Mary A. Ritchey

Mary A. Ritchey, 86, formerly of Dempseytown, passed away on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at The Caring Place in Franklin.Born on March 28, 1933 in Cherrytree, PA, she was the daughter of the late Robert and Ruth Irene (Horn) Tarr. On April 20, 1956, she married the love of her life, Theodore C. "Ted" Ritchey; he preceded her in death on March 23, 2006.Mary worked as a MRA at Polk Center for over 10 years. She later became a waitress for Hoss's and the Franklin Club.Mary had a heart for serving her community. Not only had she been a member of the Oakland Volunteer Fire Department as a First Responder since 1966, she was also a member of the International Association of Rebekah's Assemblies (IARA), in which members pride themselves on being good to all and living up to the standard of the Golden Rule. Additionally, Mary attended Cherrytree United Methodist Church, health permitting.She equally had a love of the simpler things in life, like crocheting, completing word search puzzles, and spending time with her family. If you knew Mary, you also knew how much she loved cookies, and allowed herself ten per day as a treat.Left to cherish her memory is her son, Jerry L. Ritchey, Sr. and his wife, Susan, of Dempseytown; her daughter, Pansy M. Matlock and her husband, Roger, Sr., of Dempseytown; her five grandchildren, Jerry Ritchey, Jr. of Somerset, Sabina Vanwormer of Dempseytown, Roger Matlock, Jr., and his wife, Leighann, of Dempseytown, Matthew Ritchey of Dempseytown, and Robert Matlock of Dempseytown; and her four great-grandchildren, Brandon Vanwormer, Paige Ritchey, Alyssa Ritchey, and Cameron Vanwormer, all of Oil City.She is further survived by two sisters, Shirley Solinger, and Karla Ohl and her husband, John, both of Titusville.In addition to her parents and husband, Mary was preceded in death by her five brothers, Walter Tarr, George DeLong, Ray Tarr, George Tarr, and Fred Tarr.Family and friends will be received on Friday, September 20, 2019 at The Caring Place, 103 N 13th Street, Franklin, PA 16323, from 1 pm to 2 pm.Funeral services for Mary will be held on Friday, September 20, 2019 at The Caring Place starting at 2 pm, with Pastor Jeremy Stouffer, Chaplain of The Caring Place, officiating.Mary will be laid to rest next to her husband at Cherrytree Cemetery.Memorial contributions can be made in Mary's honor to The Caring Place, 103 N 13th Street, Franklin, PA 16323.To send flowers, cards, online condolences, or for further information, family and friends are invited to visit www.gardinierfuneralhome.com.