Richard “Cracker” Ritz, 62, of New London, died Sunday, June 6, 2021 at his daughter’s residence in Oskaloosa.
A private family burial service will be held at Lambirth Cemetery, rural Mt. Pleasant. A Celebration of Life for Richard will be held from 2-6 PM on Saturday, June 12 at the New London Community Center.
Memorials may be directed to the family or to a hospice of the donor’s choosing. They may be mailed to or left at Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, which is assisting the family Richard’s arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.kimzeyfuneralhome.com.
Richard Irvin “Cracker” Ritz was born August 6, 1958 in Mount Pleasant. He was the son of Donald Irvin and Wilma Jean (Smith) Ritz. He attended school in Mt. Pleasant. On March 3, 1978 in Oskaloosa, he married Brenda L. Johannes. The couple later divorced.
“Cracker” was in the construction trade for most of his life. He worked for Indiana Wood, Bloom Builders, Wesley Barton Construction, Cunningham’s and Robert Smith Construction. For a while, Richard worked for Clow Mfg. Co . in Oskaloosa, a fire-hydrant manufacturer. In his spare time, Richard loved to fish, hunt mushrooms and spend time on the banks of the Skunk River at Oakland Mills. He also loved to tend to the plants in his house.
Those thankful for sharing in Richard’s life include his 3 children – Kristi (Jason) Anderson and Levi (Buffie) Ritz all of Oskaloosa and Collin Ritz (Cheyenne Kracht) of Burlington, IA; siblings – Deb (Tom) Ellis and Ed (Carol) Ritz, all of Wayland, IA and Mike (Denise) Ritz of Mt. Pleasant, and seven grandchildren – Chase, Electra, Dylan, Gage, Kenzi, Ava and Izzy.
His parents and a sister, Linda Chance, precede in death.