Ritchie, Edgar Barrick
Edgar B. Ritchie was born on August 26, 1892 in Paris, Kentucky. He made the supreme sacrifice during World War I. The Ludlow American Legion Post was named in his honor.
Edgar B. Ritchie was the son of Casper J. and Glenna Jolly Ritchie. The Ritchie’s were among the founding families of the city of Ludlow. Their family home stood at the northwest corner of Elm and Locust Streets. Before entering the armed forces, Ritchie worked as a secretary for the railroad.
Edgar B. Ritchie entered the service on August 27, 1917. He was a First Lieutenant in the 355th Infantry and a graduate of Fort Benjamin Harrison Officer Training School. Ritchie was killed in action on September 15, 1918 in Beney, France.
Ritchie’s body was re-interred in Northern Kentucky at Highland Cemetery in 1921. Services were conducted at the First Presbyterian Church. All of the businesses in town closed in Ritchie’s memory.
The American Legion Post of Ludlow was established in August 1919 by 35 veterans. The members decided that the post should be named after Ritchie, the first Ludlow native to die in the World War.
Kentucky Post, August 23, 1919, p. 1; August 5, 1921, p. 1 and August 3, 1921, p. 1; Kentucky Council of Defense World War I Records (KCPL).
