George Anne Mort Melendy Ritter, 83, passed away peacefully and on her own terms on December 20, 2022, at Banner Churchill Hospital.
She was born in Martinez, California on August 23, 1939, to Ray and Lena Mort. By 1949, the family moved to Fallon, Nevada, and was living on a ranch off of Sheckler Road. George Anne and her brother Dale would grow up in the ranching community of Fallon. George Anne met her first love Charles Frances (Mickey) Melendy on the ranch and married young in 1954. She would stay in Fallon and would travel on the rodeo circuit with her husband when her parents relocated to Hawthorne in 1958.
In 1963, the couple celebrated the birth of their first son Jesse Ty Melendy. They would celebrate the birth of their second son Mickey M Melendy Ritter in 1973. The family was involved in agriculture and rodeo and had several close friends and family. The family was devastated in late 1973 when Charles (Mickey) passed away from a heart attack.
George Anne remained in Fallon as the head of her household raising her two sons. She joined local softball teams and started small businesses to support her family. She would meet a local dairyman about six to seven years later, Jim Ritter. The couple would later marry and join two families together, including George Anne’s two sons and Jim’s four daughters.
George Anne and Jim became heavily involved in youth wrestling and supported their son Mickey in his endeavors, where he won several championships and obtained a wrestling scholarship to California State University Bakersfield. She became the state director in Nevada for USA Wrestling, and she was not only the first woman to serve in this role but also held this seat for 19 years. She also became a full-time babysitter for Charlie and Lannie Mori’s three children during this time.
During retirement, George Anne began sewing and making old-world Santa’s that she would sell to family and friends. When her grandson Carson was born in 2008, she became his babysitter and traveled to watch Carson begin his wrestling career. She continued her outdoor activities of hunting until 2010.
She is preceded in death by parents Ray and Lena Mort; husbands Mickey Melendy and Jim Ritter; brother Dale Mort; niece Marla Mort Plecha; and grandson Larry Furtado.
She is survived by son Jesse (Kimi) Melendy of Fallon, son Mickey (LaTanya) Melendy Ritter of Fallon, sister Karen (Ronnie) Crabtree of Tennessee, sister Darla (Randy) Emm of Schurz; sister-in-law Kathy Mort; stepdaughters Verna (David) Furtado of Fallon, Eva (Jack) Feeney of California, Michelle Gulden of Fallon, and Natalie (Joe) Lane of North Carolina; grandchildren Jayson, Carson, Clay, Fenn, Mickey, Ryder, Bobby, Natalie, Ashley, Karah, Lauren, Shauna, Kristy, Janet, Samantha, Anna, and Chelsea; 21 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and first-cousins Betty Ernst and Madeline Tatum.
There will be a Celebration of Life on January 15, 2023, at the Fallon Golf Course at 2:00 pm.
Arrangements are under the direction of The Gardens Funeral Home, 775-423-8928.
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