Orville Ratzlaff
January 11, 1920 ~ July 22, 2012
View Orville's Tribute Video
Orville P. Ratzlaff, 92, of Highmore, passed away Sunday, July 22, 2012 at Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital, Miller.
Funeral services were held at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at the United Methodist Church, Highmore with Pastor Sheena Thomson officiating. Burial followed at the Highmore Cemetery. Visitation was held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at the church.
Orville Paul Ratzlaff was born January 11, 1920 to Isaac and Eva (Boese) Ratzlaff at their home 10 miles south of Highmore. He attended the South Eagle Township Elementary School and graduated from Highmore High School in 1938.
He served this country during WWII in the 42nd Army Air Force Base Unit at Maxwell Field, Alabama. He was trained as a surgical medical technician at Lawson General Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He was honorably discharged February 11, 1946, when he was awarded the American Theatre Good Conduct Medal and the Victory Medal.
Orville attended college at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana, where he graduated in 1950 with a B.A. Degree in Secondary Education. He later earned a degree in Elementary Education from Ball State Teachers’ College at Muncie, Indiana. He was granted his Master’s Degree from Columbia University, New York City in 1951.
In 1952, Orville married Frances Brown at the North Anderson Church of God in Anderson, Indiana. They made their home in Anderson until 1961. To this union two daughters were born, Anita Louise and Faith Ann. He taught school for 30 years in Indiana, Iowa and South Dakota (14 of which were on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation at Ft. Thompson, South Dakota). He retired from teaching in 1982. Orville, with his family, moved ten miles southeast of Highmore, where they have farmed since 1967.
He worshipped at the Grace Bible Church in Highmore where he assisted in teaching the Adult Bible Class for many years. He will best be remembered for his love of God’s word, the Bible, large portions of which he had committed to memory. His favorite verse being Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto me, and I will show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
His memory will be cherished by his wife, Frances of Highmore; two daughters: Anita Ratzlaff of Highmore and Faith (Kim) Ruhl of Byng, OK; one sister, Clara Hall of Highmore; two brothers: Leroy (Rena) Ratzlaff of Highmore and Sidney (Billee) Ratzlaff of Boise, ID; sister-in-law, Laura Ratzlaff, widow of Alvin Ratzlaff, of Springfield, MO and Grace Ratzlaff, widow of Leslie Ratzlaff, of Lake Wales, FL and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers: Gilbert, Alvin, a set of twins, Leslie, Arnold and Willis; sisters: Esther, Rosa, Ida, Virginia, Florence, Mary and Ruby.
Luze Funeral Home of Highmore has been entrusted with Orville’s arrangements.
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Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you as you face this difficult time.
Gordon and Cynthia Sampson
i will always remember growing up just up the road from orville and frances’ farm. he always had time to say hi and talk about the weather and the crops. some neighbors no matter how far you move away will always be remembered forever. you are all in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time but orville will never be forgotten.
love, billy whipple
Much love to Frances, Anita and Faith and the rest of the family.
Dear family,
We are thankful Orville has gone to heaven and that he served and loved Jesus. May God comfort you today as you say goodby to a loved one, and may you also celebrate his new life and body promised to us who hold fast and believe. Your dad touched many lives and left an example for others. Thank you for the video to watch. May you be held in God,s arms today.
Randy, Jeanette and Sophonise Nielson
Orville was such a special uncle to me especially growing up. He would hire us to come over and pick weeds in the new shelterbelts that he had planted and at time he would have us help pick bails. He was always smiling and happy and new each of us by name. After all work was done he would line us up and count out dollar bills to pay each and every one of us. Sometimes he would have the dollar bills stacked neatly on the table for each of us to take one. this was a big thing to get paid to work and back then a dollar went quite a long ways. I loved him so much and will miss him greatly.
What a shock to hear of Orville’s death … yet how precious to think that he is with the One he has loved and served well for so many years. We will deeply miss this gentle man. We first met Orville when we “filled the pulpit” at Grace Bible Church during our final year at Sunshine Bible Academy. He and Frances took us out to eat at the bowling alley each Sunday we were there, and we SO enjoyed getting to know this dear couple. Frances and Orville have been faithful supporters of our family and ministry in Ukraine for over 10 years, and we always looked forward to our times with them when we shared at Grace Bible.
Frances, we will be praying for you. We can only imagine how hard it has been for you to say goodbye to your kind husband. May God hold you and walk closely beside you … you are never alone. We love you so much, Judy for the Manna family
I knew him and I liked him a lot. He was so friendly, so kind, so caring, and all the words that I can descibe him in.. If I descibed all I would be on this computer for awhile… hahah… lol… But… with all joking aside I want the WHOLE family to know that you guys and he are in my every prayer, in my every thought, and importantly in my heart. If the family needs anything, I gladly would do whatever I can because you guys always with be my friends, not only but as family..
You were my teacher at Crow Creek. Mr. Ratzlaff, job well done! Now go rest high on that mountain. Mitakuye Oyasin…..
Dear friends, I’m sorry to hear that you have lost your dear loved one, Orville.
The Holy Book that Orville loved and thought about so often, tells us that God knows his loyal ones and is faithful to remember them.
It made me think of Malachi chapter 3, verse 16, “At that time those in fear of Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance began to be written up before him for those in fear of Jehovah and for those thinking upon his name.”
Soon all tears, death and mourning will be gone. And the pain of death won’t even be remembered.
Please be comforted by your memories and family and friends who care about you so much. Kaitlin