Richard "Shorty" E. Fritch

Richard E. “Shorty” Fritch, age 87, of Edgerton, Ohio, died at 5:13 A.M. on Saturday, February 13, 2016, at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he was patient. Mr. Fritch was a 1947 graduate of Edgerton High School, where he was class president. He had been employed by Day and Day Oil in Edgerton, which later became ARCO, and then Williams Landmark as a fuel delivery man, who handed out hundreds of thousands of suckers to children along his route. He later spent many years as manager of local operations before retiring with more than forty years of service. Shorty served on the Edgerton Fire Department from 1961-1992, where he was Assistant Chief from 1977-1986 and served as Chief from 1986 until his retirement from the department in 1992. He was also a member of the Edgerton United Methodist Church, where he served as a trustee for several years, and was named Citizen of the Year for his many years of service to the village of Edgerton. Richard E. “Shorty” Fritch was born on January 27, 1929, in Melbern, Ohio, the son of Laurel G. and Gertrude L. (Long) Fritch. He married Madilyn R. Miller on May 21, 1950, in Edgerton, Ohio, and she survives. Survivors also include his children, Bruce (Cherie) Fritch, of Delaware, Ohio, Marcy (Chris) Rosendaul, of Bryan, Ohio, Peggy (Terry) Sanders, of Edgerton, Tena (Bill) Sansom, also of Delaware, and Steven (Lydia) Fritch, also of Edgerton; thirteen grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Terry Ray Fritch; a brother, Junior Fritch; and a great-grandson, Bronson Sanders. Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 18, 2016, from 2:00-4:00 and 5:00-8:00 P.M. in the Krill Funeral Home, 114 East Hull Street, Edgerton. Services will be held on Friday, February 19, 2016, at 11:00 A.M. in the Edgerton United Methodist Church with Reverend R.L. Barnett officiating. Interment will follow in Maple Grove Cemetery, Edgerton. Memorials are requested to the Edgerton United Methodist Church, the Edgerton Fire Department or the American Heart Association.