Olive Chamberlain Ralston (2007)

ALLEN, CHAMBERLAIN, GRAVELIE, KNOX, OLSON, RALSTON, RUDDUCK, STRAND, SWIATKOWSKI, YETTER

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart (email)
Date: 9/13/2007 at 09:46:33

Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa
September 12, 2007

OLIVE CHAMBERLAIN RALSTON, Earlham

Olive M. Ralston, age 93, died at Winterset Care Center North on September 3, 2007.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Saturday September 15, 2007 at the Earlham Presbyterian Church with burial in the Earlham Cemetery.

Olive is survived by daughter, Ruby Olson (Larry) of St. Cloud ,MN; daughter, Doris Strand (Steve) of Marshalltown, IA; son, William Ralston (Rosemary) of Chesapeake, VA; daughter, Lois Yetter of Earlham; daughter, Ann Marie Swiatkowski of Centreville, VA; sister, Myrtle Allen of Winterset, IA; sisters- in-law, Grace Gravelie of Cedar Rapids, IA and Eliene Ralston of Omaha, NE; several grandchildren and great- grandchildren. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday September 14, 2007 at the Kuhn Funeral Home in Earlham where the family will greet friends from 6 to 8 p.m.

Memorials may be directed to the Earlham Presbyterian Church.
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Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
September 19, 2007

OLIVE RALSTON, Winterset

Olive Mae Ralston, 93, of Winterset died Sept. 3, 2007.

Funeral services were held Saturday, Sept. 15, at the First Presbyterian Church in Earlham with Pastor Robert Waldron officiating. Burial was at Earlham Cemetery.

Olive Ralston was born Aug. 16, 1914, in Madison County to Clyde and Lois (Knox) Chamberlain. After graduating from Winterset High School in 1932, she became a registered nurse at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, graduating in 1936. Olive worked at the Dexter Clinic and also was a church camp nurse. She was instrumental in starting the Earlham Care Program and was a volunteer for hospice. Her marriage to Russell Kerr Ralston took place in 1939. Growing up, she attended the Worthington Methodist Church and was a 4-H member. As an adult, she was a 4-H leader. She was very active in the Earlham Presbyterian Church and was recognized as an Outstanding Elderly Presbyterian.

She was preceded in death by her husband and a sister, Florence Rudduck.

She is survived by four daughters, Ruby Olson of St. Cloud, Minn., Doris Strand of Marshalltown, Lois Yetter of Earlham and Ann Marie Swiatkowski of Centreville, Va.; one son, William Ralston of Chesapeake, Va.; a sister, Myrtle Allen of Winterset; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were handled by Kuhn Funeral Homes of Dexter, Earlham and Redfield.

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Earlham Advocate
Earlham, Iowa
September 20, 2007
Page 2

Funeral services for Olive Mae Chamberlain Ralston were held on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Earlham, Iowa.

Pastor Robert Waldron officiated. Pianist was Debbie Jones. Music was by the Melody Makers Women’s Quartet singing “Precious Lord Take My Hand”. Music Medley “Blessed Be The Name”, “Sweet Hour of Prayer”, and “Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus”.

Pallbearers were Larry Olson, Steve Strand, William Ralston, Brian Morris, Bruce Grady, and Terry Summy.

Olive Mae Chamberlain was born on August 16, 1914 in Madison County, Iowa, the second child of Clyde and Lois Chamberlain. Olive’s parents passed on the heritage of a Godly home, and the family attended the Worthington Methodist Church. Olive actively helped her parents with the daily chores, and she happily became her dad’s “boy”. Olive was a 4-H member in her youth and as an adult was a 4-H leader.

After graduating from Winterset High School in 1932, Olive became a registered nurse at Iowa Lutheran Hospital, and graduated in 1936. Her generous spirit extended to giving allergy shots to neighbors. Olive worked at the Dexter Clinic and was also a church camp nurse.

Olive was instrumental in starting the Earlham Care Program and was a volunteer for hospice. In 1939, Olive married Russell Kerr Ralston. God blessed them with 5 children. Olive’s family was very important to her. Her garden was plentiful. Olive had a servant’s heart. For many years at Christmas, she baked and gave a loaf of her whole wheat bread to her many friends and neighbors. Her bread making was a featured article in Successful Farming magazine in 1952.

Olive was very active in the Earlham Presbyterian Church. She was recognized as an Outstanding Elderly Presbyterian. Olive portrayed the likeness of Christ as she was a loving wife and mother. She made quilts for her grandchildren.

Olive is preceded in death by her parents, husband Russell of 61 years, sister Florence Rudduck, son-in-law Robert Swiatkowski, and son-in-law Samuel Yetter.

She is survived by her sister Myrtle Allen of Winterset, IA; daughter Ruby Olson and husband Larry of St. Cloud, MN; daughter Doris Strand and husband Steve of Marshalltown, IA; son William Ralston and wife Rosemary of Chesapeake, VA; daughter Lois Yetter of Earlham, IA; daughter Ann Marie Swiatkowski of Centreville, VA; sisters-in-law Grace Gravelie of Cedar Rapids, IA and Eilene Ralston of Omaha, NE; several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Interment was in the Earlham Cemetery in Earlham, Iowa. Kuhn Funeral Homes was in charge of arrangements.