Phyllis Ann Ratliff

PHYLLIS ANN RATLIFF

Phyllis Ann Ratliff of Willows passed away peacefully on April 4, 2008, at her home with her family, after a brief battle with cancer.

Phyllis was born on March 19, 1927 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Coy and Veda Ferguson. At the age of one, she and her mother moved to Whittier, California. When Phyllis was five, her mother married Casey Jones who then adopted her.

Phyllis graduated from Whittier High School in 1944. She met her lifelong love, Tom Ratliff in high school and they were married on March 24, 1945. Phyllis and Tom moved to Bayliss in 1950. Tom began a career in farming and she became a homemaker.

Phyllis is survived by her daughters and their husbands; Nancy and Chas Demmer of Artois and Sue and Gary Anderson of Orland, granddaughters; Kristin (Bill) Weller, Jocelyn and Darcie Anderson, great-grandchildren; Lauren and Ryan Weller; half brother, Steve (Nancy) Ferguson of Texas and half sister Gail (Donald) Bowles of Oklahoma. Phyllis was predeceased by her husband, Tom and their son, Bill.

In 1956 Phyllis won a new Ford automobile for selling the most subscriptions to the Willows Daily Journal. She and Tom enjoyed many years of traveling together, visiting Mexico, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Hawaii. She especially loved her annual Thanksgiving vacations with her immediate family, last traveling to Maui in November of 2007. Phyllis' interests included playing bridge with her friends, knitting, traveling and going to the casino. She was involved in the Bayliss Women's Club and was a member of the Citrus Chapter, Order of Eastern Star.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, April 13, at 10 a.m. at the Willows Cemetery. F.D. Sweet & Son Mortuary of Orland is handling the arrangements.