"Portrait & Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Chicago:
Chapman Publishing Company, 1903. p. 931.

LEWIS RITNER

	Among the native sons of Polk county who have spent their entire lives upon
farms where they were born in the pioneer days of the state, is Lewis Ritner,
whose birth occurred November 2, 1857. He is a son of Sebastian and Sarah
(Woodling) Ritner, and is the second of three children born of the second
marriage of his mother. Mrs. Ritner was born in Northampton county, Pa., August
5, 1817, and before her marriage was Sarah Woodling, daughter of Peter and Mary
(Houghner) Woodling, the former born in England, and a farmer during his entire
active life. In her native state Miss Woodling married for her first husband, in
1833, John Ritner, who was born in Switzerland, and came to the United States at
an early day, locating in Missouri, Platte county. He was a mechanic by trade,
and combined that with farming during nearly all of his working life. Hearing
favorable reports of the agricultural prospects in the far west, he sold his
farm, and left to others his little business, outfitting in 1852 to cross the
plains with ox-teams. He was not destined to reach the Mecca of his desires, for
on the plains he succumbed to illness, died, and was buried in a lonely wayside
grave. His wife and four children finished the journey to the coast, and the
mother took up a donation claim of two hundred and thirty acres, which is the
present home of the family. In 1854 Mrs. Ritner married Sebastion Ritner,
brother of her former husband, who was also born in Switzerland, the date of his
birth being 1815. 
	Sebastian Ritner crossed the plains as early as 1845, but it is not on
record that he experienced any particular adventures. He farmed for a time in
Oregon, and in 1847 went to the mines of California, returning at the end of a
yearconsiderably richer than when he went. With his earnings he took up a
donation claim of three hundred acres, and so successfully operated it that he
was able to add to his possessions, and at the time of his death owned nine
hundredacres. He engaged in general farming and stock-raising, although in his
youth he had worked as a mechanic, and had a wide range of knowledge bearing
upon mechanical subjects. He was a thoroughly reliable man, upright and
considerate in all of his dealings, and of more than ordinary business
shrewdness. He died at his home near Pedee, September 10. 1887. 
	The children of the first marriage of Mrs. Ritner who are now living are:
Mary E., the wife of Lew Hannam, of Lewisville; Missouri Anna, the wife of Joe
Edwards, of Pedee ; Anna, the wife of Richard Dunn, of King's Valley; and Flora,
the wife of John Waters, of McTimmons Valley. By the second marriage there were
four children: John Ritner; Lewis; Sophrona, wife of James Grant; and Frank
Ritner, deceased. 
	Lewis Ritner spent an uneventful youth on his father's farm, and was so
thoroughly trained in the science of farming that he took charge of the whole
property at the age of eighteen years. This responsibility came to him because
of the marriage of his brother and his removal to a farm of his own. In April,
1883, Mr. Ritner married Corinda, daughter of James Edelman, Mrs. Ritner being a
native of Benton county. Ore. The father was born in the state of Pennsylvania,
and located on a farm in Benton county, where he died at the age of sixtv-two
years. Mr. Ritner is farming five hundred acres of his father's claim, and has
large numbers of fine stock, including thoroughbred horses, red and roan Shires,
Cotswold sheep, and dairy cattle. An additional source of revenue is a logging
business in which he engages for a portion of each year. He also has sixteen
acres under hops, and considerable fruit. He is very successful, and is regarded
as one of the most scientific and practical farmers in the county. He is a
Republican in politics, and with his wife is a member of the Evangelical Church
of Pedee, in which he is a steward and active worker. Mr. Ritner has the
sterling and reliable traits of character which brought about his father's
success, and which have brought him many stanch friends, as well as the esteem
of the entire community.  Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ritner have been born three
children: Ella, wife of Frank Sheythe; Annie and Martin P. Ritner, at home.

Transcriber's notes:

Lewis Ritner's wife name should be Clarinda not "Corinda". Her name is listed as
Clarinda on their tombstone in Edwards Pioneer Cemetery Pedee, Polk County OR.
Clarinda Edelman is the daughter of James Edelman and Sarah "Sally" (Hallock).

     
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2010 by Kimberly Nesbitt.
For more information on the individuals in this biography, please contact
Kimberly by email: kanesbitt -at- msn.com.