Clifford Davie Parsons Ritchie

Clifford Davie Parsons Ritchie, age 94, Cornelia, Georgia, died Saturday, May 16, 2009 at the Habersham County Medical Center.

Mrs. Ritchie was born on July 24, 1914 in, Flowery Branch, Hall County, Georgia. She was a daughter of the late Clifton Reed and Ada Davie Parsons. Mrs. Ritchie graduated from Piedmont College in 1934 where she served as a Trustee and from which she received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration. She was also a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma.

Mrs. Ritchie taught at Cornelia Elementary School for 15 years and succeeded her husband as owner of Cornelia Oil Company. A member of the Cornelia United Methodist Church, she had served as a delegate to the United Methodist Conference, and had been a Sunday School teacher, a choir member, and a member of the Tilly Stinespring Circle. She was a member of the Great Books Discussion Group, the Habersham County Historical Society and the Three Arts Club. Mrs. Ritchie received the first Civil Servants Award from the City of Cornelia in 2006.

Mrs. Ritchie was preceded in death by her husband, Hubert Green Ritchie. Mr. Hubert Ritchie and his brother, James Wesley Ritchie, were the founders of Ritchie and Company. Hubert was also Owner and President of Cornelia Oil Company. Mr. Ritchie was a former Mayor of Cornelia and served as State Representative in the Georgia Legislature for District 11 (Habersham and White Counties).

Mrs. Ritchie was also preceded in death by her sisters, Helen Augusta Parsons Jones and Ada Louise Parsons Ritchie.

Survivors include: her nieces: Sue Ritchie Scherff, Pinehurst, NC; Carol Dyer Carlson, St. Louis, MO; Susanne Dyer Stanley, Washington, DC; her great nephews: Alex Farish Robertson, IV, Greenville, SC; Dr. James Wesley Ritchie Robertson, Lynchburg, VA; Richard Heacock Scherff, Alexandria, VA; Calvin Ritchie Wilbanks, Demorest, GA; Thomas Lee Wilbanks, Mt. Airy, GA; Matthew Robert Carlson, Arlington, VA; Charles Anders Carlson, Austin, TX; Jonathan Dyer Stanley, Nashville, TN; her great nieces: Ritchie Robertson Two Bulls, Minneapolis, MN; Susan Lee Scherff, Sparta, NJ; Julia Carlson Wilde, Newport Beach, CA; Elizabeth Carlson Oâ