Ringhoffer Family Papers, 1880-1962

Stephen Ringhoffer was born in Gunz, Hungary in 1857 and emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1866. The family located in Kansas and later to St. Louis, Missouri, where in 1875 Stephen and his brother Joseph started a saddle tree factory. In February of 1880 Stephen came to Walla Walla, starting another saddle tree business here. His brother joined him in 1882. The two continued in business together as the Ringhoffer Brothers until their retirement in 1917. Mr. Ringhoffer married Miss Louisa Meyer of Walla Walla in 1888.

Herbert Ringhoffer, son of Stephen and Louisa, was born in 1894. He graduated from Whitman College in 1916, and from Harvard Law School in 1919. He served on the board of governors of the State Bar Association. He was a member of the board of trustees of Whitman College for 21 years, president of the Walla Walla Federal Savings and Loan, and a director of the First Federal Savings and Loan Association.

Stephen M. Ringhoffer, son of Herbert, was born in 1926 in Walla Walla. He graduated from Walla Walla High School in 1943 and completed one year at Whitman College before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. He served two and a half years in the South Pacific theater as a radio technician. He returned to Whitman after his service. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and graduated in 1948. He studied law at Harvard and earned his degree in 1951. He returned to Walla Walla to join his father in law practice. In 1953, he married Winnifred Collier of Shelton, Washington.

Winnifred Collier Ringhoffer was born in Seattle, Washington in 1928. She attended high school in Shelton, WA. She earned degrees from Whitman College in 1950 and Boston University in 1952. She taught music in public schools in Baker, Oregon, and Walla Walla before coming to Whitman College to teach music, particulary voice, in 1953. She also appeared as a soloist with the Walla Walla Symphony and in community theatre productions and presented many recitals.