Fredrick Floyd "Fred" Ritchie, 100, formerly of Belpre, died peacefully in his sleep, Saturday, January 31, 2015, at Highland Oaks Rest Home in McConnelsville. He was born January 20, 1915 at Mile Run in Washington County to Floyd Leroy and Mahala Isabel Hawkins Ritchie. Fred made his living at a young man cutting timber with a crosscut saw, then welded for Remington Rand Corporation and then had been an operating engineer working through Ohio Local #18, where he was a member for nearly 60 years. He was a 1934 graduate of Marietta High School and had been a lifetime member of both the Eagles and Elks lodges. Fred was a great outdoorsman and loved hunting and fishing. He was an outstanding athlete and won many baseball, bowling and horseshoe trophies. Fred is survived by six children, Ronnie of Florida, Roger (Jane) of Georgia, Douglas (Yvonne) of Williamstown, WV, Jody Anderson of Richmond, VA, Dane (Anita) of Belpre and Jan E. Miller of Marietta; sixteen grandchildren, Jill Showalter (Bill), Holly Freed (Adam), Adam Ritchie (Andrea), Rick Ritchie (Sherry), Charlene Fancey (Lynn), Rusty Ritchie (Rhonda), Eric Ritchie (Stacy), Brian Ritchie (Jody), Blake Ritchie (Amanda), Blane Ritchie (Linda), Jennifer Duley (Kenneth), Erica Sayres, Jacob Ritchie, Nefi Anderson Phares, Cassandra Anderson and Karina Bennett (Tim), 29 great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild. He was preceded in death by his wives of three marriages and two sons, Duane and Gerald Ritchie. Funeral services will be held at the Marietta Chapel of Cawley & Peoples Funeral Home on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at 11:00 a.m., with Pastor Rick and Sherry Ritchie officiating. The family will greet friends on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Burial will be in Gravel Bank Cemetery.
