Ritter, Harry N. 1905-1980

RITTER, RAIRDON, SORENSON, DECATUR, SMITH, SEIBERLING, RANIER, CLARK

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 10/31/2009 at 16:44:27

Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register; Dec. 11, 1980

HARRY RITTER SERVICES TODAY

Harry N. Ritter, 75, of Rock Creek, a retired Grinnell businessman, died Monday evening, Dec. 8, at his home. Death was the result of an apparent heart attack.

Funeral services for Mr. Ritter will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. today at the Smith Funeral Home, with the Rev. James P. Russell of the Grinnell United Methodist Church officiating. Organist will be Kathleen Heffner, and pallbearers will be Walter A. Barnes, Lyman G. Case, Verl Garwood, Allen L. Latcham, Wendell Kooistra and Richard C. Seeland. Masonic rites will be conducted by Clark Watkins and members of Hermon Masonic Lodge No. 273, AF and AM. Burial will be at Hazelwood Cemetery.

Should friends desire, memorials in Mr. Ritter's name may be made to Grinnell General Hospital and left at the funeral home.

The son of Harry R. and Carrie Ada Rairdon Ritter, he was born on Sept. 19, 1905, in Searsboro. At the age of 4, he moved to Grinnell with his family and attended Grinnell schools. He was captain of the 1926 Grinnell High School football team.

On Dec. 31, 1936, he was married to Margaret Ann Sorenson at Minneapolis, Minn.

Mr. Ritter was a longtime Grinnell merchant, running a Maytag washer dealership since 1934. In later years he opened Harry's Sport Shop, and also owned a Maytag store and laundromat in Montezuma. He retired in 1974.

For many years, Mr. Ritter was active in youth activities and was instrumental in establishing the Little League, Babe Ruth and other baseball programs in Grinnell.

Survivors include his wife, Ann; his children, Betty Decatur of Grinnell and Jack A. Ritter of Becker, Minn.; three grandchildren; two sisters, Ruth Smith of Novato, Calif., and Alliene Seiberling of Orange, Calif.; and two brothers, Frank Ritter of Ocala, Fla.; and Francis M. (Bill) Ritter of Phoenix, Ariz. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Vera Ranier and Hazel Clark.