BIO: Ritter, John A., M.D., Jessamine Co, KY - Orange Co, IN -------------------------------------------- Contributed for use in USGENWEB Archives by: Diana Flynn Date: June 18, 1998 -------------------------------------------- **************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net. ***************************************************************************** RITTER, CARTER, BUTLER, BROWN, JACKMAN, EASLEY, ELROD "HISTORY OF LAWRENCE, ORANGE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES, INDIANA" GOODSPEED BROS. 1884 ORANGEVILLE TOWNSHIP, ORANGE COUNTY, INDIANA PAGE 630 JOHN A. RITTER, M.D., of the firm of Ritter & Carter, was born in Jessamine County, Ky., January 3, 1819, being the youngest of three children born to John and Agnes (Butler) Ritter. His father was a native of Kentucky, his mother of Virginia, the former dying in his native State, while our subject was quite young. John came to Indiana in about 1839, his mother having preceded him one year. After receiving an ordinary education he commenced reading medicine, which he abandoned at the end of one year, again resuming the study three years later, then taking a course of lectures at Louisville, graduating at Indianapolis some time later. October 28, 1845, he married Margaret Carter, and nine children have been born, of whom seven are living: Harriet F., wife of Lewis P. Brown; John A., who married Sarah Jackman; Thomas B., whose wife was Mattie Easley; William V., who married Kittie E. Elrod; James K., Orlando H. and Margaret E. B. Those deceased are Theophilus C. and Mary M. The Doctor has long enjoyed a large and lucrative practice over quite an extent of territory, having succeeded in amassing quite an amount of property, owning about 1,000 acres of land. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is Trustee and Steward. He also belongs to the Odd Fellows' fraternity. In November, 1860, he enlisted as a volunteer private, and in the organization of the company he was chosen Captain; later he was promoted to the office of Regimental Surgeon, and was in the service two years, participating in a number of important engagements, and was discharged on account of disability. In politics he is a stanch Republican. Dr. Ritter has long taken an active interest in the continuance and prosperity of the County Medical Society, of which organization a fuller account is found elsewhere.