Reid Ritchey Saved the Dairy

Reid Earl Ritchey, Sr., 87, passed away last Sunday. He was the third owner of the dairy in Martinsburg that carries his family name. In an unlikely pairing, he became my best friend in high school.

Reid and I were both freshmen in 1949–he at Martinsburg High School and me at Morrison Cove. We were both athletes and competed against each other in basketball and baseball. We knew each other from those competitions and were fierce rivals.

When Martinsburg High combined with Morrison Cove in 1950, we became teammates and formed a lifelong connection. We both took the college prep course in h...