Dick Riffle Stories # XI

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For the past several years, I have been posting stories as told by Dick Riffle. Dick who lives in the State of Washington was 93 in May and is writing his memoirs . Not sure, but he may be the oldest living member of the local Riffle family. He still writes interesting E-mails and loves to share stories about growing up in Lindley.










Sometime during the month of July, the Riffle family holds a reunion. The following is one of Dick's stories as he wrote about the families living on Morgan Creek and the present River Road .
If the Riffle family members haven't heard this story, I hope they get a chuckle or two from it. -
(Kitty)










Next was the home of Jerome and Alace (Romane) Riffle ,my Grandparents. After their decease in the 1920's , the home belonged to their daughter Grace and husband Judd Kennedy. They had several children, Jud,Jr. ,Geraldine, Kathryn and twin girls-Madeline and Margaret who were a couple years younger than me. Aunt Grace was a very hospitable lady and many of the Annual Riffle Reunions were held there. (see April 2011 blog) and earlier posts (Kitty )










In about 1928, Aunt Grace put on a birthday party for my Mother. Besides family members, many neighbors were invited. I was 10 years old at that time. All the ladies and girls were in the parlor and all the men were in the kitchen. Aunt Grace had just gone in the parlor to serve the cake to the ladies. I was standing by the kitchen door when I heard a knock . I opened the door and there stood a short man in a business suit and a taller man in some kind of uniform was behind him. The older man said"May we come in? " I said "Sure ,Come in!" Just then ,Aunt Grace returned to the kitchen and seeing the men said"You're just in time ! Come in and have some cake!"
The older man replied"No, Thank you,we will just look around." and they proceeded into the parlor.In a few moments, they returned to the kitchen and said to Aunt Grace- "I think we made a MISTAKE !" She said -" Who are you looking for?" He replied" You are not Mrs.Sousa , are you?"
Aunt Grace and everyone one burst out laughing . " No-she said -she lives up the road about a mile. He then apologized and showed his credentials that he was an FBI man . (Mrs.Sousa was a well known bootlegger" ) Well, everyone thought it was hilarious that my Mother's birthday party had been RAIDED by the "Revenoors " as we called them. Everyone except Mother !! She belonged to the WCTU (Woman's Christian Temperance Union) -an organization sponsored by the Methodist Church.

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