This week’s Grave of the Week is Judge Ridley Dearing. Judge (his name, not his profession) was born November 2, 1852, in Tennessee. He passed October 17, 1930, at his son’s home in Madera.
Since starting Grave of the Week, this grave has been a mystery. The grave marker is made of cinderblocks. The etching is worn, and you can barely make out the name. The name on the other side of the cinderblock marking, his wife Margaret, is easier to read. However, the cinderblock with the names is actually reversed. At some point in time, the marker was probably knocked over and when it was placed again, it was placed backward. Judge’s name is above the dates for Margaret and Margaret’s name is above the dates for Judge.
The Dearings were farm laborers. They married in Missouri and had at least five children, one of whom probably died in infancy.
There was a posting in the Daily Delta on April 15, 1896, that W.B. West commenced a suit against Judge and Margaret to foreclose a mortgage in the amount of $700, plus interest, costs and attorney’s fees.
There is also a newspaper clipping from March 21, 1925, from the Visalia Daily Times, which reports that Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Dearing of San Francisco and Ira Dearing of Fresno motored to Farmersville in their Doble steam car to visit their father, Judge Dearing. The Doble steam car was named after founder Abner Doble. It was an American steam car made between 1909 and 1931. It had a fast-firing boiler and electric start and was supposedly the pinnacle of steam car development.
When Judge died, he had been a resident of California for 50 years. His funeral was held at the Presbyterian Church in Exeter with burial in Exeter.
His son Jasper was a member of the Amity-Seal Rock Lodge No. 370, F. & A.M. Moose Club, Firecraft Club and was a San Francisco firefighter.
Daughter Mary spent her life in Tulare and was survived by three daughters, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
Daughter Eva “paid the debt that all must pay” on August 16, 1916 in Pine Creek, Oregon. She had one boy and four girls.
Son Ira, at age 35, had his first and only child, a son, with his 18-year-old bride. They are all buried at a family plot in Madera.
It was fascinating to learn about this family and finally put a name and life to this very unique marker. It really shows that there is a story and a family behind every stone in our cemeteries. The only mystery that remains is how and why this grave is made of cinderblocks.
Message if you know anyone who should be featured on Grave of the Week. Please include any information about the person’s life and where the grave is located.
Please continue to like, share, and follow the Exeter Public Cemetery District and thank you to Exeter Chamber of Commerce, Exeter Kiwanis, Kiwanis Club Of Farmersville, Kiwanis of Woodlake, The Sun-Gazette Newspaper for sharing.