Ralston, Howard J.

RALSTON

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/23/2021 at 13:04:16

Source: History of Warren County, Iowa, by Gerard Schultz and Don L. Berry, The Record and Tribune Co., Indianola, Iowa, 1953, p.336

HOWARD J. RALSTON
Howard J. Ralston, farm planner for the Soil Conservation service of the United States Department of Agriculture, lives at 503 North E street, Indianola. He was born at Earlham Aug. 31, 1920, the son of D. S. and Bessie (Kerr) Ralston. Mr. Ralston received his grade and high school education in the Earlham consolidated school. He attended Iowa State college at Ames, where he graduated with the degree of bachelor of science.
June 24, 1947, Mr. Ralston married Mary Ann Burns, daughter of Charles and Vera Burns. Mrs. Ralston was born in California.
In 1943 Mr. Ralston entered the United States army, in which he served until 1947. Although commissioned in field artillery, he was transferred to infantry. He served with the parachute troops in the 11th Airborn division in Luzon, Okinawa and Japan. He was in the Pacific theater of war a year and a half.
After the close of the war, Mr. Ralston entered the Reserve Officers' Training corps and is at this time first lieutenant in command of the Heavy Mortar Co., 410th Infantry regiment, which is a part of the 103rd division, U.S.A. This is the reserve division for Iowa and Minnesota. He came to Indianola in 1946 as assistant in the soils conservation office, and was placed in charge of the area upon the resignation of B. Franklin Hull.