Ringelberg’s ‘Recollections’ Reveal Humor, Humanity

By ANGELA KELLOGG-HENRY

Cleaver Managing Editor

Jon Ringelberg’s new book is a bit different than his half dozen or so other historical works about Clare County. This book is more personal, pulling from his own experiences as a legal research attorney, district judge, general practice & defense attorney, Social Security judge, business law instructor, mediation panelist, and DoD hearing officer. Most of his career was spent in Clare County where he was also public guardian.

Ringelberg was and will remain Michigan’s youngest elected District Court Judge. He was elected in 1968 at age 26 and later the law changed to become a judge in Michigan, one must have been admitted to the practice of law for at least five years. He served as District Court Judge from 1969 to 1985. During that time, he presided over small and large cases, gaining a unique and intimate knowledge of the people of Clare County.

Readers may recall the many years that the Cleaver ran Jon Ringelberg’s historic legal cases on this page. He synopsized thousands of legal cases from 1871 through 1950 which are historical and genealogical treasures. Copies of his legal cases are held locally and at the Library of Michigan. While his new book is not a synopsis of the actual cases he presided over it’s an honest and often funny view from the bench.

Ringelberg describes his new book as a look into the “often bizarre, sometimes hilarious, sometimes painful, and unpredictable world of small-town law.” Rough drafts of his “Recollections” have been in the works for years.

Ringelberg was interviewed in 2012 in the Cleaver and spoke of his admiration and respect for the late Honorable Donald F. Holbrook. His new book has a few stories from his early years working for Holbrook.

“He was true to his beliefs and not afraid to take a controversial stand.” Said Ringelberg.

Those same attributes apply to Ringelberg, as I’m sure anyone who knows him will agree. Ringelberg maintains his license to practice law, and he approaches his work in the historical society and to his writing projects with the same distinct analytical framework as his past legal work.

While he wasn’t interested in writing an entire book on some historical subjects like the infamous Jim Carr and Maggie Duncan story. He still published a few copies of what he calls a “Historical Compendium”. Basically, research material that Ringelberg in true lawyer fashion separates into two sections; primary documents and facts and all the stories and lore that came later.

While Ringelberg is a self-proclaimed curmudgeon (he even has a shirt) claiming he’ll retire and has stepped down from some of his official duties at the Clare County Historical Society he keeps finding projects. Or they keep finding him. Next up is his 5-volume set of books about Michigan log marks.

Ringelberg is a 40-year member of the Clare County Historical Society and has lived in Clare County since 1967 with his wife and family. Ringelberg’s love of local history and his research have produced 6 books, numerous compilations, and the synopsis of over 4,500 Clare County Circuit Court legal cases from 1871 through 1950.