Chester Columbus Ritchie ^{2 3 4 5 6}

  General Notes:

He was living with his grandfather William N. Head at the time of the 1910 census. When Chester registered for the WWI draft 5 Jun 1917, he was farming for himself in Alvarado, Johnson County, Texas. He was married. At the time of the 1920 and 1930 census, he was listed as a farmer. His (step) grandmother Alice Head was living with them. His mother, Mrs. Seale, and his half-brothers William and John, were in the same house in 1920 but listed as a separate family.

Excerpt from "Johnson County History"

He lived on the farm his grandfather William Head carved out of the wilderness.

Chet was born on the place where he now lives, although not in the same house. He was born in the same log and frame house in which his mother was born, a little to the northwest of his great grandfather's home. He said this old home was chinked with rock and mud. The kitchen (also log) was off from the main house. It had a dirt floor and a huge fireplace for cooking. Ever so often a huge backlog would be cut for the fireplace and carried through the large door, the dog arms taken out and the log put in place. This would burn for several days, while the front logs were added as needed. This farm is east and north of the M.K.&T. railroad from Fort Worth to Alvarado, on Farm Road 810.

Ritchie said that when he was going to school there were 85 or 90 pupils and one teacher, who had three classes going at the same time. He says that about 42 years ago the old log buildings were torn down and new schools built according to State specifications.

Social Security had his last residence as Alvarado, Johnson County, Texas. ⁶

Chet married Mittie Ottis Wilmoth, daughter of Francis M. Wilmoth and Mary A. Copeland, on 24 Dec 1916.¹ (Mittie Ottis Wilmoth was born on 1 Jun 1894 in Texas,¹¹ died on 7 Nov 1970 in Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas ^{9 11} and was buried in Bethany Cemetery, Alvarado, Johnson County, Texas ¹⁰.)