Ridgeway Family

The Ridgeway family has 10 children (including 2 deceased children) and at least 20 grandchildren from parents Gregg and Kathie Ridgeway.

## Family Members

### Children

Michael Ridgeway, Isaiah Ridgeway, Fedrick Ridgeway, Leah Ridgeway, Jacob Ridgeway, Tara Ridgeway, Nathan Ridgeway, Grace Beal, Phoebe Ridgeway, Jeremy Ridgeway

### Grandchildren

Addison Gallegos, Maurecia Gallegos, Lucas Ridgeway, Haley Ridgeway, Jezebel Ridgeway, Olivia Gallegos, Samuel Ridgeway, Kaelyn Ridgeway, Logan Ridgeway, Lexi Ridgeway, Mason Gallegos, Jocelyn Ridgeway, Hannah Ridgeway, Elissa Ridgeway, Elizabeth Ridgeway, Bella Gallegos, Lyric Ridgeway, Charlie Ridgeway, Boy Ridgeway, Joelle Ridgeway

## Family

* Gregg Kent Ridgeway - born on April 15, 1946 (age 76)
* Kathleen "Kathie" Elizabeth Toth - born on February 26, 1955 (age 67)

**Anniversary:** November 16, 1974

**Children**

### **Michael's Family**

Brielle Mitchell - born on September 17, 1981 (age 41)

**Anniversary:** March 3, 2012

### **Fedrick's Family**

Shannon Webber - born on October 3, 1986 (age 36)

**Anniversary:** June 27, 2015

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### **Leah's Family**

John Gallegos

**Anniversary:** August 1, 2009

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### **Jacob's Family**

Leslie Lynn Frischman - born on July 3, 1986 (age 36)

**Anniversary:** February 4, 2012 (wedding featured on *19 Kids and Counting* episode "Frigells Down the Aisle")

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### **Grace's Family**

Matthias Beal

**Anniversary:** July 19, 2020

## Beliefs and Practices

### Institute in Basic Life Principles

The Ridgeway family is heavily involved with the Institute in Basic Life Principles. IBLP is mentioned in some of their earliest blog posts from 2005, at which time several of the older children had already begun teaching with the institute.

As of 2017, Michael, Jacob, Nathan, and Phoebe are all working at the IBLP headquarters in Big Sandy, TX, and Tara and Grace are both working for affiliated ministries.

### Homeschooling

Michael and Isaiah Ridgeway began kindergarten at a public school, but were pulled after their parents were unhappy with the negative influence the other children had on them. The Ridgeway children were homeschooled from then on. They called their homeschooling Gloria Dei Academy.

### Chores

The Ridgeways raised their children with chores. Unlike many of their friends, they did not allow gender roles to influence their chores, giving their children a more well-rounded knowledge of household tasks.

### Courting

Although what is known about the relationships between adult children and romantic interests suggests that the family follows the same courtship model displayed my many of their friends (including limited physical contact and chaperoned dates), they have not officially stated any one set of rules.

## Mission Work

### Mongolia

The Ridgeway family served as missionaries in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from June 23, 2005, to July 11, 2007. Much of their time there was spent teaching character training and English classes.

### Korea

From mid-2010 to July, 2011, most of the family served as missionaries in Korea, where they helped teaching English classes.

## Death of Isaiah

On November 3, 2005, while the family was living in Mongolia, Isaiah Ridgeway had to be medically evacuated to Seoul, Korea, after a month of bed rest from an infection in his foot. He was unconscious by the time he and his parents arrived in Seoul, and once landing it was determined that he had a brain hemorrhage. He was pronounced dead at 1:30pm on November 4, 2005.

His funeral was held at the First Church of Ulaanbaatar in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on November 9, 2005, at which time he was buried. A memorial service was held for his friends and family back in the US at Summit Church in St. Paul, MN, a week later.