewhat circular path of migration for this
family: father and children born in AL, on to MS and most settling
in TN. They lived as very close neighbors in Decatur Co., District 6, TN.
No documentation has been discovered to date indicating that any of these
children participated in the Civil War.
Paternal Great Grandparents of John William RIGGS
Jesse RIGGS
Born: About 1802, AL
No Death Date
Married: About 1820
Melinda Unknown
Born: About 1804, TN
No Death Date
Children of Jesse and Melinda RIGGS
Henry RIGGS
Born: Abt. 1825, AL
William George RIGGS
Born: March 11, 1828, Birmingham, AL
Died: March 31,1909, Holladay, Benton Co., TN
Thomas J. RIGGS
Born: Abt 1830, AL
Isaah Calvin RIGGS (My Gr Grandfather)
Born: February 1834, AL
Died: After 1910, Decatur Co., TN
Mary J. RIGGS
Born: Abt 1837, AL
Samuel W. RIGGS
Born: June 4, 1839, Lawrence Co., AL
Died: May 12, 1902, Decatur Co., TN
Sarah A. RIGGS
Born: Abt 1841, Lawrence Co., AL
Paternal Grandparents of John William RIGGS
Isaah C. RIGGS
Born: February, February, 1834, AL
Death: After 1910, Decatur Co., TN
Married: December 15, 1870, Decatur, Decatur County, TN
Amanda A. TAYLOR
Born: 1848, Decatur County, TN
No Death Date
Children of Isah and Amanda (TAYLOR) RIGGS
M. A. RIGGS
Born: Abt. 1864
Amanda C. RIGGS
Born: October, 1872, Decatur County, TN
Samuel W. RIGGS
Born: August 24, 1873, Decatur County, TN
Died: May 26, 1957, Decatur County, TN
Silas M. RIGGS
Born: July 28, 1876, Jeannette, Decatur County, TN
Died: March 12, 1951, Kennett, Dunklin County, MO
Emma Jane RIGGS
Born: Abt. 1878
Melvin Claud RIGGS
Born: May 20, 1879, Jeannette, Decatur County, TN
Died: December 26, 1931, Hayti, Pemiscot County, MO
Signature copied from WW1 Registration Card
Maternal Grandparents of John William RIGGS
Charles Crump COLEMAN
Born: October, 1865, Parsons, Decatur County, TN
Died: 1920
Married: About 1884
Cornelia Ann THOMAS
Born: January 1865, Parsons, Decatur County, TN
Died: 1954
Parents of John William RIGGS
Melvin Claud RIGGS
Born: May 20, 1879, Jeannette, Decatur Co., TN
Died: December 26, 1931, Hayti, Pemiscot Co., MO
Married: May 30, 1900 in Decatur Co., TN
Hattie Ovella COLEMAN
Born: May 16, 1884, Jeannette, Decatur Co., TN
Died: August 25, 1927, Newbern, Dyer Co., TN
Children of Melvin Claud and Hattie (COLEMAN) RIGGS
Alvin McKinley RIGGS
Born: April 13, 1901, Sugar Tree, (near Paris), Henry County, TN
Died: March 4, 1993, Kennett, Dunklin County, MO
Albert RIGGS
Born: December 11, 1903, Parsons, Decatur County, TN
Died: December 23, 1913, Parsons, Decatur County, TN
Clarence Melvin RIGGS
Born: September 6, 1905, Parsons, Decatur County, TN
Died: January 2, 1973, Casa Grande, Pinal County, AZ
John William RIGGS
Born: March 5, 1909, Jeannette, Decatur County, TN
Died: April 19, 1987, St. Joseph, Berrien County, MI
Anna Mae RIGGS
Born: September 26, 1911
Died: Unknown
Connie RIGGS
Born: June 24, 1914
Died: April 26, 1918
Jessie Allen RIGGS
Born: October 22, 1916
Died: June 4, 1917
Maxine Irene RIGGS
Born: September 2, 1919, Hayti, MO
Died: October 30, 1999, Fort Worth, TX
Pauline RIGGS
Born: November 18, 1922
Died: 1956, Wyoming
Floyd RIGGS
Born: May 31, 1927
Died: July 9, 1927
John William RIGGS
Born: March 5, 1909, Jeannette, Decatur County, TN
Died: April 19, 1987, St. Joseph, Berrien County, MI
John William was the third surviving child of Melvin Claud and Hattie (COLEMAN) RIGGS, only 6 of their 10 children having survived to adulthood. The 1910 census finds this family living in Civil District No. 5 which is in the northern half of Decatur Co., TN. The parents and siblings of Hattie lived 5 residences away. Her younger brother, Willie COLEMAN, although technically John's uncle, was only nine years older than John. In future years Willie would marry Lola, a sister of John's bride, Daisy WELLS, and these families would be very close. Also on the 1910 census John's 76 year-old grandfather, Isah Calvin RIGGS, lives in District 7 which is just below District 5.
The extent of John's education is unclear, but based on the eloquent love letters that he had written to Daisy it would appear that he acquired basic instruction. His education would have taken place in MO since the family migrated to that state when he was about 3 years old. They are found on the 1920 MO, Pemiscot Co., Hayti Township census, fertile farming land in the 'bootheel' of the state. John is 9 years old on this census. Soon after adolescence events would escalate forcing him into early adulthood. At age 18 he would experience the death of his mother, Hattie, in 1927. On Nov. 5th of that same year he would wed his bride, Daisy, in Greene Co., AR. In 1928 his first daughter, Dorothy, would be born in Mississippi Co., AR. Three years later, in 1931, his father, Melvin Claud, would die.
John was a farm laborer and in 1938, he, Daisy and 3 young daughters migrated to southwestern MI where the Willie Baxter COLEMAN family had settled. John found employment with the House of David vineyard farm complex along the Lake Michigan shore. His 4th child, a son, would be born in Lakeside, MI and John would spend the remainder of his life there with Daisy, their children and grandchildren.
Spouse of John William RIGGS
Daisy Evelyn WELLS
Born: December 4, 1910, New Madrid, East Twp, MO
Died: January 21, 1988, St. Joseph, Berrien County, MI
Married: November 5, 1927, Paragould, AR
Children of John William and Daisy Evelyn (WELLS) RIGGS
Dorothy Jean RIGGS
Born: July 25, 1928, Huffman, Mississippi Co., AR
Died: December 14, 2005, Lakeside, Berrien Co., MI
Wanda Rivers RIGGS - Living
Peggy Joanne RIGGS - Living
John Charles RIGGS
Born: November 26, 1945, Lakeside, Berrien Co., MI
Died: September 28, 1980, Michigan City, IN
HOME