Obituaries : Carl Ritscher

Carl Ritscher

KEYSTONE:

Carl Ritscher, 104, died Thursday, May 12, 2011 at St. Luke's Hospital following a brief illness.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:30 am, Monday, May 16, 2011 at St. John Lutheran Church in Keystone with Rev. Richard Osslund officiating. Private Family Committal Services will be held at the Keystone Cemetery. Friends may call at Phillips Funeral Home in Keystone from 3 to 6 pm on Sunday.

Carl was born October 12, 1906 at Ostermoor, Germany to Heinrich and Katharina (Rathje) Ritscher. He immigrated to the United States in 1924. On February 4, 1933 he was united in marriage to Mae Behrens at Rock Island, IL. She preceded him in death on February 25, 2000.

Carl farmer the majority of his life near Keystone. He was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Keystone, the Keystone Turners since 1930, the Schleswig-Holstein Heritage Society and the Farm Bureau.

He is survived by his sons, Robert (Phyllis) Ritscher and Harold (Mary) Ritscher, all of Keystone; his grandchildren, Paul Ritscher, Karen Ritscher, Wayne (Kelsey) Ritscher, and Marie (Rob) Mills; his great grandchildren, John (fiancée, Ashley Frazier) Ritscher, Mark (Christina) Ritscher, Lacey and Ellie Ritscher, and Annabelle and Charles Ritscher; his great-great granddaughter, MacKenna Ritscher; his step-grandchildren, Sarah Brown and Jennifer (Richard) DeLillo; his step-great grandchildren, Savannah, Grace, Richard and Eliana DeLillo; and his sister, Ilse Harder of Germany.

In addition to his parents and his wife, Mae, he was preceded in death by his grandson, Alan Ritscher; and four brothers, Herbert, Hans, Hans II, and Klaus.