[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 98 (Tuesday, July 21, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1372-E1373]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        TRIBUTE TO KELLY RITTER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 21, 1998

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Kelly 
Ritter of Darlington, South Carolina, on the fiftieth anniversary of 
his involvement in the tobacco business. Mr. Ritter is a well-known 
figure in the South Carolina tobacco community, and the State has 
greatly benefitted from his commitment to improving both the quality of 
our fields and the well-being of the persons whose lives revolve around 
tobacco crops.
  Originally from North Carolina, Mr. Ritter attended North Carolina 
State University. He entered the United States Army Corps following 
college, and joined the troops headed to fight in World War II. Just as 
he was finishing his last bombing missions in Germany, Mr. Ritter was 
shot down in his plane. He was captured by the Germans and held as a 
Prisoner of War for 485 days.
  After the war, Mr. Ritter moved from Lumberton, North Carolina, to 
Darlington, South Carolina. He became very involved in the local 
community, serving as an elder in the Presbyterian Church in 
Darlington, where he is still a Member. President of the South Carolina 
Tobacco Warehouse Association, Mr. Ritter acted as a liaison between 
tobacco companies and farmers, and he worked diligently to improve the 
tobacco industry and help those involved in it. He has also served on a 
number of other federal and state tobacco committees.
  In addition to his demonstrated commitment to the tobacco industry, 
Mr. Ritter is also a dedicated husband and father. He has been

[[Page E1373]]

married to the former Bess Stallings for 52 years. Together, they have 
raised four children: Kelly, Jr., William Keith, Eliza, and Susan.
  Mr. Ritter is well-known in the Darlington area because of his many 
years of service from the dual perspectives of farmer and tobacco 
warehouse agent. he has supported his field and his community in 
numerous capacities with persistence and hard work. Mr. Speaker, I ask 
my colleagues to join me in congratulating Kelly Ritter, Sr., on the 
fiftieth anniversary of his involvement in the tobacco business in 
Darlington County, South Carolina.

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