Harry Ripley 1870-1963

RIPLEY, CASAD

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 2/7/2020 at 09:40:22

29 August 1963 - The Tipton Conservative

Funeral services for Harry R. Ripley, 93, former co-owner of The Tipton Advertiser, will be held at 1:30 p.m. today (Thursday) at the Methodist church with the Rev. Eugene Miller officiating. There will be a Masonic service.

Members of the Masonic lodge, of which he had been a member for more than 65 years, will be pallbearers. Mrs. Irma Crawford will be organist and Mrs. Wendell Willer vocalist. Burial will be in the Masonic cemetery.

Mr. Ripley died Aug. 26 at St. Luke's hospital in Davenport where he was a patient for about 2 weeks. He fell and broke his hip while he and Mrs. Ripley were traveling on the west coast.

"A Topical History of Cedar County," published in 1910, tells of Mr. Ripley's early life: "Harry Raymond Ripley, who for 20 years has been connected with the newspapers in Tipton and for 9 years closely associated as half-owner and manager of The Advertiser, one of the leading papers of the county, was born in this city, April 28, 1870.

"He is a son of James H. and Lydia R. Johnson Ripley. At the usual age he entered the public schools, therein pursuing his studies to the age of 14 years, when he began working on a farm, devoting his summer months to the labors of the fields and meadows, while in the winter seasons he continued to attend school.

"In 1889, however, he permanently put aside his text-books and on Sept. 1 entered the office of The Advertiser as "devil." He was with that paper for a year and a half and from 1891 until 1894 with The Tipton Conservative. He then returned to The Advertiser, with which he was connected until 1900 when he went to Fullerton, Nebr., with Edwin J. Wolf, another employee of The Advertiser office, and purchased the Fullerton News.

"The following year Mr. Ripley sold his interest to his partner and returned to Tipton, where he purchased the Cedar County Republican, of which he took charge on June 2, 1901. He changed the paper to a semi-weekly, the first to be published in the county, and conducted it until Oct. 1, 1901 when it was consolidated with The Advertiser, with which he has since been identified as half-owner, publisher and manager.

"Thus he is now in close connection with the paper on which he received his initial experience and training. Entering a field of labor which he found entirely congenial, he has remained steadfastly therein and has progressed with the advancement of the times, whereby the methods of newspaper publication have been largely revolutionized. The Advertiser attracts many readers by reason of its entertaining discussion of public questions and also as a distributer of news of general interest, and, moreover, the paper is accorded an extensive advertising patronage.

"On June 4, 1902, Mr. Ripley was united in marriage to Edith Casad, who was born in Tipton April 21, 1872, and is a daughter of John W. and Ida L. (Gilbert) Casad.

"Mr. Ripley gives unfaltering political allegiance to the Republican party and in 1895 was appointed city clerk to fill a vacancy. He was then re-elected to the office, which he continued to fill until 1900, when he resigned, retiring from office as he had entered it, with the confidence and goodwill of all concerned.

"He holds membership in Cedar Lodge, No. 11, A.F. & A.M.; Siolam Chapter No. 19, R.A.M.; and Manitou Lodge, No. 8, L.O.O.F. He served 7 years as a member of the local militia company, holding the position of orderly sergeant when he was mustered out.

"He deserves the somewhat hackneyed but altogether expressive title of self-made man for from the age of 14 years he has been dependent entirely upon his own efforts, achieving success through the recognition and careful utilization of opportunity."

Mr. Ripley's partnership in The Advertiser was with Sherman Yates. He sold his interest in the paper to Everett and Forrest Chamberlain July 1, 1919, when Everett Chamberlain was mustered out of service in World War I. Yates sold his interest o the Chamberlains in 1926.

After his retirement from newspaper work in 1919, at 49, he and Mrs. Ripley traveled extensively and, early this summer they went by bus to the west coast.

He is survived by his wife; a nephew, John Casad, Moline, Ill., and 11 second cousins. He is the last member of an old Tipton family. His father, James H. Ripley, came to Tipton in 1854. Three brothers, John Charles, William Sherman and James Earl, preceded him in death.