Henry Crocket Ritchie.

Submitted by Sharon Shipps Bonner.

Henry Crocket Ritchie was the son of Isom Ritchie and Martha Patsy Patrick, Henry was born  in Lawrence County, Arkansas..

Henry Crocket Ritchie married Amanda Adeline Dearmore on June 15^th, 1861 in Franklin County, Arkansas by Justice of the Peace W.W. Stephens. Amanda was born on Jan 29^th, 1842 in Tennessee, the daughter of Bryant Dearmore.

Henry volunteered for service on November 12^th, 1861 with the Union Army during the Civil War. He served with Company A, 1^st Arkansas Cavalry under Joshua Dudley. He was discharged on August 23^rd, 1865.

After the war, we find Henry and Amanda living in Madison County, Arkansas, next door to her brother E. J Dearmore. By this time the Ritchie’s have three children: George W, age eight years old, Matthew L, age four years old and Cordelia, age two years old. Henry was a farmer at this time.

Sometime in the next ten year period, this family moved to Logan County, Arkansas. In the 1880 Census, we find them residing in the township of Roseville. They have added three more children to their family,  Andrew J, age nine years old, Lydia M, age seven and Emily, age three months old.

Father Henry was listed as a retail grocer at this time. Between the years of 1880 and 1885, three more children were born: Eva, 1882, Laura Alice, 1883, and Minnie was born in 1885.

Laura Alice Ritchie later married Thomas Henry Sanders. Henry and Amanda also parented five other children that did not live to maturity.

In 1900, this family was living in Paris, Logan County,  then McIntosh County, Oklahoma. Andrew J lived in Yell County with his eleven children, then McIntosh County, Oklahoma.

Lydia M raised her ten children by the name of Black in Logan County, then moved to McIntosh County, Oklahoma. Evaline married a Ladd and had three children, then she married  Hugh N Dearmore and had two more children. They lived in Blue mountain, Arkansas and Bowie, Texas.

Emma first married a Ladd and had one son, who was raised a Cranfill and had five children, who were raised in Paris, Arkansas and Vian, Oklahoma.

Laura Alice married Thomas Henry Sanders and had fourteen children, twelve lived to maturity. These children were born and raised in Logan County. Minnie had two children , who were raised in Sebastian County, Arkansas. Thus Henry and Amanda had seventy four grandchildren that lived to maturity.

Henry was a proud member of the Masonic Lodge. He died June 17^th, 1917 and is buried in the National Cemetery, Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Amanda died at the age of eighty three on March 21^st, 1926 and she is buried in the Oakwood cemetery in Paris, Arkansas.