Individual Details
CLEVELAND LAWRENCE RYDER
(31 Mar 1907 - 7 Dec 1972)
The following biography was prepared by Cleveland's son Dana Ryder.
"Cleveland was born outside of the village of Havelock toward Lower Ridge on a farm now owned by Johnny Corey. His mother passed away 3 Nov 1922, when he was 15 years old.
"In the fall of 1924 Clevie had a hard time to convince his father to let him go at the age of 17 to western Canada on the harvest excursion. On his return, he came to Portland ME, and went to work on the Libby Farm in Gorham, where James Currie, also from Havelock, was the foreman.
"On 24 Feb 1928 Clevie's father passed away. Clevie stayed in the Portland area until the fall of 1928, when he went to Montreal to catch the train for western Canada. When he returned to Havelock he brought back horses for Tom Martin.
"In 1929 he returned to Portland ME and boarded with James Ottie Corey, who was also from the Havelock area. He went to work for Cook Everett and Pennell, a wholesale druggist. Then he met Elsie Isabel Carter, and on October 4, 1932 they went to her home in Kouchibouguac NB and were married.
They returned to Portland and lived in South Portland, and in October 1942 bought a home in Cape Elizabeth. In 1940 Clevie got a job with the Todd Bath ship builders as a rigger building Liberty Ships for England during WWII.
"The home he bought on Sawyer Road in Cape Elizabeth is about a mile and a half from where his father worked when he came to Portland was a young man in the 1890s. Clevie became a naturalized American citizen on July 9, 1946. After the War he went to work for Albert Devoe doing rigging work. Albert's wife was related to father through the Thorne's.
"Around 1957 we both worked on Texas Towers doing rigging work. It was in the early 1960s he went into business for himself, with tractors, dump trucks, and front end loaders. He worked for many well-known people, such as Gary Merrill, and Bette Davis, both movie stars. I still have a letter Bette Davis wrote him.
"In 1965 Clevie and Isabel went to western Canada, and while there visited Mr. Tom Newman in Calgary, who he had worked for as a young man. Tom was an old man in 1965, and father never heard from him again.
"It was 18 Jan 1969 that father and I bought the old Frank Corey farm in Cherryvale NB, just outside of Havelock. My wife named if Hardship Acres! In 1948 the children of Charles and Mary Jane Ryder held their first family reunion at Elmer Ryder's farm on Canaan Road. The next one was at Hardship Acres on July 4, 1970. That was the last time that family was all together.
"On Sept 2, 1972 Violet Ryder Killiam passed away, and on December 7, 1972 Clevie passed away. He was buried on my birthday, Dec 9, 1972. the family bought a desk and chair for the Minister's study at the Havelock Baptist Church in Memory of Cleveland L.
"At the age of 15, Isabel lived with an aunt in Bethel ME, and went to Bethel Academy." [Dana Ryder]
"Cleveland was born outside of the village of Havelock toward Lower Ridge on a farm now owned by Johnny Corey. His mother passed away 3 Nov 1922, when he was 15 years old.
"In the fall of 1924 Clevie had a hard time to convince his father to let him go at the age of 17 to western Canada on the harvest excursion. On his return, he came to Portland ME, and went to work on the Libby Farm in Gorham, where James Currie, also from Havelock, was the foreman.
"On 24 Feb 1928 Clevie's father passed away. Clevie stayed in the Portland area until the fall of 1928, when he went to Montreal to catch the train for western Canada. When he returned to Havelock he brought back horses for Tom Martin.
"In 1929 he returned to Portland ME and boarded with James Ottie Corey, who was also from the Havelock area. He went to work for Cook Everett and Pennell, a wholesale druggist. Then he met Elsie Isabel Carter, and on October 4, 1932 they went to her home in Kouchibouguac NB and were married.
They returned to Portland and lived in South Portland, and in October 1942 bought a home in Cape Elizabeth. In 1940 Clevie got a job with the Todd Bath ship builders as a rigger building Liberty Ships for England during WWII.
"The home he bought on Sawyer Road in Cape Elizabeth is about a mile and a half from where his father worked when he came to Portland was a young man in the 1890s. Clevie became a naturalized American citizen on July 9, 1946. After the War he went to work for Albert Devoe doing rigging work. Albert's wife was related to father through the Thorne's.
"Around 1957 we both worked on Texas Towers doing rigging work. It was in the early 1960s he went into business for himself, with tractors, dump trucks, and front end loaders. He worked for many well-known people, such as Gary Merrill, and Bette Davis, both movie stars. I still have a letter Bette Davis wrote him.
"In 1965 Clevie and Isabel went to western Canada, and while there visited Mr. Tom Newman in Calgary, who he had worked for as a young man. Tom was an old man in 1965, and father never heard from him again.
"It was 18 Jan 1969 that father and I bought the old Frank Corey farm in Cherryvale NB, just outside of Havelock. My wife named if Hardship Acres! In 1948 the children of Charles and Mary Jane Ryder held their first family reunion at Elmer Ryder's farm on Canaan Road. The next one was at Hardship Acres on July 4, 1970. That was the last time that family was all together.
"On Sept 2, 1972 Violet Ryder Killiam passed away, and on December 7, 1972 Clevie passed away. He was buried on my birthday, Dec 9, 1972. the family bought a desk and chair for the Minister's study at the Havelock Baptist Church in Memory of Cleveland L.
"At the age of 15, Isabel lived with an aunt in Bethel ME, and went to Bethel Academy." [Dana Ryder]
Events
| Birth | 31 Mar 1907 | Havelock, Havelock Parish, Kings County, New Brunswick |  | ||
| Marriage | 4 Oct 1932 | Kouchibouguac, Kent County, New Brunswick - ELSIE ISABEL CARTER | | ||
| Death | 7 Dec 1972 | Portland, Cumberland County, Maine | | ||
| Burial | 9 Dec 1972 | Brooklawn Memorial Park, Portland, Cumberland County, Maine | | ||
| Burial | Headstone | |
Families
| Spouse | ELSIE ISABEL CARTER (1909 - 2005) |
| Child | Living |
| Child | ERNEST WAYNE RYDER (1936 - 2021) |
| Child | DUANE CARTER RYDER (1941 - 2015) |
| Child | CLAYBURN LAWRENCE RYDER (1945 - 2015) |
| Father | CHARLES HADDEN RYDER (1866 - 1928) |
| Mother | MARY JANE THORNE (1877 - 1922) |
| Sibling | DELILAH BLANCHE RYDER (1898 - 1991) |
| Sibling | CLEVELAND LAWRENCE RYDER (1899 - 1901) |
| Sibling | MABEL MILDRED RYDER (1901 - 2005) |
| Sibling | (son) RYDER (1902 - 1902) |
| Sibling | VIOLET LENA RYDER (1903 - 1972) |
| Sibling | ELMER ESSON RYDER (1908 - 1988) |
| Sibling | HELEN ELIZABETH RYDER (1911 - 2004) |
| Sibling | WALTER LORNE RYDER (1918 - 1983) |
Endnotes
1. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.
2. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.
3. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.
4. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.
5. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.