Allen Ernest Ratliff (2013)
RATLIFF, PARKE, COLLINS, MAAKESTAD, BIONDI, CHRISTENSEN, BENNETT, CHURCHILL, RICHMOND, TAM, RICHAMOND, DAVIS
Posted By: Mary Welty Hart (email)
Date: 9/19/2013 at 14:41:40
Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa
September 19, 2013ALLEN RATLIFF, Earlham
Allen Ernest Ratliff, 69, of Earlham passed away at Bright Kavanaugh Hospice in Des Moines, Iowa on September 16, 2013. Services will be held on Friday, September 20th at 3 P.M. with a visitation two hours prior at the Johnson Family Funeral Home in Earlham. Burial service with military honors will be at 12:30 P.M. Monday, September 23rd at the Iowa Veteran's Cemetery in Van Meter. Memorial contributions may be made to the Allen Ratliff Memorial Fund, in care of Johnson Family Funeral Home, PO Box 171, Earlham, IA 50072. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com
Allen was born October 27, 1943 in Park River, North Dakota to Joy and Vera (Parke) Ratliff. He was the youngest of five children. The family moved to Ames, Iowa. There he helped with the family business, Ratliff Spudnut Donuts. He graduated from Ames High School and joined the Marines. He married Charlotte Davis of Des Moines and to the union three children were born: Raymond, Ronnie and Renae. He married Marilyn Peterson Collins in 1992 and combining their families, they had six children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
His family lived in Des Moines where he worked at Pittsburgh Des Moines Steel, ran a gas station and he later retired as custodian at Bethany Manor in Story City. Allen became certified in Small Engine Repair and lawn mowers became his specialty. He liked to tinker with all engines.
Allen and Marilyn were married in the chapel at Bethany Manor on May 23, 1992. The wedding was the Saturday afternoon entertainment with all of the residents invited. He enjoyed fishing, playing cards and bingo. He was an avid Cyclones fan. He was a member of the American Legion Post 158 in Earlham.
He was baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Ames and cherished his visits with the missionaries and church members.
He was preceded in death by his parents: Joy and Vera Ratliff; brother: Robert Ratliff; and nephew: Ricky Ratliff.
Those who will miss him are his wife: Marilyn of Earlham; children: Raymond (Lynda) Ratliff of Des Moines, Ronnie (Cindy) Ratliff of Gilbert, Renae (Ryan) Maakestad of Des Moines; step-children: Alyse Biondi and husband Zac Christensen, Chris Biondi of Earlham, Jared Collens of Atlantic; siblings: Richard Ratliff of Ames, Joyce (William) Bennett of Cherokee, Janice (Alan) Churchill of Colorado; grandchildren: Ryan and Nolan Ratliff of Gilbert, Christine (Bill) Richmond of Elkhart, Victoria Ratliff and Katelyn Tam of Des Moines, Jessica and Kayla Biondi of Earlham, Alexis and Courtney Collins of Boone; and great-grandchildren Mason Biondi and Isabell Richamond and a host of other family and friends that will miss him greatly.
Johnson Farmily Funeral Home, Earlham
________________________Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
September 25, 2013ALLEN RATLIFF, Earlham
Allen Ernest Ratliff, 69, of Earlham died Monday, Sept. 16, 2013, at Bright Kavanaugh Hospice in Des Moines, Iowa.
Services were held on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Johnson Family Funeral Home in Earlham. Burial service with military honors was held Monday, Sept. 23, at the Iowa Veteran’s Cemetery in Van Meter. Memorial contributions may be made to the Allen Ratliff Memorial Fund, in care of Johnson Family Funeral Home (PO Box 171, Earlham, IA 50072).
Allen was born Oct. 27, 1943, in Park River, ND, to Joy and Vera (Parke) Ratliff. The family moved to Ames, where he helped with the family business, Ratliff Spudnut Donuts. He graduated from Ames High School and joined the Marines. He married Charlotte Davis of Des Moines and to the union three children were born: Raymond, Ronnie and Renae. He married Marilyn Peterson Collins in in the chapel at Bethany Manor on May 23, 1992. His family lived in Des Moines where he worked at Pittsburgh Des Moines Steel, ran a gas station and he later retired as custodian at Bethany Manor in Story City. Allen became certified in Small Engine Repair and lawn mowers became his specialty. He was a member of the American Legion Post 158 in Earlham. He was baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Ames.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Robert Ratliff; and nephew, Ricky Ratliff.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn of Earlham; children, Raymond (Lynda) Ratliff of Des Moines, Ronnie (Cindy) Ratliff of Gilbert, Renae (Ryan) Maakestad of Des Moines; step-children, Alyse (Zac Christensen) Biondi, Chris Biondi of Earlham, Jared Collens of Atlantic; siblings, Richard Ratliff of Ames, Joyce (William) Bennett of Cherokee, Janice (Alan) Churchill of Colorado; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a host of other family members and friends.
Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.
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