Rev. Dr. Isaac H. Reiter, for many years a distinguished citizen and minister of the gospel, of Miamisburg, was born in Berks county. Pa., February 4, 1819, and in 1831 removed with his parents to Wooster, Ohio. His earlier years were spent under religious influences and training, and he united with the Reformed church in 1842. Being well educated in his youth, he taught school for several terms, and while engaged in Bible distribution and railroad clerking he privately prosecuted his studies. From 18 51 to 1854 he was a student in the theological seminary at Heidelberg university, graduating from the seminary in June of the latter year. In November following he was ordained a minister of the gospel, and was pastor of the Miamisburg Reformed church from 1854 to 1874, a period of twenty years. From 1874 to 1895 Dr. Reiter was engaged in general church work, preaching only occasionally. From 1873 to 1882 he was editor of the literary department of the Heidelberg Teacher & Instructor, and from 1880 to 1882 was editor of the Christian World. He also supplied considerable matter for the Lives of the Fathers, published in six volumes, and at the same time performed other literary and statistical work.
Dr. Reiter served as stated clerk of the general synod of the Reformed church for thirty-five years, and of the Ohio synod for twenty-five years. He was long officially identified with the educational institutions of the Reformed church at Tiffin, Ohio, and for thirty-five years was an active member of the board of regents of Heidelburg university. For twenty-seven years he was a member of the board of trustees of Heidelberg Theological seminary, and received the honorary degree of master of arts from Heidelberg university in June, 1866, and from Ursinus college the degree of doctor of divinity in June, 1874.
He was a member of the board of education of Miamisburg twenty-four years and of the board of examiners six years, He wrote a history of the public schools of Miamisburg, which was published in the Miamisburg Bulletin, beginning January 5, 1883, and continuing through nine numbers. No one was ever more closely identified with the moral, educational and religious interests of Miamisburg than was Dr. Reiter, and at his death, which occurred November 8, 1895, the entire community felt that it had suffered a loss that could not be repaired.
Source: Centennial Portrait and Biographical Record of the City of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens Together with the Biographies and Portraits of the Presidents of the United States and Biographies of the Governors of Ohio, ed. by Frank Conover, A.W. Bowen & Co., 1897, p. 1037.