John Ritter (1779-1851) - Find a Grave Memorial

U.S. Congressman. He was born to Francis Ritter and Barbara Schneider Ritter in Exeter, Pennsylvania, and he received limited schooling. When he was older he apprenticed as a printer. He then entered public service and was elected as a Delegate to the Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention in 1836. He then ran for a seat in the United States Congress and was elected. A Democrat, he then served Pennsylvania's 9th District (Twenty-Eighth and Twenty-Ninth Congresses) in the United States House of Representatives from 1843 to 1847. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1846. After his term in the United States Congress expired on March 3, 1847, he was succeeded by United States Representative William Strong. After leaving public service he became a successful editor and publisher of the Adler, a German newspaper based in Reading, Pennsylvania. He passed away in Reading, Pennsylvania, on November 24, 1851, at the age of 72, and was buried in the Charles Evans Cemetery. He was married for many years to Catharine Frailey Ritter and they had many children. She died on August 13, 1863, at the age of 80, and was buried with her husband.

Bio by: The Silent Forgotten