The following is from the initial paragraphs of a biographical sketch of their son Jacob in a book called "Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Elkhart and St.  Joseph Counties", (1907), pgs. 187, 198:

”Jacob Ritter, of South Bend, Indiana and one of the pioneers of St. Joseph Co., is a Montgomery Co., Ohioan, born about three miles west of Dayton, on the 1st of January, 1806, a son of John and Barbara (Garber) Ritter.

John Ritter was born in NC, April 1777, and there grew to manhood. When a young man he learned the cooper's trade and for some time made that his chief occupation. He afterward resided near Nashville, TN, for a short time and later was a resident of KY. As he was married in Montgomery Co., OH in 1805, he was probably a settler of that locality about the year 1803. At the time he crossed
the Ohio River at Cincinnati there was only a block house and a few cabins where that city now stands, the principal inhabitants at that point being soldiers. His wife was born in VA, a daughter of John and Barbara Garber.

About the year 1818 the Ritter family removed to Wayne Co., IN being among the pioneers of that county, where Mr. Ritter became the owner of 160 acres of land.  Here Mr. Ritter lived for several years. He afterward disposed of his property there and settled in St. Joseph Co., a portion of his land being in Portage and a portion in German Twp. He afterward settled on the Michigan road in German Twp., where he lived until his death in Feb. 1867. His wife  survived him several years, her death occurring at the home of her daughter in Floyd Co., IA, at the advanced age of one hundred and two years.

Mr. and Mrs. Ritter were the parents of the following children: Jacob, Michael, John, Benjamin, David, Samuel, Martin, Sarah and Susan, all of whom are living but John, who served three years as cavalryman in the late war under Gen. Custer.”

The remainder of the sketch is included in the notes for Jacob.