Absie Partee Ritchie was born in New River, Allegheny county, North Carolina, May 19. 1869. When 3 years of age his parents, Moses and Rebecca (Rogers) Ritchie moved to Lawrence County, Ky., where they lived until the fall of 1879, at which time they came to Minnesota and settled at Howard Lake in Wright County.
He attended school in that community and later attended the state Normal School in St. Cloud, Hamline at St. Paul, and Western University in Chicago. At the age of 21 he chose teaching as a profession, and at the age of 23 was appointed assistant county superintendent of schools for Wright County, and was re-appointed the next year.
Absie P. Ritchie was an integral factor in the building of the educational system of this city. He served as superintendent of schools here from 1904 to 1910 and then served on the school board from that year until 1920. He was the chairman of the county educational board, through efforts of his, much credit is due for his efforts in locating the Normal school in this city, now known as the Bemidji State Teacher’s College.
In a civic way, Ritchie found many opportunities to do his bit for building a better city. He was one of the organizers of the Security State Bank and later a director on its board. He served as postmaster from 1915 to 1923 and for 21 years, he was president of the Farmers Mutual Insurance Company and also operated the Mattson-Ritchie Lumber Co.
Ritchie served as county commissioner from the first district from 1913 to 1946 and the last three years of his service as chairman of the board. In 1941 he was named president of the state board of County Commissioners.
Another lasting memorial of this man is Diamond Point, recreation spot of Bemidji which was to a large extent planned through him as well as our Carnegie public library which he was eager to see located here.
He was a member of the Bemidji Lodge A. F. and A. M., No 233, since its beginning and only a few weeks before his death, Mr. Ritchie was introduced as one of the oldest members still active in the work.
It was in 1906, July 25 that he was united in marriage to Mabel Skinner in Elgin, Illinois. For many years Mr. Ritchie and his family made their home on the Mississippi river two miles south of Bemidji. He died on Jan 31, 1950 at Bemidji.