DIED

RICKLY--Last Wednesday afternoon at about 2:30 the long and eventful life of John Rickly came to a close. His death was rather sudden, after an illness of about a week.
Mr. Rickly was born in Switzerland March 19, 1815, and was 74 years old the day before his death. He came to this country in 1843, and settled soon after at Columbus, Ohio. In 1856 he came to Nebraska and has led a remarkable life since. He was one of the founders of Columbus, and for years was one of the best known and noted men in the territory and state. He has been twice married, and was the father of 13 children, 10 of whom are now living. All except one will be at his funeral, which occurs at 3 o'clock to-day. Mayor North has issued a proclamation calling for a suspension of business during the funeral hours. Mr. Rickly's life and services were too valuable and notable to be passed with this slight mention, and we will devote more space in a later issue to the life and work of the honored citizen who has passed away.

[Additional write-up from the The Columbus Journal]

The Columbus Journal, March 27, 1889
DIED
RICKLY--At his residence in this city, Wednesday, March 22d, 2:30 p.m., of pleuro-pneumonia, John Rickly, aged 74 years and 1 day.
The funeral took place Friday afternoon from the residence, Rev. O. V. Rice preaching the sermon. The Congregational choir sang--"I would not live always," and Mr. Rickly's favorite, "Shall we gather at the river?" The Maennerchor rendered "The Bards' song" and "The resting place."
The mortal remains were viewed by the large number of old friends and acquaintances present, the features being full and distinct as in life. Nothing in all nature could have been found more fitting the occasion than the floral offerings of the children and other relatives, as suggestive of the Summer Land beyond the river, as well as the trials past here--a boquet [sic], a wreath, a cross, and a beautiful pillow, emblem of rest after the toils, trials and tribulations of earth.
The old friends who born the casket to the waiting hearse were J. P. Becker, Fred. Gottschalk, Charles Reinke, Dr. C. B. Stillman, Jacob Guter and Jacob Lewis, and the large concourse slowly and thoughtfully followed to the last resting place at the cemetery, the Cornet Band rendering very appropriate dirges, intoning in touching strains the trials and sorrows of this mortal life, the inconsolable grief of friends at the departure of their beloved, and the triumph of the departed soul, freed from cares here, and present with the loved ones beyond the river.
At the grave the last sad rites were closed with a "Good Evening Song" by the Maennerchor and appropriate prayer by Rev. Rice.
[...and...] John Rickly, the subject of this sketch, was born in Buetzberg, Canton Bern, Switzerland, March 19th, 1815, and was one of a family of eighteen children.
In 1834 he came to Franklin Co., Ohio, and in 1838 moved to Columbus marrying on the 22d of February that year, Miss Katharine Hendri, by whom he had five children, Mrs. Mary Becher, John J. Rickly, Mrs. Katharine Toncray, Mrs. Caroline Dale and Elizabeth Rickly, the latter and Mrs. Toncray now deceased. In 1856, with his family he removed to the then territory of Nebraska and settled in this city. His first wife having died, on the 1st of August, 1849, Mr. Rickly married Miss Caroline Bauer. Their children are W.T. Rickly, Mrs. O.H. Archer, Chas. Rickly, Mrs. G.W. Burke, Albert Rickly, Mrs. Jacob Wagner, Augustus Rickly and Samuel Rickly, all of whom except Augustus survive their father.
Mr. Rickly was president of the Columbus Town Co., organized August 30, 1856, and we believe kept it alive to the day of his death. During the earlier years of this young city, he was very active in everything that pertained to its welfare and withal very vigilant against the schemes of other communities to injure the future prospects of Columbus.
A strict partisan, politically, not alone in Ohio where at its capital city, he was prominent in the democratic councils, but here also he was time and again honored by his fellows as a leader. Time and again he had been elected to the City Council and had been its President, a representative-elect to the territorial legislature, a candidate for legislative honors several times, and in 1856 he was a delegate to the national convention at Cincinnati, which nominated Buchanan for the presidency. He was a democrat, without any reservations or concessions of any kind, and adhered strictly to party lines, not allowing them, however, to at all interfere with his personal friendships. He was very pronounced in his likes and dislikes, and unusually liberal in his estimate of his fellow-men. Plain and unassuming himself, he hated every species of cant and hypocrisy, but was a firm admirer of men of intellect and worth, whatever their beliefs, religious or political. He evidently wished to regard men in the light of their actual worth in character, and not in the light of their professions merely.
He had for years been troubled with asthma and rheumatism, and at times, notably in 1881, had been very seriously ill. His fatal sickness was contracted the Thursday night before his death and he suffered a great deal, being more or less unconscious, however. A few moments before his death he was walking around in his room, supported by two of his sons.
He had often expressed a wish to die before he should become helpless by old age or sickness, and during his last illness said he was ready to go.
No word can assuage the grief of the children at the departure to the spirit world of a loving and indulgent father, but they have the assurance of meeting father and mother in the Summer Land. Peace to his memory.

