1936
Teresa
2022
Teresa D. (Ivdahl) Ridgeway
May 10, 1936 — January 3, 2022
Teresa Ridgeway Obituary
Teresa Drivdahl Ridgeway, 85, of Chaplin died peacefully at home surrounded by her family on January 3, 2022. She was born on Mother’s Day May 10, 1936 to Margaret (Lamach) and Emil Drivdahl of Big Timber, Montana. Her father was a sheep rancher and she began life on a homestead in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains and attended grade school in a one room schoolhouse. She graduated from Sweet Grass County High School where she excelled in academics, was selected to attend Montana Girl’s State, and was editor of the school newspaper. Growing up and throughout high school, Teresa participated in 4-H; she enjoyed all the activities but especially enjoyed showing sheep in the county fair where she once won grand champion showmanship. Teresa attended the University of Montana where she received a B.A. in English with a minor in French. While in college, she lived in the Synadelphic House where she met many lifelong friends. She also joined the Lutheran student group, gained an appreciation for the arts with her friends’ self-named group the Culture Vultures, and found a passion for skiing. After college, Teresa began teaching in Kalispell, MT and later taught in Fife, Washington. During this time she skied whenever she could. Teresa was generally up for an adventure and decided to take a job teaching English in Cambodia. After several years of teaching and many travels around the region, she met Hallas Ridgeway (originally from Connecticut) who was a civil engineer building roads with the Federal Highways. After a short courtship, they married. They lived for about a year in Cambodia and Laos, before returning to the states (Connecticut) for 2 years where Teresa taught at Coventry High School before Hal was sent to Brazil. A year later their first child, Lesley, was born. They once again returned to the U.S. and spent a year in Washington DC, where their second child Benton was born. When Hal decided to go to UConn, the Ridgeway’s bought their current home in Chaplin, CT where their third child, Kristoffer was born. In the barn of the house, they found a large old loom and this began a new passion for Teresa, weaving. This worked well with being able to stay at home with the kids. She was ever the teacher from teaching fellow weavers to school children and an Autistic woman later in life how to weave. Teresa was an artist throughout her life. She became the first Master Weaver in the Connecticut Handweavers Guild and has had pieces displayed at the Universities of Connecticut and of Montana. She also did some spinning of wool from the sheep and dying of her own yarn. Early on she learned crocheting and embroidery from her grandmother and in college knitting. She made many beautiful sweaters for friends and family. In addition, Teresa enjoyed keeping sheep and goats and gardening. Many of her flowers would end up on the alter at church. Teresa had a strong relationship with God and was an active member at Chaplin Congregational and later Windham Center Congregational Church. Teresa and Hal enjoyed being active and traveling. They would cross-country ski and hike. Teresa also enjoyed biking and walking with friends. They drove and camped across the U.S. several times with and without children while visiting friends and relatives. They also traveled overseas, returning to Cambodia as well as taking trips to Indonesia, Hong Kong, Norway, England, and Portugal. Teresa was predeceased by her husband Hal and her brother David and is survived by her children Lesley Sweeney and her husband Steve of Mansfield, Benton Ridgeway and his wife Cristina of Plymouth, and Kristoffer Ridgeway and his wife Charlene of Simsbury, grandchildren Emily, Erin, Ryan, Theodore, Samantha, Noah, and Isaiah, her brothers Emil of Seattle Washington, John and his wife Sylvia of Denton, Montana, and Martin and his wife Suzanne of Helena, Montana, and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. A joint memorial service for Teresa and Hal will be held on May 14, 2022 at 11:00am at the First Congregational Church of Windham, 4 Windham Center Rd, Windham, CT and will be followed by an outdoor reception at their home in Chaplin.
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in memory of Teresa D. (Drivdahl) Ridgeway, please visit our floral store.
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Teresa Drivdahl Ridgeway, 85, of Chaplin died peacefully at home surrounded by her family on January 3, 2022. She was born on Mother’s Day May 10, 1936 to Margaret (Lamach) and Emil Drivdahl of Big Timber, Montana. Her father was a sheep rancher and she began life on a homestead in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains and attended grade school in a one room schoolhouse. She graduated from Sweet Grass County High School where she excelled in academics, was selected to attend Montana Girl’s State, and was editor of the school newspaper. Growing up and throughout high school, Teresa participated in 4-H; she enjoyed all the activities but especially enjoyed showing sheep in the county fair where she once won grand champion showmanship. Teresa attended the University of Montana where she received a B.A. in English with a minor in French. While in college, she lived in the Synadelphic House where she met many lifelong friends. She also joined the Lutheran student group, gained an appreciation for the arts with her friends’ self-named group the Culture Vultures, and found a passion for skiing. After college, Teresa began teaching in Kalispell, MT and later taught in Fife, Washington. During this time she skied whenever she could. Teresa was generally up for an adventure and decided to take a job teaching English in Cambodia. After several years of teaching and many travels around the region, she met Hallas Ridgeway (originally from Connecticut) who was a civil engineer building roads with the Federal Highways. After a short courtship, they married. They lived for about a year in Cambodia and Laos, before returning to the states (Connecticut) for 2 years where Teresa taught at Coventry High School before Hal was sent to Brazil. A year later their first child, Lesley, was born. They once again returned to the U.S. and spent a year in Washington DC, where their second child Benton was born. When Hal decided to go to UConn, the Ridgeway’s bought their current home in Chaplin, CT where their third child, Kristoffer was born. In the barn of the house, they found a large old loom and this began a new passion for Teresa, weaving. This worked well with being able to stay at home with the kids. She was ever the teacher from teaching fellow weavers to school children and an Autistic woman later in life how to weave. Teresa was an artist throughout her life. She became the first Master Weaver in the Connecticut Handweavers Guild and has had pieces displayed at the Universities of Connecticut and of Montana. She also did some spinning of wool from the sheep and dying of her own yarn. Early on she learned crocheting and embroidery from her grandmother and in college knitting. She made many beautiful sweaters for friends and family. In addition, Teresa enjoyed keeping sheep and goats and gardening. Many of her flowers would end up on the alter at church. Teresa had a strong relationship with God and was an active member at Chaplin Congregational and later Windham Center Congregational Church. Teresa and Hal enjoyed being active and traveling. They would cross-country ski and hike. Teresa also enjoyed biking and walking with friends. They drove and camped across the U.S. several times with and without children while visiting friends and relatives. They also traveled overseas, returning to Cambodia as well as taking trips to Indonesia, Hong Kong, Norway, England, and Portugal. Teresa was predeceased by her husband Hal and her brother David and is survived by her children Lesley Sweeney and her husband Steve of Mansfield, Benton Ridgeway and his wife Cristina of Plymouth, and Kristoffer Ridgeway and his wife Charlene of Simsbury, grandchildren Emily, Erin, Ryan, Theodore, Samantha, Noah, and Isaiah, her brothers Emil of Seattle Washington, John and his wife Sylvia of Denton, Montana, and Martin and his wife Suzanne of Helena, Montana, and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. A joint memorial service for Teresa and Hal will be held on May 14, 2022 at 11:00am at the First Congregational Church of Windham, 4 Windham Center Rd, Windham, CT and will be followed by an outdoor reception at their home in Chaplin.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Teresa D. (Drivdahl) Ridgeway, please visit our floral store.
Read More
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Teresa D. (Ivdahl) Ridgeway, please visit our flower store.
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