Pike Township Family Stories
GLADYS RIFE – MRS. WAYNE (BABE) RIFE
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 296-297
By Gladys Talcott RifeI am living in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, now. Besides me, John Rife and Thelma Rife live in Candlestick Park with their children, Sarah Rife and Joshua Rife. Roger Rife and Pamela Rife also live there with Pamela’s son, Aaron, and their children, Carrie Marie Rife and Jonathan Babe Rife (we like that name).
John Rife is vice president of United Life Insurance company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Roger Rife is assistant manager of Neal’s Water Conditioning service in Mt. Vernon. Among other things, he is their Maytag man – and not lonely.
Jeanne Rife and her husband, the Reverend Doctor Gary Torrens, Presbyter of Eastern Iowa, live in Iowa City. Their three children are: Mike Torrens, Tim Torrens and Debbie Torrens. All are musical. Jeanne is a clinical specialist in the University Hospital school. She earned her master’s degree in public health nursing at Syracuse university in New York.
Joyce Rife Coonley lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is placement director of Stafford college there, a job she likes very much. She has done a great deal of work with the Shorewood Community Theatre and served on the board of the Milwaukee Civic Music association. Almost all of her business experience has been in management, and she is working on a degree in that field.
Jim Rife and his wife, Nancy Rife, live in Elgin, Illinois. They have two daughters, Kathryn Ellen Rife and Allison Ann Rife. Jim recently celebrated his tenth year with M. F. C. of Chicago. He is a truck driver and loves it.
As for me, I have completed work on my doctoral degree in American Studies, except for the dissertation. That, of course, is a big EXCEPT. My subject is column writing for farm women during the fifties. My majors were material culture (that’s the museum angle – I am converting our Fayette depot into a museum there) and the historical era from 1870 to 1930. My minor is women’s studies. I decided to go on with graduate work after Babe’s death in December of 1974.
I retired from teaching in 1979. Through Cornell college I’ve enjoyed some wonderful travel/study trips to Mexico , Alaska, London and Paris. I interned as Archivist and Research Assistant to George Schrimper, Director of Macbride Museum on the Pentacrest in Iowa City. The big project was Iowa Hall.
A bit of sentiment: I kept Babe’s beloved mares, Lucky Lady and Lady Light, until last year. I still have Lady Light’s daughter, Victoria, who will have a colt next summer, I hope!
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