Andrew Rynders was a farmer and stock_raiser, Sec. 18, P.O. Waverly. Mr. Rynders is one of the oldest inhabitants and one of the earliest pioneers now living in Morgan Co., a man of extraordinary energy, he is worthy of more than a passing notice; he was born in Saratoga Co., New York, Jan. 15, 1798, the seventh of a family of thirteen children; he passed his early years in New York State, and married in his 24th year Miss Sarah Miner, a daughter of Amos Miner, an ingenious mechanic, who afterward removed to Illinois, where he passed the remainder of life.
The subject of this sketch was apprenticed to the trade of a millwright; became a superior workman, and contracted mill work to a considerable extent in different parts of the State. This making it necessary for him to be frequently absent from home, he settled down to the quiet life of a farmer.
In 1835 he concluded to better his fortune by directing his footsteps westward; after days and weeks spent in travel, he settled with his family in the vicinity of Waverly, where he entered a tract of land from the government, and moved into a log cabin built some years previous; at Little York he worked on the steam grist and saw mill that was in process of erection by the Miner family. Mr. R. relates that Coleman Deatherage put up a horse mill near Appalove, and Thos. Ross and Eziekel Springer constructed a saw mill, for which Mr. Rynders took charge as millwright.
During those early days Mr. Rynders was a warm advocate of the extension of education. His memory is remarkable, even now, when he has long since passed the age commonly allotted to man; he still makes a hand in the harvest field; a hard worker all his life, he now finds no time for idleness.
Going back a little into the early history of this family, we find that the first wife of Mr. Rynders died about 1846. There were eleven children born of this marriage, three of whom were living on the decease of Mrs. Rynders; Wm., Andrew, and Ruth. About 1847 Mr. Rynders was married to Mrs. Elizabeth Sevier; by this marriage one child, Sarah E., deceased. Elizabeth departing this life about the year 1850, the following year he was married to Mrs. Arena Beasely, by whom he had eight children, four living: Andrew, William, Douglas, and Isiah; in 1864 this lady was laid to rest in the Jones Cemetery.
Mr. Rynders afterward was united in marriage to Arena Arnot, who died Jan. 15, 1873. June 19, 1873, he married Mrs. Sarah Ann Alabaugh, who was born in Greene County. During his long and successful life Mr. Rynders has accumulated a fine farm property, which he still conducts at his advanced age successfully.
