Ratliff, Charles A. 1934-2004

RATLIFF, HACKATHORN, ROMANS, BUTLER, DENNEY

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 6/24/2005 at 22:17:51

Charles A. "Chuck" Ratliff, 69, of 702 E. 21st St. Pl. S. died Saturday, Jan. 10, in Newton.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Newton with the Rev. David Wendel officiating. Burial will be at Newton Union Cemetery. Wallace Family Funeral Home in Newton is handling arrangements.

Friends may call after 5 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home where the family will be available from 6 to 7 p.m., prior to a Masonic service at 7 p.m., and following the Masonic service, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Memorials will be accepted to the First United Methodist Church or to Progress Industries and may be left at the funeral home or at the church the day of the service.

The son of Charles V. and Faundria L. (Hackathorn) Ratliff, he was born Jan. 25, 1934, in Unionville, Mo. He graduated from Unionville High School in 1952. On Jan. 25, 1953, he married Helen L. Romans in Newton. He worked for the Maytag Company for 35 years and retired as a supervisor in 1986. Then he worked as a bus driver for the Newton Community School District for 13 years. He retired in 1999.

Mr. Ratliff was a square dance caller and square dance instructor for more than 30 years. He enjoyed music and would be the caller for square dances at the local nursing homes and provide music for the Moose Lodge's Easter and Christmas parties that they held for Progress Industries clients. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church; member and past president of Newton Lodge No. 59 A.F./A.M.; Newton Chapter O.E.S. No. 100; past president of the Central Iowa Callers Association; member of the Callerlab, the American Callers Association; and a former member of the Jasper County Sheriff's Reserve.

Survivors include his wife; a son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Ann Ratliff of Newton; a daughter, Pam Ratliff of Newton; two grandchildren; his mother, of Unionville, Mo.; three sisters and brothers-in-law, Dorothy and David Butler of Unionville, Mo., Marie Ratliff of Nashville, Tenn., and Mari and Alton Denney of Ashland City, Tenn.; and several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father.

Newton (IA) Daily News, Monday, January 12, 2004