Ralph M. Neeld
Ralph M. Neeld, undertaker and funeral director at Xenia, is a native son of Greene county and has lived here all his life, a resident of Xenia since he was thirteen years of age. He was born in the village of Spring Valley, December 25, 1881, son of William M. and Margaret E. (St. John) Neeld, both members of old families in this county and the latter of whom is still living, a resident of Xenia since 1893.
William M. Neeld was born in Spring Valley on August 10, 1849, son of Jason M. and Susanna (Allen) Neeld, the latter of whom was born on April 2, 1818, in Spring Valley township, this county, a daughter of Benjamin and Rebecca (Campbell) Allen, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of South Carolina, who were early settlers in the Spring Valley neighborhood. Jason M. Neeld was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, July 7, 1818, and in the fall of 1839 came to Ohio and settled at Spring Valley, where he became engaged at his trade as a shoemaker and where he presently married and established his home, continuing thus engaged in business there for the rest of his life. He was a Democrat and for some time filled the office of township treasurer. He and his wife were the parents of three children, William M., Benjamin F. and Mary E., the latter of whom died at the age of thirty years.
Reared at Spring Valley, William M. Neeld grew up familiar with the details of his father's business and after a while took charge of the shoe shop and after the death of his father continued the business and extended the same by putting in a general stock of boots and shoes and remained in that business at Spring Valley until 1886, when he sold his store and engaged in the undertaking business in the village. In 1893 he moved his establishment to Xenia and engaged in the undertaking business in that city, his establishment being located at 44 West Main street, where he continued in business until his death and where his son, the subject of this sketch, has since carried on the business. William M. Neeld was a Democrat and at one time was the nominee of his party for the office of mayor of Xenia. On the face of the returns his party claimed his election, but the other side secured a recount and he was thus defeated for the office. Mr. Neeld made judicious investments outside of his business and came to be accounted one of the substantial business men of Xenia. He died on September 23, 1916, and his widow. is still living in Xenia. She was born, Margaret E. St. John, in Caesarscreek township, this county, in June, 1859, daughter of William and Martha (Smith) St. John, the former of whom was the son of Daniel and Eliza (Bone) St. John, the former of whom was the eldest of the nine children born to John and Rhoda (Wood) St. John, John St. John having been the fourth in order of birth of the ten children born to John and Anna (Lockwood) St. John, who were married in Dutchess county, New York, in 1780 and who came to Ohio about 1790 and settled in Hamilton county, coming thence in 1803 up into this part of the state and locating in the Ft. Ancient settlement in the neighboring county of Warren. The pioneer John St. John was of French parentage, bom in New York, and served as a soldier of the Revolution and as nearly all of his ten children grew to maturity, married and had children of their own, his descendants in the present generation form a numerous connection throughout the country, one of these descendants being former Governor John P. St. John, of Kansas. Mrs. Neeld was orphaned in infancy, her mother having died at her birth and her father having been accidentally drowned not long afterward and she was reared by kinsfolk in this county. To her union with William M. Neeld four children were born, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first-born, the others being Edith, who is teaching in the Xenia public schools; Paul W., who lives at Newark, New Jersey, and is a traveling salesman for a glove house, and Charles S., of Xenia.
As noted above, Ralph M. Neeld was thirteen years of age when his parents moved from Spring Valley to Xenia. Upon leaving the high school in the latter city he took a course in a business college at Dayton and then became engaged as a bookkeeper for the firm of Barnes & Smith, some time later becoming employed as the order clerk for the Hooven & Allison Company, cordage manufacturers at Xenia, and was thus employed for something more than two years, at the end of which time he became engaged with his father in the undertaking business at Xenia and since the death of his father in 1916 has been carrying on the business himself. Mr. Neeld is a graduate embalmer, having taken a course in that line of instruction upon taking up the business in association with his father, and gives special attention to that phase of the business. His establishment is well appointed, equipped with all modern appliances, including a full line of automobiles for funeral occasions. Mr. Neeld is independent in his political views, reserving his right to vote for the best man, irrespective of party.
On April 15, 1909, Ralph M. Neeld was united in marriage to Florence M. Wright, who was born in Xenia, daughter of P. A. Wright and wife, and to this union three children have been born, William A., born on February 19, 1910; Florence Margaret, August 29, 1911, and Dorothy Jane, July 19, 1914. Mr. and Mrs. Neeld are members of the Reformed church.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918