Marriage Information:
Mary married Thomas RATLIFF on Apr 6, 1843 in Mahaska Co, Iowa. (Thomas RATLIFF was born on Jul 23, 1821, died on May 28, 1892 and was buried in Forest Cem., Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co, Iowa.)
In 1854 when Lewis and Elizabeth Rinehart left Iowa, 9 of their children
accompanied them, three preceded them to Oregon. Their daughter, Mary Ann,
remained in Iowa. She had married Thomas Ratliff in Adams County, Illinois, in
1843 and they had c to Iowa in 1844 with Mary Ann's family. By 1844, when the
rest of Mary Ann's family went west, they had 4 children, Ellen, age 10;
Margaret, age 6; James, age 4 and John, a few months old. In 1858
their last child, Elizabeth, was born. They continued to live in Section 8 and 9
of Harrison Township, Mahaska
County, Iowa. Thomas and Mary Ann Ratliff and all their children except James
and Elizabeth are buried in Forest Cemetery, Oskaloosa, Iowa. Elizabeth is
buried in Henness Cemetery East Des Moines Township, Mahaska County, Iowa.
--- IN MEMORIAM ---
MARY ANN (RINEHART) RATLIFF
Mary A. Ratliff, wife of Thomas Ratliff, died March 13th, 1887, at the residence
of her daughter, Mrs. W. A. Stephenson, in the 62nd year of
her age.
The lives of men and women in the eyes of the world, humble and obscure,
are often in the vision of God filled with vast and untold
influence. Such a life was that of her, whom yesterday we followed to the
sleeping place of our sacred dead. While living she sought not the praise of
men. While she sleepeth she would not desire flattering eulogy, yet in memory of
her humble devotion to her church and her untiring attention to her position as
a wife and mother, and in gratitude for her duties toward neighbor and friend,
we cast this tribute upon her freshly made couch of rest, and give it to the
bereft family, to whom her worth is best known and by whom she will be much
missed and remembered. She was, in the truest, most excellent sens wife and
today it is the joy of the lonely husband to remember that for many years she
was a helped, counselor and sharer of the domestic joys and sorrows of the home
made cheerful and happy by her Christian faith and cheerful presence.. Shall not
memory still linger to drive away the loneliness of that husband's stricken
heart? Then, too, she was a mother, what other words shall
cluster around that dear name that can add to its worth! Is it not the word of
all words expressive of affections endearment and home worth? Four children and
five grandchildren are left to strew flowers on her grave and whisper softly:
"Mother is in Heaven".
Copy as written
Spouses/Children:
Thomas RATLIFF