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The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Ratchford, Vera L.
Vera L. Ratchford, 77, of Independence, died Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 30, 2013, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha.
Vera was born Dec. 28, 1935, in Estherville, Iowa, the daughter of Sigfred O. and Ellen (Christensen) Ringham. She graduated from Estherville High School. She was married to Frank T. Ratchford Jr. on Dec. 26, 1955, in Fort Dodge. The couple farmed in the Independence area until moving into Independence in 1965.
She is survived by five children, Jacqueline (Mark) Hogan, Joan (Gary) Cotton, Rhonda (Steve) Takes, Mike (Deb) Ratchford and Mary (Dennis) Ratchford, all of Cedar Rapids; 13 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
Vera was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Frank in 1995; a daughter, Barbara Hedgman in 2001; two brothers, Irwin and Everett Ringham; and two sisters, Delores Ringham and Lenora MacRunnel.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Reiff Funeral Home & Crematory, Independence, with Dr. David Larson officiating. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery, Independence. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
For more information or to leave an online condolence please go to www.reifffuneralhome.com under obituaries.
Published Nov. 1, 2013 in The Gazette
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