Funeral Services For Fredrick Ritter

Funeral services for Fredrick Ritter, age 95, of Tilden, Nebraska will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 8, 2018, at Peace United Church of Christ in Tilden. Pastor Theta Dame will officiate, with burial in Tilden City Cemetery. Military Honors will be provided by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7603, American Legion Post 170, and American Legion Riders.

Visitation will be Friday, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., at Brockhaus-Harlan Funeral Home in Tilden.

Fredrick died Sunday, September 2, 2018, at Community Pride Care Center in Battle Creek, Nebraska.

Fredrick Milan Ritter was born February 24, 1923, the son of Fred Ritter Jr. and Ella (Clausen) Ritter. He was born on the family farm near Tilden, where his grandparents settled when they came to America from Switzerland in 1893. He grew to manhood on this farm, which later became the place where he worked, raised his family, and lived until ill health forced a change in the last two years.

Fredrick attended rural School District 34 through eighth grade, and later attended Tilden High School, graduating with the class of 1940. He was a lifetime member of Peace United Church of Christ in Tilden, being baptized, confirmed and married in this church, which at the time was known as Peace Evangelical and Reformed. He was a faithful member of the choir and served on the consistory.

One of Fredrick's strongest passions in life was music. He sang in the Peace choir from the time immediately following his confirmation until the age of 86. He was also a original member of the Peace Church Men's Quartet, which was formed following the war. This quartet sang for funerals at the church and in the community. The quartet is still singing, with his sons, nephew and good friends as members. This musical legacy has traveled throughout the area and the world, as past members have gone on to teach and make music in many communities.

Fredrick was inducted into the navy on May 20, 1944, serving in the South Pacific during WWII. He went to boot camp in Farragut, Idaho, and was stationed aboard the USS Cinnabar, a supply barge, which went aground at Baten Ko, Okinawa during Typhoon Louise. He was honorably discharged on May 26, 1946.

Fredrick married Clara Ahlers on August 8, 1948. They were blessed with four children. Three of their children became music teachers, and the fourth remains on the family farm as the fourth generation farmer.

Fredrick was active in the community, serving for many years on the school board of District 17 and the rural fire board for 29 years. The family received the Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award in 1993 for having the farm in the family for 100 years. His hobbies included playing horseshoe, for which he received numerous trophies, collecting stamps, coins, and arrowheads, playing piano and singing and following Husker football. He enjoyed travel, and had visited every state with his original family before he graduated from high school, and later again with his wife. He took his children camping in the western U.S. and toured Europe with cousins, Patsy and Scott Moore.

Fredrick is survived by his wife of 70 years, Clara; his daughter, Patricia; his sons, Fredrick and wife Becky of Columbus, Duane and wife, Amy of Tilden and Dale and wife, Kimberly of Alma. He is also survived by twelve grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, three step-great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends.

​He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Louise Prevo and Eleanor Fields and Emma Irene in infancy; and son-in-law, James Miller.