Stever Ritter was one of the earliest members of the Tombigbee Pioneers. He visited the Pioneers at the Natchez Trace at one of our events in 2001, joined the group immediately, and became a dedicated member. He seldom missed one of our events and was usually the last to leave. Steve was very knowledgeable about the early pioneer days in this part of the country. He had a sizable collection of early American longhunter artifacts and loved to share those and his wealth of information with visitors at our events.
Steve passed away in 2009 and is sorely missed by all the group and all the other people he befriended over the years.
In 2010, the Natchez Trace Parkway named the “Volunteer of the Year” Award for Steve. The award is given to a volunteer in recognition of their dedication and time they contribute to the Natchez Trace Parkway.
The 2015 Winner of the Steve Ritter Award was JD Jones, basketmaker for the Tombigbee Pioneers. JD has been with the Tombigbee Pioneers since the group was founded.
Previous Winners:
2009 – Mr. and Mrs. Cleburn Adherholt
2010 – Pat Arinder, founder and director of the Tombigbee Pioneers.
2011 – Forrest and Eileen, leaders of the Dulcimer Group.
2012 – Jeff Brewer
2013 – Scott and Debi Morris
2014 – Shirley Scott
Tombigbee Pioneers 