Ruth Ratzlaff
Ruth Ratzlaff, 91, died Sunday (Dec. 21, 2008) at
Newton Medical Center in Newton.
She was born Oct. 21, 1917, in Goessel to John and
Sara (Schroeder) Janzen.
She was a homemaker and a member of Alexanderwohl
Mennonite Church and the Willing Workers Sewing Society. She loved sewing and
was a talented seamstress. She also was an avid gardener and loved to bake.
She was preceded in death by two husbands, Ernest
Pankratz, who died in 1945, and Jacob Ratzlaff, who died in 1976. She also was
preceded in death by a son, Darrel Ratzlaff; a son-in-law, Jay Dean Schroeder;
two brothers; four sisters; and two granddaughters, Jaci Fast and Michon
Buckner.
Survivors include a son, Ernest Pankratz Jr. of
Peabody; daughters, Lois (and Lloyd) Musser of Newton, Diane (and Kerwin) Voth
of rural Newton, Barbara (and Smiley) Jost of Hesston, Judy Schroeder of Marion
and June (and Don) Hiebert of Goessel; daughter-in-law, Lou Ratzlaff of
Midlothian, Texas; 15 grandchildren; and 26 great-granchildren.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Friday at
Miller Funeral Home in Goessel.
Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at
Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in Goessel, with Pastor Linda Ewert and Pastor
Joel Schroeder officiating.
Burial will be at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Alexanderwohl
Church Children's Ministries or Asbury Park.
