Mr. John G. Prindle, principal of the high school at Ilion, was born at Williamstown, Massachusetts, July 4, 1890, and is a son of John F. and Lucy A. (Bridges) Prindle, the latter of whom also was born at Williamstown, December 3, 1852, and is still living there. She is a daughter of Edwin Chauncey and Antoinette Ursula (Cole) Bridges, the latter of whom was born at New Ashford, Massachusetts, June 26, 1824, and spent all her life there, her death occurring on September 23, 1876. Edwin Chauncey Bridges also was born at Williamstown, January 12, 1822, and spent his life there, a farmer, his death occurring on April 13, 1876. He was a son of Samuel and Irene (Smedley) Bridges, both of whom were members of old families at Williamstown, both the Bridges and the Smedley families having been found in the Massachusetts commonwealth since Colonial days. The late John F. Prindle, who was a substantial farmer at Williamstown, was for long one of the selectmen of that place and for two terms (1899-1907) served as a member of the lower house of the Massachusetts general assembly. He died at his home in Williamstown on April 23, 1914. He was a son of Parley Johnson and Wealthy Asenath (Nichols) Prindle, the latter of whom was born at Middlebury, Vermont. She died at her home in Williamstown, Massachusetts, January 13, 1901. Parley Johnson Prindle was a native of Cooperstown, New York, who for many years made his residence in Williamstown, where his last days were spent. He was a member of the state legislature in 1853 and was a substantial farmer. His parents, Saul and Penelope (Johnson) Prindle, farming people, were both members of old families of the Cooperstown neighborhood. The Prindles are of old English stock and the name originally was Pringle. Mr. Prindle's maternal grandmother, Antoinette Ursula (Cole) Bridges, was a daughter of Leonard and Miriam (Rice) Cole, the latter of whom was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, August 20, 1821, a member of one of the old families there. Leonard Cole was born in Cheshire, Massachusetts, but his last days were spent in Williamstown, where he died on December 22, 1867.
Reared in Williamstown, John G. Prindle was graduated from the high school there in 1909. He then entered Williams College and in 1913 was graduated from that institution with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He supplemented this schooling by a course in Columbia University and one session at the New York State College for Teachers and has ever since been devoting his time to the science and profession of teaching. Upon receiving his diploma from Williams College, Mr. Prindle became engaged as a teacher of science and athletic instructor and principal of a grade school at Little Falls, New York. He was thus employed until September, 1920, when he was engaged by the school board of Ilion to enter upon the duties of principal of the high school at that place, and since has been engaged in that responsible capacity. Mr. Prindle is a York Rite and Royal Arch Mason and is affiliated with the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets, and a member of Khorassan Grotto, No. 2, at Ilion. His blue lodge connection is with Little Falls Lodge No. 181, where he also is affiliated with Astrogan Chapter No. 161, with the Knights Templars Commandery No. 26, and is a past master of the Masonic lodge at Little Falls. He is an active member of the Ilion Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the board of directors of that body. He and his wife are members of the First Presbyterian church and are republicans in politics.
On December 13, 1915, at Little Falls, New York, Mr. Prindle was united in marriage to Miss Ruth Decker and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Ruth Ann, born in Little Falls on June 4, 1918. Mrs. Prindle also was born in Little Falls and was graduated from the high school there in 1912. She then became engaged in clerical work in the office of Superintendent DeCamp of the public schools of that place and was thus associated with the work of the schools until her marriage. Mrs. Prindle was born on August 9, 1894, and is a daughter of Harry Simms and Agnes (Haupt) Decker, the latter of whom was born at Newville, New York, December 18, 1872, and is now living in Little Falls. The late Harry Simms Decker also was born in Newville and was a son of Edwin Vernon and Sarah (Simms) Decker, both of whom were born in Newville, members of old families in that section of the state. Both spent their last days at Little Falls, where Edwin Vernon Decker was a farmer and where he also for years operated a livery stable. Harry Simms Decker for some years was the proprietor of a stationery store at Little Falls and also for some time carried on a general livery business there, caring for both the automobile trade and the horse trade. He died in Little Falls on January 15, 1921.