RATKA, Muriel Anne (Grove) 1933-2009

GROVE, RATKA, SHARLEY

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 2/28/2009 at 10:05:08

BURIAL AT CHARLES CITY

NEW HAMPTON, IOWA - Muriel A. Ratka, age 75, of New Hampton, Iowa, died on Sunday, February 8, 2009, at St. Mary’s Hospital, in Rochester, Minnesota.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charles City, with Pastor James Grabitske officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery at Charles City, Iowa, with Andrew Ratka, Aaron Ratka, Derek Collyard, David J. Grove, Tom Greiner, Ryan Heilman and Jay Grove serving as casket bearers. Honorary casket bearers include Mike Montanez, Jeff Martsching, Randy Jones and Dave Cavanaugh.

Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. today, Feb. 11, at Conway-Kolbet Funeral Home in New Hampton and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.conway-kolbetfuneralhome.com

Muriel Anne (Grove) Ratka was born on October 17, 1933, to Laurence and Ella (Sharley) Grove in New Hampton. She attended school in New Hampton and graduated from New Hampton High School in 1951. After her graduation Muriel moved to Des Moines and worked for Younkers Department Store as a clerk.

On April 12, 1953, Muriel was united in marriage to Richard E. Ratka at the Congregational United Church of Christ in New Hampton. The couple eventually settled in Charles City, where she was employed by Sperry Transportation Company and later was employed at First Security Bank and Trust until her retirement.

Muriel enjoyed playing cards, cooking, sports, reading, going to casinos and especially spending time with her friends and family. Muriel was very involved with the Carnegie Cultural Center in New Hampton and volunteered at the local food shelf. She was an active member of Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charles City.

Muriel is survived by her two children, Richard (Linda Jorgensen) Ratka Jr. of Mineral Point, Wis., and Anne (Dan) Heilman of St. Paul, Minn.; three grandsons, Andrew Ratka, Aaron Ratka and Ryan Heilman; two brothers, Donald (Jane) Grove of Elkader and David (Leah) Grove of Comstock, Wis.; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Richard Eugene Ratka Sr., on Oct. 12, 2005.

Conway-Kolbet Funeral Home, 115 N Broadway, New Hampton, (641) 394-4331, is in charge of the arrangements.

[Charles City Press 2/11/2009]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

See photo of tombstone on GPP