Caroline (Holder) Richey Ratliff-Sister of Nelson Holder Ritchie

Not much is known of the life of Caroline but what we know is that she was 2 or 3 years older than Nelson so she was born in Cumberland County (Harnett County) North Carolina abt. 1837. She was the daughter of an unknown slave and Miss. Jane McNeill Holder. I came to this conclusion because she is listed as black, so both parents were most likely black and her brother Nelson is listed as Mulatto because his mother was black and his father was white. December of 1839 when Caroline was 2 years old she was owned by Catherine Murchison, a neighbor of William Holder in Cumberland (Harnett) County North Carolina. It makes me weep at seeing the worth of Caroline and her mother Jane.

 Caroline is listed on the 1840 Cumberland County census as a slave of William Holder. Caroline was taken to Turnback County Missouri by Neal McNeill and his mother Nancy Ray McNeill in 1840. She is listed on the 1850 slave schedule of Neal McNeill as being 12 years old and male (this was incorrect) she is female and is black. Her brother Nelson is listed as 10 years old and female(this was incorrect) he is male and is mulatto. 

                                                                                                                                                                      The first we see of Caroline listed by name is in 1873 in Topeka Kansas. She is listed as Caroline Ratler on a list of letters remaining at the Topeka Postoffice under the name of Nelson  Ritchie. We can assume that her husband James Richey died before 1873 since Caroline is listed as Ratler (Ratliff).

The next time Caroline is mentioned is her obituary the 17 July 1878 in The Wichita Weekly Beacon. The obituary mention's two Ritchey (Ritchie) brothers, but this is Nelson and his second cousin Josephus (Cephus) Richey. Josephus and Nelson took on the name of Ritchie as a tribute to Col. John Ritchie an abolitionist who took Nelson and Josephus in and let them live in his home. Notice that Nelson took on the spelling of Ritchie and Josephus changed it to Richey. I am not sure which spelling Caroline took on, but she was a Ritchie and married a James Richey. James was the brother of Josephus (Cephus) Richey. So Caroline married her second cousin. At some point, Caroline ended up in Cleveland Ohio, where her daughter Anna Richey was born, and then Caroline ended up in Wichita Kansas married to a Mr. Ratliff, and there she died at the young age of 35.

Nelson H. Richey (Ritchie) is mentioned as coming to attend his SISTER Caroline's funeral. 17 July 1878 The Wichita Weekly Beacon.

There is mentioned in the Great Bend Register 18 July 1878 about the death of Caroline Ritchey, SISTER of Nelson Holder Ritchey (Ritchie).

Caroline is buried in the Highland Cemetery in an unmarked grave, in Wichita Kansas. She is in Section 4 Lot 109 grave #7. She is buried by the McAfee family. Her daughter was Anna Richey McAfee. 

Information obtained from the burial records of the Highland Cemetery mention that Anna Richey was born in Cleveland Ohio and is the daughter of James and Caroline Richey. Caroline Richey married her cousin James Richey. Notice that Caroline's name is spelled Ritchey and Richey. At the time of her death, she was Mrs. Ratliff. I cannot find the name of her husband, after many hours of research. Mr. Ratliff must have died before 1878 because there is no mention of him in Caroline's obituary, it only mentions her 15-year-old daughter. 

Caroline's daughter Anna Richey married Abraham McAfee in 1884. Abraham McAfee and his family were very prominent and highly respected people in Wichita Kansas as are their descendants today. Abraham McAfee served in the Spanish American War and Abraham's father Jacob McAfee served in the U.S. Union Army Troops in the Civil war.