Charlie Edward Ricketts (1870 - 1932)
Charlie Edward "Ed" Ricketts, son of Reuben B. Ricketts and Eliza Jane Elliott Ricketts, was born June 23,
1870, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. on the Franklin Turnpike about 2-1/2 miles north of Danville, Virginia.  He died
February 8, 1932 at his house on Fuller Street in Danville and was buried in Highland Cemetery.
On February 25, 1892, he married Lucy James Mills, who was born April 16, 1877 and died March 8, 1954; buried in
Highland Cemetery. She was the daughter of Samuel David "Cub" Mills (Jan. 2, 1853 - June 19, 1930) and Lucy
Jane Davis Mills, of Dry Fork, Virginia. Charlie Edward Ricketts and Lucy Mills Ricketts had eight children:
with their three oldest children: Viola, Leonard and Lena.
and would like to have your information (including
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"Cub" Mills (Lucy's father)
Later, he moved the business into a store building on Third Avenue across from Aspen Street. These businesses
chickens at the homeplace on Fuller Street until his death in 1932.
1918, he also worked at one of Dry Fork,
Virginia's largest businesses, the whiskey
distillery that was owned and operated by
Hezzie Pigg.  In 1906, Ed Ricketts was charter
member of the Dry Fork Town Council. In
addition to the large distillery, Dry fork boasted
Ed Ricketts told about the time that some
enterprising thieves made off with large
quantities of "aging" liquor from the distillery.
The liquor was aged in large wooden kegs,
stored on the first floor. The thieves entered
the basement at various times over a period of
months, drilled a hole through the wooden
floor, right up through the kegs and drained
the contents into containers. They left no trace
of their visits and the loss was not discovered
until about  year later.

Dry Fork, Virginia was an incorporated town
from 1906 until 1920. When automobiles came
onto the scene and roads were improved, the
importance of railroad towns began to fade.
Dry Fork, being a railroad town, was no
exception. Dry really became "dry" when the
act of Prohibition caused the distillery to close
in 1918.

In November 1919, Charlie "Ed" Ricketts
moved his family to Danville, Virginia. He
opened a grocery store on Third Avenue near
Claiborne Street.
(back row, L-R) William Leonard Ricketts, Percy Hutchins Ricketts, Reuben Edward
Ricketts, Viola Ricketts (Davis), (front row) Lena Ricketts (Holley Payne).
THE FOUR RICKETTS BROTHERS  (L to R) Percy Ricketts, Reuben
Ricketts, Leonard Ricketts, (in front) Sam Ricketts
I never knew my grandfather Charlie Edward Ricketts since he died nine years before my birth. I remember
my grandmother Lucy (Mills) Ricketts, who died March 8, 1954, when I was thirteen years old. Years later,
we learned of her handwritten journal.  Read "The Sketch Of My Life," which is a part of Lucy (Mills)
Ricketts' large diary that was written from 1937-1945.  I have also worked out a Timeline for her life.        

----Danny Ricketts