636
RIDLONS OF HOLLIS, MAINE.
time a dreadfully fatal contagion swept through the town, and it was found
difficult to secure nurses; during this scourge "Aunt Judy" went from
house to house, and ministered to the afflicted, but she was not touched
by the fever herself. She lived with a maiden-sister many years in her
father's house, and at one time was possessed of considerable property;
she owned land, timber, and good buildings, and had money to loan to
her relatives; but, alas! the selfishness and meanness of those who had
been dependent on her for a shelter for their heads and money to pay
their bills, robbed her of her house and real estate; and, while she held
their notes for money, they would have thrown her body upon the town
for burial, had not the proper authorities forced them to provide for her
funeral expenses. Such base ingratitude was too much to be endured by
the real friends of this unselfish and worthy woman, and I wish to leave
this enduring record as a warning against a repetition of such disgrace-
ful conduct in the future. Miss Ridlon had no palate, and could not ar-
ticulate distinctly, and this impediment of speech may have been a bar-
rier to her matrimonial prospects in early life. She had the "old-fashioned
consumption" when young, and her relatives used to shake their heads,
and say,
"Aunt Judy cannot stand it long, she's dreadful slim "; and still
she lived on, and saw nearly all of her generation go down to their graves;
the robust and sprightly passed her one by one on their "journey to the
tomb," and still "Aunt Judy," with the same hollow cough and “old-
fashioned consumption" (by that time) lingered upon this earthly shore,
and handed the early traditions of her family down to the rising gener-
ations. She was comfortable, and retained her faculties well (except her
sight), till a few days before her death. She passed quietly away, in Jan-
uary, 1880, aged 97 years. I have her portrait.
Martha Ridlon (1), third daughter of Thomas (1), was born in
Phillipsburgh (now Hollis), Me., Oct. 17, 1785; was married Dec. 31,
1810, to John Mills,* of Waterborough, and lived many years in Eaton,
N. H. Mr. Mills was a great axeman, and went to Georgia to cut and
hew ship-timber, when his health failed, and he made his way to the hos-
pital at New Orleans, La., where he died June 3, 1849. Mrs. Mills died
March 16, 1859, aged 74 years. She was quite tall, and resembled her
sister Judith in features of face; her hair was white, the last time I saw
her.
"Aunt Martha" was an excellent Christian woman. She left a
large family, and two sons were ministers of the gospel.
Jane Ridlon' (1), fourth daughter of Thomas (1), was born in Phil-
lipsburgh (now Hollis), Me., Feb. 4, 1787, and died when a young wo-
man, unmarried.
Eunice Ridlon* (1), fifth daughter of Thomas³ (1), was born in Phil-
lipsburgh (now Hollis), Me., Nov. 11, 1789; was married Feb. 2, 1812,
to David Martin, of Baldwin (or Sebago), and settled on a farm adjoin-
ing her father's, where her husband erected the brick house so long known
as the "Uncle David Martin house," about one half-mile from Modera-
tion Falls, on the Bonnie Eagle road. This farm was formerly owned by
that John Redlon - uncle to Mrs. Martin - who died in Ohio at the age
of 106 years, and a son of his was buried near the present brick house,
* LUKE MILLS, the ancestor of the New England family of that name, came from
Virginia, and settled in Saco, Me. He had a son named Elligood Mills, who mar-
ried Mary Dyer and had issue Joseph, Lucy, Luke, Elligood, William, Lydia, John,
and James; the latter was the well-known and eccentric old millwright. I have
full records.