BIO
JOHN RICKLY

John Rickly was born in Canton Berne, Switzerland, March 19, 1815. He attended school in Switzerland and was an apprentice of the butcher trade. He immigrated to the United States in 1834, landing in New York on April 4. He worked at his trade in New York City for a few weeks and then went to Lewis County, New York, and started a brick yard. He carried on this business for one year. Following this he went to Albany, where he worked at his trade for one packing season.
He left Albany with one dollar in his pocket, and walked to Rome, New York, from Schenectady. During that winter, he worked on a farm in Cayuga County. in the meantime, his family had located in Ohio, where nine of them, including his parents, had died during an epidemic. He searched for the remainder of the family and found them at Baltimore, Ohio, where he obtained work on the reservoir of the canal. That fall, he opened a meat market at Newark, Ohio, where he remained until 1838.

John Rickly was married two times. His first wife was Catherina Benningus, who was born in Wurttemberg, Germany, whom he married on February 22, 1838. After their marriage, they moved to Columbus, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Rickly had five children: Mary E., the wife of Francis G. Becher; John J.; Caroline, the wife of William B. Dale, and the mother of Courtney Dale, of Omaha; Catherine, the wife of E. W. Toncray, of Columbus, died in 1873; and one child who died in infancy. Mrs. Rickly died in the spring of 1849.

In the summer of 1849, John Rickly was married to Caroline Bauer, a sister of Tobias Bauer, who afterwards lived in Columbus. Caroline Bauer Rickly was also a native of Wurttemberg, Germany. John and Caroline Bauer Rickly had seven children: William Tell; Louise, the wife of John Archer; Charlese (sic); Rosina, the wife of George Burke, and the mother of Marguerite Burke of Omaha; Albert, born in Columbus, Nebraska, in November, 1858, was said to have been the first white boy born here; Augusta, who was born in 1862, was the wife of Jacob Wagner, and was the mother of Mrs. Louise Wagner Irwin of Columbus; and Samuel. Caroline Bauer Rickly died in 1864 in Columbus, Nebraska.

Mr. Rickly had come to Omaha, Nebraska, in July, 1856, and arrived in Columbus on July 26 where he helped to survey the townsite. In 1857, he moved his family to Omaha, and later moved them to Columbus, Nebraska. On August 1, 1857, he erected the first saw and grist mill in Columbus, the plant being located on the north bank of the Loup River, just west of where the Loup Ferry was in operation. He continued in this business until 1872. He took an active part in the early settlement and organization of Platte County, and was a captain in the Pawnee Indian War of 1859

John Rickly was three times a candidate for the Territorial Legislature, and was elected the third time, defeating the man who had twice defeated him. He served as sheriff of the county for one term and as a member of the city council. He was affiliated with the Democratic Party.


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You can find the brief obit about John Rickly from the old newspapers located on the website of Platte County, Nebraska Researchers located HERE it's listed under 1889.

The Bio of his life was taken from M. Curry and is located HERE