Reunion! Ritter Family Reunion, 1944 PA; Canceled!

Here is another in this series of Ritter family reunions, begun in 1898. The attendants are descendants of the four Ritter brothers: Paul, Heinrich, Martin & Caspar. This is a reunion that did not happen.

This article mentions people who usually attended from Ohio. My Ritter family was living in Ohio at that time.

Unfortunately, the Ritter reunion, begun in 1898, had to be canceled because of World War II and "unfavorable conditions."

Ritter Reunion Canceled Due to War Conditions

 

Ritter family reunion will not be held this year because of the gas shortage and other unfavorable conditions due to the war, Elias Ritter, North Market Street, announced today. Omission of the reunion was decided on by consent of the family. The reunion was to have been held during the last week in August at Rolling Green Park.

 

The Ritter family reunion is always an important event of the summer here as the family is one of the largest and most prominent of the section. Several hundred persons always attend and come from many states, about 25 or 30 attending from Ohio.

 

The family is looking forward to an even larger and happier gathering after the war.

The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA

2 Aug 1944, page 9

Newspapers.com

 

 

Reunion! 1917 Ritter Family Reunion, PA; 19th Reunion!

Here is another in this series of Ritter family reunions, begun in 1898. The attendants are descendants of the four Ritter brothers: Paul, Heinrich, Martin & Caspar. Each newspaper report give us a little more information into this family.

It is difficult to determine how many more reunions were held by the family. There are short notices in the 1920s telling of reunions to be held but no account of the actual events. Also, smaller reunions were held. We can tell those were not the full gathering from 1898 because they boast of a "fifth annual" or similar event which does not reach back to the origin of the big family group. 

The number of family members at these reunions varied each year. In 1902 "fully 1,000 representatives" were there. 1906 reported 2,000 people and 1909 claimed 800 were there for the activities. The 1916 reunion was "slimly attended" but his one had "several hundred" members of the family present. 

Reunion for the Descendants of 4 brothers:

 

Paul Ritter, 1713 Germany – 1799 PA

Heinrich Ritter, c 1715 Germany - Jan 1797 PA

Martin Ritter, 1718 Germany – 1789 PA

Casper Ritter, c 1720 Germany – 1792 PA

 

 

 

Iowa Visitors at Family Reunion

Several Hundred Descendants of Clan Meet at Dorsey Park

 

 

Several hundred members of the Ritter family, attended the nineteenth annual reunion, held yesterday at Dorsey Park. Ritters and their descendants from many parts of the state and as far west as Des Moines, Iowa, were present at yesterday’s gathering, which was one of the best yet held. 

 

The Ritter family historian traces ancestors as far back as 1732, when four brothers, Casper, Martin, Phillip [Paul] and Henry [Heinrich], settled in parts of Lehigh and Bucks county. They came to this country from Zwebrucken, Germany and were thrifty and energetic farmers.

 

Yesterday’s program consisted of the opening selection “America,” audience; prayer, Rev. J. E. Freeman; address of welcome, P. S. Ritter [possibly Parson Scott Ritter], this city, president; Howard Ritter, this city, vice-president; C. Viola Ritter, this city, recording secretary; John Bear, R. F. D. No. 1, corresponding secretary, I. J. Ritter, this city, financial secretary, and Mrs. C. Diefenderfer, Casasauqua, treasurer. The executive committee will be appointed later. The time and place of the 20^th annual reunion will be selected when the executive committee is appointed. 

 

 

The Allentown Democrat, Allentown PA

9 August 1917, page 5

Newspapers.com

I am related to the Ritter family through my paternal grandmother, 

Ivy R. Mark Brown.