John M. E. Riedel, born December 2, 1865, in St. Louis, Missouri, to John and Margaret Riedel, was a diligent and hardworking student throughout his early life. These attributes were ingrained upon him by his father whose profession as a teacher led them to settle in Fort Wayne. John attended Concordia College, and following graduation, began an apprenticeship with the architecture firm of T.S. Tolan & Sons of Fort Wayne. He worked there for three years focusing on grasping the science and art of architecture. After his tenure with Tolan & Sons, he moved to the firm of H.W. Matson for another few years to master his skills before setting off on his own. His hard work and fortitude in his professionalism allowed him to establish his own firm in January 1889. In 1902, John married Helen M. Achard with whom he had a son, Carl.

John’s unqualified success and his skilled abilities led him to design and supervise many public and private buildings in Fort Wayne Indiana. In 1949, he passed away and was buried in Concordia Lutheran Cemetery in Fort Wayne, Indiana.