In the early morning hours of March 18th, 2018 God gave me my wings to be with Sam and Happy. At Joan’s request, cremation has taken place. Joan, Sam and Happy’s ashes will be spread on the family home place. No services are being planned. Remembrances, condolences and pictures may be shared with the family at www.fulkersons.com.
Patricia “Joan” Ritter was born in Sheridan, WY to Adam and Edna (Woodcock) Anderson June 9, 1926. The Anderson’s lived at Decker, MT where all of their children attended rural schools. For many years school was reached by crossing on a swinging foot bridge which spanned the Tongue River. With the building of the Tongue River Dam, the school was moved 2 miles west of the river. Later when that closed, faithful saddle horses carried their children 5 miles to Monument Creek School. Saddle bags were the “lunch boxes”. In the cold months lunches were often frozen upon arrival at school. The bench behind a potbellied stove would not only thaw lunches out but also the kids as well. Homemade snow pants made of flannel, cotton batting and denim kept our bodies warm. One morning Joan and Jerry, (her brother), were boarded on their two sharp shod horses and headed out for school. There were no thermometers at home, but the radio station said it was -48 degrees in the area. The Model T ford was started and Dad checked to see if the youngsters had arrived at school safely.
High School was the first stay away from home. All family members worked for board and room in Sheridan, WY. Babysitting, yard work, and shoveling snow provided spending money. Joan went to college in Bozeman, Mt from 1944-1948. While there she was united in marriage to Samuel A. Ritter of Rudyard, Mt on June 8, 1947. She taught at Little Bear School near Gallatin Gateway while Sam finished his senior year. Other schools were taught in White Sulfer Springs, Richey, Savage, Brorson and Rau. The last 16 years in the field of education were spent in the Richland County Superintendent of Schools Office until her retirement. 32 years in education, children were the focus.
School children, ranching and gardening with her husband Sam, were her lifetime inspirations. After settling in the Skaar community on a ranch, two children were adopted to round out our family. Lori and Lyle On one trip to see grandparents the young ones were taken by the Monument School where Joan graduated from the 8th grade. It was a breath taking sight- a tar paper shack about 20 X 30 feet, standing like a lonely beacon on the prairie. There was no gym, football field or even a swing set. Lori asked her mom “Mom, did you learn anything there?” Joan hesitated and answered, “We had State Exams in every subject, to pass before we received a diploma. I passed all and went to high school that fall. We must’ve learned something somewhere along the way”.
Joan is survived by her two children, Lori (Clyde) Madison, Sidney, MT and Lyle (Cary) Ritter, Potterville, MI; three grandkids, Lacey Madison, Sidney, MT, Jade Ritter and Jamie (Justin) Southward, Charlotte, MI; four great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; three sister-in-law’s, Mary Lincoln, Chester, MT, Lucille Ritter, Lakeside, MT and Gillette Ritter of Bozeman, MT.
Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Sam; brothers, Jerry, Ogden, and Owen; sisters, Virginia, Viola, and Helen; both sets of parents; brother-in-law’s, Clarence and Roland Ritter.