Breathing Life Into Family Ancestors

About the Book

Realizing that crests are really assigned to a specific individual and not a family, I have still chosen to show the crests that are associated with the O’Malleys and Ritschharts. The O’Malley crest is a prominent fixture in any of the Irish Heraldry shops and I personally observed in inside the Catholic Abbey on Clare Island just off the coast of Westport in County Mayo. The Abbey dates back to the mid-15th century. The inscription at the bottom of the O’Malley crest translates to “Valiant by Sea and Land”.

I observed the Ritschhart crest on a large wooden mural in the Church in Hilterfingen, Switzerland. The Ritschhart name and crest appears 8 times on the mural, donated in 1731 by 32 prominent families in the area.

About the Author

Del Ritchhart is an avid genealogist and has been researching his family for over 15 years. He is the immediate past president of the Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego and an active member of the San Diego Genealogical Society. He also teaches and lectures on genealogy related subjects. Del grew up in Colorado and is a graduate of the University of Colorado. He served 24 years in the U.S. Navy and retired as a Captain in 1984. He then worked for 15 years in the Aerospace Industry. In addition to genealogy, Del’s interests include family, golf, travel, and photography.