Roy Wilford Riegle (April 27, 1896 – February 2, 1988), known as Wilford, was an American attorney, politician and Member of the Kansas House of Representatives. He met his future wife, Keith, while attending

Kansas State Normal School Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Em ...

during the 1910s. Before marriage, however, he was called to duty during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as part of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

in Company L, 137th Infantry, 35th Division. Aside from serving as the longest-practicing attorney in Lyons County, Wilford was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of both the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for craftin ...

and the

Kansas Senate The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members ...

for multiple terms. In 1973, he took office as the Grand Master of the

Knights Templar (Freemasonry) The Knights Templar, full name The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta, is a fraternal order affiliated with Freemasonry. Unlike the initial degrees conferred in a ...

both nationally and overseas. After a series of strokes and declining health, Colonel Riegle died on February 2, 1988.

References

Republican Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives 1896 births 1988 deaths 20th-century American politicians Republican Party Kansas state senators Washburn University alumni Emporia State University alumni United States Army personnel of World War I {{Kansas-politician-stub