Richard George Ritz

Richard G. Ritz, 89, of Ashton, died Thursday, July 11, 2024, at CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.

Services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Loup City. Vicar Jason Obermiller and Rev. Dean Hanson will officiate. Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery in Loup City.

Visitation will be Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the church.

Peters Funeral Home of St. Paul is assisting the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to Immanuel Lutheran Church or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Richard was born June 16, 1935, at Arcadia, the son of Clarence “C.J. “and Alma M. (Knoepfel) Ritz. The family later moved to Ashton where he graduated from Ashton High School in 1953. He married Sally Wyrick on December 19th, 1959 in Tennessee. Two children were born to this union, Kelly and Penny. 

He later married Marge (Janda) Jasnoch on May 13th, 1989 at Loup City.

Over the years Richard drove truck for his Uncle Hank and was a lineman in Colorado hauling heavy equipment. He welded all over the country including the dam in Valentine, NE. He had his own grinder and ground feed locally. He managed the Farwell Elevator, later buying and running the Ashton Elevator. He owned and operated Ritz Land & Cattle. He loved traveling to Wyoming and buying large quantities of calves. He also had part ownership in the Loup City Sale Barn. 

His favorite saying “That’s a hell of a deal”. No one could tell a story like Richard Ritz. He was a champion story teller. He loved to keep in touch with everyone. He and Marge enjoyed going to Arizona for the winter months and bringing treasures back for everyone. He enjoyed having his great grandchildren stop over to give them candy out of his candy bowl...which he always made sure was full. He was very involved for many years at the Immanuel Lutheran Church. 

He is survived by his wife Marge of Ashton; daughter and son in-law Penny and Jac Smith of Central City; daughter-in-law, Cara Smydra of St. Paul; grandchildren Tyler and Holly Ritz of Kearney, Trevor and Megan Ritz of Ashton, Jacie and Lance Boelts of Central City; step-daughter Jaci Jasnoch and step-son John and Debbie Jasnoch all of Gurnee, IL; step grandchildren Kinsey, Drew, Kylie, and Hallie Jasnoch; great grandchildren, Chance, Chael, Carenna and Cassidy Ritz, Celia and Declan Ritz, Ashtyn and Carter Boelts, Kaia, Spencer, Vincent, and Melody Morse; sister and brothers-in-law Ellen and Richard Erganian of Fresno, California and Larry Shepperd of Mills, NE; sister in-law Faye Wyrick of Kenton, TN; brothers-in-law Dick and Kathy Janda of Lincoln, and Ken Janda of Lemon Grove, California. Along with many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Clarence and Alma, brother, Clarence Ritz, sister Carol Shepperd, his son R. Kelly Ritz, and grandson Brett Morse.