Submitted by Susan Fahnstrom Thanks Susan!

Zed Porter Ritchie grew up in the hills of Arkansas on Little Mulberry. He worked for a saw mill hauling logs around Wolfpin hollow above Clarksville, Arkansas, Zed and Alice were married October, 1917. He worked in the woods hauling logs to the mill and Alice cooked for some of the workers. They lived in a tent.

Zed was inducted into the Army during World War I at Clarksville, Arkansas on September 15, 1918. He was sent to Camp Pike, New Jersey, to await shipment overseas, he was sent to France but by the time he got there the war was almost over, Alice moved home with her family up in the hills above Dutton, Arkansas.

When the war was over, they worked for awhile in Nebraska harvesting corn and finally rented a farm at Murphy, Oklahoma and farmed cotton. Thelma was born there on August 22, 1920, they moved to a farm at Locust Grove, Oklahoma. Lloyd G. and James H. were born there.

In 1927 they moved to Davenport, Oklahoma, where Zed's bother James was farming. Betty J. and Willam E. were born at Davenport, Oklahoma, the address was Chandler, Oklahoma, they farmed in and around that area until 1935, the beginning of the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma. Zed and Alice sold their crops in the field and lucky they did as this was the beginning of the Dust Bowl, they hired a truck, loaded all their possessions to take the family to Kuna, Idaho. His mother Vicy Jane Ritchie, then 78 years old, came with the family in the back of the truck with a canvas top.

Alice brought only her prized possession as there was very little space with eight of us in the back of the farm truck. The bed was 8 x11 foot, I remember one small end table that was strapped to the top of the truck cab falling to pieces.

It was an exciting trip for our family as we had never seen mountains, the family arrived at Zed's brother James's place in early August 1935, Zed rented a house in Kuna, the family picked fruit, prunes that fell, Alice immediately started canning all the lush fruit growing in Idaho, three children entered schools.

In October, 1935, Zed rented a small farm and milked cows on the shared basis, later he bought a farm and his own cows near Kuna. He bought and sold farms near Kuna for several years. He sold out in 1952 and Zed and Alice worked at Weatherby's sawmill in Atlanta, Idaho.

They bought a home in Boise on Wilson Street. Later they both worked at Saint Alphonus Hospital, Alice cooked and Zed worked in the store room. He retired in 1962, they bought a place in Kuna on Franklin Street, where Alice presently lives, and he remodeled it. Alice retired in August 1963 and they moved to Kuna.

They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary October 14, 1967 and their 60th wedding anniversary October 14, 1977.

Zed's mother passed away in April 1938 and his brother James in 1961 and Zed on October 10, 1977, they are all buried in Kuna Cemetery.

Alice is 88 years old, she still lives alone at Franklin Avenue, she takes care of herself, makes a garden and weeds her flowers.

Zed and Alice seen good times, the bank closed in 1932 in Oklahoma and they lost their life savings, they started over and had a happy fruitful life, they had 5 children, 19 grandchildren, 38 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.

Alice - August 14, 1901 - 1995
Zed - September 4, 1896 - Oct 11, 1980
LIoyd George - Nov 30, 1933 - Dec 18, 1983
William Everett - Nov 26, 1933 - Dec 18,1983
Thelma Ritchie Mulvania - August 22, 1920
Betty Jean Ritchie Arnold - June 11, 1931
James Haskell Ritchie - July 16, 1927 - January 1992

Alice is now 90 years old, she celebrated her birthday with open house August 18, 1990 hosted by Thelma, Betty, James and Kay, and Barbara Ritchie.

Alice learned to sew helping her mother make quilts for covers when she was very young, after she married she raised a large family making their clothing and making quilts to keep them warm in the winter, after she retired, she started making quilts for pleasure developing a life time hobby of making beautiful quilts.

Alice Ritchie died in 1995 and is buried in Kuna Cemetery.

Zed Ritchie appears in Johnson County, Those Who Served®

View Ritchie Family photos in the Johnson County Scrapbook®

Return to Johnson County Families® Index