Published: July 01, 2009 03:33 pm      

Friends & Neighbors: Meet Essie Ritchey

If you don’t see Essie Ritchey burning up the lanes at Galaxy Bowling, where the 84-year-old still likes to spend her time, you might remember her as the “shoe lady.”

Ritchey spent 38 years at Hackney Shoes and Repair in Dalton, helping customers, taking care of office duties and fixing countless pairs of shoes. She says she was known around the area for her talents with shoes.

“I could sole shoes like a man,” she says proudly.

Ritchey has spent most of her life proving gender is no barrier when it comes to doing what you want and doing it well. And nowhere does she do that more than at the bowling alley.

Ritchey began bowling in 1962 when her friend, Marian Michalak, was opening J&M Lanes in Dalton. Michalak called one day and asked her to come down and bowl with her in a league. There was only one problem. Ritchey didn’t know how.

“I had to learn, but I liked it right away,” she said. “It took two years to really learn it and get good at it. You learn more and learn faster in a league than just throwing a ball. You have rules you have to follow.”

Ritchey said she got frustrated sometimes but didn’t let that stop her.

“Everybody does,” she said of getting frustrated. “But it’s a great form of exercise. Throwing a 14-pound ball for three games, you really get a good workout.”

Ritchey joined city and state bowling associations and eventually served as vice president of the state association for five years. That may sound important, but she saw it as more drudgery than anything else.

“I didn’t like it because I didn’t know half the people,” said Ritchey. “And you had to go to all the meetings. We met in Savannah, Atlanta … everywhere. Too much travel.”

But don’t think Ritchey prefers to stay near home all the time. She’ll happily bowl anywhere as evidenced by the 25 times she has traveled across the country to participate in national tournaments. So far Ritchey has played in Buffalo, N.Y.; Pittsburgh; Reno, Nev.; Tampa, Fla.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Indianapolis; Tuscon, Ariz.; Salt Lake City; Baton Rouge, La.; Lansing, Mich.; San Antonio, Texas; New Orleans; Las Vegas, Nev.; St. Louis, Mo.; Atlanta; Baltimore, Md.; Boise, Idaho; Seattle; Carson City, Nev.; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her favorite is Reno.

“I’ve been twice and just got back,” she said. “I think (Nevada’s) a beautiful state. Reno has big lakes and big mountains. The scenery is really pretty. I like to look at the scenery and the buildings and how they’re kept up.”

Ritchey enjoys seeing a lot of the same people and catching up with how everyone is doing.

“I like the camaraderie and the people of bowling,” she said. “Everybody is so nice.”

Fifteen years ago, that feeling of friendship and support proved invaluable when Ritchey was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her left breast and neighboring lymph nodes were removed.

“It scared the living daylights out of me,” she said. “It scared me when they said ‘surgery.’ But I stayed pretty positive. I just said, ‘I’m not gonna let it get to me. I’m gonna fight it.’”

Following six weeks of recovery, she had six chemotherapy treatments. After that, doctors said no more was needed, and Ritchey has had no recurrence of cancer. More importantly, she was able to get back to bowling — “better than before.”

Today Ritchey boasts a 179 average, which she says is the highest average of any woman in the leagues she participates in. She bowls three games three times a week. She also cleans her daughter Delyn’s three-story house every Friday and spends a lot of time making goodies.

“She does a lot of baking for people,” said Galaxy Bowling co-manager Alison Tucker. “She brings cakes to the bowling alley all the time, especially for birthdays. She’s something else.”