Everett S. Ritter

The history of the Everett Ritter, my third great-grandfather, line is full of speculation, but my knowledge is as follows:

Everett S. (probably Solomon) Ritter was born about 1810. He married Anna Goodwin on May 15, 1828 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. Elizabeth's brother, Sherley Goodwin, signed the marriage bond.  By 1836 Everett and his family were in Texas. In 1838 he was issued a Bounty Warrant for 320 acres after proving his citizenship. Everett was granted 5 Labors of land in Shelby County in 1850.  He served as a 2nd Lt. In Capt. Hooper's Co. Calvary, San Augustine in 1836. He would later file a Pension Application. He also served in Capt. Posey's Company. It is said that Everett participated in the Regulator-Moderator War.

The Ritter's had nine children. The first child, Elizabeth A. Ritter was born circa 1830, and this writer believes she was born in Tennessee. She married a Golden. Elizabeth died around 1866 to the best of my knowledge.  They had Sarah A., George, and Susan J. born ca 1852, and Rebecca, born ca 1853. Susan married B. A. Nail.  

The second child, William A. Ritter was born in 1833 in Tennessee. . He died at the Battle of Mansfield in DeSoto, LA. In April 1864. He was married to Mary Tabitha Sample in San Augustine County, Texas. Their children  (1) Sarah Ann (Joseph Tidwell) born ca 1856, died August 21, 1899. She is buried in Bethel Cemetery, Gary, Panola County, Texas.  (2) James Franklin, born February 16, 1857 in Gary, Panola County, Texas. He died Jan. 14, 1919. He married Georgia Ann Barnett February 10, 1878 in Panola County, Texas. (3) Mary Ritter, born circa 1858, (4) Elmira Ritter, born December 1858, and (5) William Everett born March 8, 1861.

Everett and Anna's third child was Benjamin Franklin Ritter. He was born June 11, 1834 in Tennessee and died Nov. 3, 1902. He was buried Nov. 4, 1902 at Bethel Cemetery in Gary, Panola County, Texas. He was married to Margaret A. Ball on January 14, 1858 in Panola County, Texas. They had nine children. Their first child was Jessie B. Ritter.  Their second child, James Everett Ritter was the father of Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter. Tex lived a wonderful life and was a generous man. Carthage, Texas in Panola County, Texas has a wonderful museum honoring this Texas legend. James was born Feb. 22, 1859 in Murvaul, Texas. He married Elizabeth Matthews December 20, 1894.They had four children.

The fourth child born was Sarah Ann Ritter in 1841. She died August 21, 1899 and is buried in Gary, Panola County, Texas. She married Laborn Augustus Barnett in 1833.

James Henry Ritter (my direct line) was born November 1842 in Texas. He died January 24, 1915 in Ragley and was buried Jan. 25, 1915 in Ragley, Panola County, Texas. He married first, Sarah Ball Jan. 1, 1868, and then Mary F. Ball March 3, 1870. Sarah was born around 1843 and died around 1869. James and Sarah had one child, John Samson Ritter, born July 17, 1869. Mary F. Ball was born around 1854 in Texas and died April 8, 1892 in Panola County, Texas. James and Mary had six children together, the first my great grandfather, James Edward Ritter, born December 1871 in Texas. James married Hannah Brown June 3, 1901 in Panola County, Texas.  Their second child, Mary Emma Ritter, born March 4, 1903 was my grandmother. The family story is that "Little Mama" was born in a wagon on the way home from visiting, so we were never sure where exactly she was born.  James and Mary's other children was Carrie A. Ritter, born September 1875. Carrie married Carl L. Carrico January 23, 1890 in Panola County, Texas. Carrie died March 29, 1929. They had Mary Elizabeth (b.Oct.1892), James H. (b. Oct., 1894) Mattie A. (b. Oct., 1896), Olivia (b. 1897), Homer L, (b. Feb. 1898), Walter, (b. 1900), Booty (b. 1904), Ruby (b. 1910), and twins Roy and Troy (b. Sept. 8, 1916). James and Mary's third child was Nettie J. Ritter b. 1878. Next was Henry H. born 1880. Next was Levi M. Ritter, born April 1887 and deceased before 1987. Their last child was Benjamin L., born Sept. 1889. 

Mary F. Ritter was born around 1847 and was married December 24, 1867 in Panola County, Texas to B. Talten Branch. They had one daughter, Martha Ann Branch, born Jan. 16, 1873 in Panola County, Texas. She married a Haynes. Martha died March 1, 1961 in Jasper, Jasper County, Texas. They had one daughter, Emma Lee Branch. born Aug. 15, 1898. 

Everett and Anna next had Susan Caroline born in 1848 in Texas and died in 1924. She was married on October 13, 1869 to Reubin R. Sessum. Reubin was born Feb. 1848 in Texas and died in 1925. They had one daughter, Emma Sessum in December 1879.

Everett Solomon was born October 1848 in Texas and died around 1900. He married Mary J. Williams about 1870. Mary was born Sept., 1848.They had 7 children. Sarah F., born ca 1871, Alvin P. born ca 1875, Susan G., born ca 1877, William T. born ca Sept. 1879, Della, born May, 1884, Arthur, born Jan., 1887, and Hettie, born April, 1892

Everett and Anna's last child was Martha Jane Ritter, born 1852 and died around 1856. She was married to a Latham. They had one child, Sarah Jane Latham.

My grandmother, Mary Emma Ritter, was married first to Forest Evert Dison on December 21, 1919. They had 5 children, the fourth being my mother, Anna Lou Dison. Emma was next married to Clarence Hudnal Clendenin.  Mary died October 8, 2000 in Oak Grove, Missouri and was buried October 11, 2000 in Kansas  City, Missouri. She was a talented seamstress early on and later became for tailor. She moved to Corpus Christi, Texas in the 1940's where she met and married Clarence in 1950.  She left only one child living, Anna Lou Dison Meyer, and many grand children and great grandchildren. 

Everett and Anna are on the 1837 Tax List for Shelby County, Texas. By 1840 the Ritter family was living in Panola County. Everett is listed as a Texas Veteran of the Mexican War. He served under Capt. Middleton T. Johnson. This Company of men was recruited primarily from Shelby County in 1847. Everett filed his Pension Claim March 20, 1871 in Panola County, and it was approved Sept. 19, 1874. Everett died December 4, 1873 in Van Zandt County, Texas according to his Pension records.  I have been unable to find exactly where he died and is buried. 

Everett's wife, Anna Goodwin, was the daughter of Henry and Sarah Jane Goodwin. Henry was born in Lincoln County, Georgia. Not much is known about Anna Goodwin Ritter, except that she died probably around 1866. She drops off all the records I have seen since 1870 and is not mentioned in the Pension Application of Everett. 

Everett's Pension Application shows that the family was spread about due to early deaths. It states the following: Martha Jane Ritter Latham was named as a daughter who died about 1866 and left a daughter, S. Jane Latham Manley. The applicant had another daughter, Elizabeth A. Ritter Golden who died about 1866 and left the following children: Rebecca Golden, Susan J. Golden (wife of B. A. Nail), Sarah A. Golden (minor) and George Golden (minor). They also named William A. Ritter as a son who died in 1864 and who left the following children: Sara Ann Ritter Tidwell (wife of Joseph Tidwell), Franklin Ritter (minor) William Ritter (minor) and Elmira Ritter (minor). B. F. Ritter was guardian of the following minors: Franklin Ritter, Elmira Ritter, Wm. Ritter, Sara A. Golden and George Golden.

Cheryl A. Daubs