Captain George Ernest Ratliff, Jr., United States Air Force, [October 15, 1949 – October 21, 1983] was born to George Ernest Ratliff, Sr. [July 12, 1923 – January 24,  1989] and Martha Dowdell Ratliff [January 2, 1925 – January 6, 2005] at Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, Texas. He passed away at Gorgas U.S. Army Hospital in Panama City, Panama while on temporary duty assignment at Howard Air Force Base, near Balboa, Panama. George had one sister, Connie Ratliff of Cedar Lane; two brothers, David Ratliff of the Woodlands and Dr. Thomas Ratliff of Memphis, Tenn.

In 1981 he  married Elizabeth Ann McKee [November 3, 1942, Cumberland, Rhode Island] – [November 25, 1985, Rhein, Oberbergischer Kreis, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany]. They had two daughters: Margaret Elizabeth and Martha Katalin. He joined the US Air Force on May 14, 1973 and had advanced to the rank of Captain by the time of his death in 1983. His unit was working in support of the Grenada Invasion, which took place on October 25, 1983. He was returned to Bay City and was interred at Cedarvale Cemetery on October 30, 1983. At the time of his death his wife and daughters were living in Germany.
 

Captain George Ernest Ratliff Jr.

Funeral services for Captain George Ernest Ratliff Jr. of Frankfurt, West Germany, have been scheduled for 3 p. m. Sunday at the First United Methodist Church in Van Vleck with the Rev. Robert Sinclair officiating.

Capt. Ratliff, 34, was born Oct. 15, 1949, in Sugarland and died Oct. 21, 1983. He was the son of George Ernest Ratliff Sr. and Martha Jeff Dowdell Ratliff of Cedar Lane.

In addition to his parents, Capt. Ratliff is survived by his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth McKee Ratliff of Frankfurt, West Germany; two daughters, Margaret Elizabeth and Martha Katalin Ratliff of West Germany; one sister, Miss Connie Ethel Ratliff of Bay City; two brothers, David Dowdell Ratliff of Houston and Thomas Warren Ratliff of Dallas; his grandmother, Mrs. D. M. Dowdell of Port Gibson, Miss.; and two great-aunts, Mrs. Robert Lee Sisk of Bay City and Mrs. Ruth Warren of Houston.

Burial will be in Cedarvale Cemetery in Bay City. Military personnel will serve as pallbearers. The funeral will include full military honors.

Arrangements are under the direction of Dick R. Elkins Bay City Funeral Home.

The Daily Tribune, October 30, 1983                                 Marker photo courtesy of Faye Cunningham

Elizabeth Ann McKee Ratliff

Funeral services for Elizabeth Ann McKee Ratliff, 43, of Frankfurt, West Germany, were scheduled for 10 a. m. today at Holy Cross Catholic Church with the Rev. Charles Sonnier of Holy Cross Catholic Church and the Rev. Don Lewis of Van Vleck Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Cedarvale Cemetery.

Mrs. Ratliff was born Nov. 3, 1942, in Pawtucket, R. I., to Harold J. and Elizabeth Moy McKee and died Nov. 25, 1985, in Frankfurt.

She was a teacher at the Rheinmain Air Force School Department of Defense, Frankfurt, and a member of the Catholic church.

Survivors include her mother, Elizabeth McKee of Cumberland, R. I.; two daughters, Margaret Elizabeth and Martha Katalin Ratliff of Frankfurt; two sisters, Margaret Blair of Warwick, R. I., and Rosemary Fitsgerald of Cumberland; and a mother and father-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. George Ratliff Sr. of Cedar Lane.

Pallbearers include David Ratliff, Tommy Ratliff, John Paul Balkman, Mark Haskell, Greg Sellers and George C. Bentick.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Capt. George Ratliff Jr. in 1983.

Services were under the direction of Dick R. Elkins Bay City Funeral Home.

The Daily Tribune, November, 1985                               Marker photo courtesy of Kenneth L. Thames

George E. Ratliff

Funeral services for George E. Ratliff, 65, of Cedar Lane will be held 2 p. m. Friday at First United Methodist Church, Van Vleck, with the Rev. Don Lewis officiating. Burial will be in Cedarvale Cemetery, Bay City.

Mr. Ratliff was born July 12, 1923, in Houston to G. Ernest and Ethel Warren Ratliff and died Jan. 24, 1989, at Matagorda General Hospital, Bay City.

He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Van Vleck where he was a board member and served on the Board of Trustees.

Survivors include his wife, Martha Ratliff of Cedar Lane; a son and daughter-in-law, David and Linda Ratliff of The Woodlands; a son, Thomas W. Ratliff of San Antonio; a daughter, Connie Ethel Ratliff of Corpus Christi; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Jean and W. A. Haskell of Bay City, Ruby Ruth and George Bentinick of Duncanville; a sister, Exie Carson of Cedar Lane; and four grandchildren, Don True and Tara Ratliff of The Woodlands and Margie and Martha Ratliff of Durham, N. C.

He was preceded in death by a son and daughter-in-law, George Jr. and Elizabeth Ratliff in 1983 and 1985.

Services are under the direction of Dick R. Elkins, Bay City Funeral Home.

Daily Tribune, January 25, 1989                                Marker photo courtesy of Faye Cunningham

Martha Dowdell Ratliff

Martha Dowdell Ratliff, 80, of Cedar Lane, passed away Thursday, January 6, 2005, at her residence following a long illness.

She was born on January 2, 1925 in Memphis, Tennessee, to parents David and Cornelia Jett Dowdell.

She graduated from Mississippi State College for Women in 1946 and worked in the Bay City area as a real estate agent for many years.

She was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Van Vleck, a member of the Bay City Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Realtors, the Literacy Council, the Matagorda County Museum, the 100 Club, and the Matagorda County Democratic Party.

She also did volunteer service at Bay Villa Nursing Home.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George Ratliff, and her son and daughter-in-law, George Jr. and Elizabeth Ratliff.

She is survived by: a son and daughter-in-law, David and Linda Ratliff of the Woodlands; a son, Dr. Thomas Ratliff of Memphis, Tennessee; daughter, Connie Ratliff of Cedar Lane; a sister and her husband, Jane and Malcolm Montgomery of Port Gibson, Mississippi; also by her grandchildren, Don True, Tara Ratliff, Margaret Ratliff and Martha Ratliff.

Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, January 10, 2005, at the First United Methodist Church in Van Vleck, with the Rev. Linda Maxey officiating.

Burial will follow at Cedarvale Cemetery in Bay City.

Pallbearers will be Oby Easly, Sonny Harpole, George Bentenck, Jerome Begnaud, Jimmy McDonald and Jeffrey McDonald.

The family would like to thank Houston Hospice of El Campo and especially Jackie Hooper, as well as other caregivers, Beverly Smith, Michele McDonald, Christie McDonald, David Green and Pearl Edison.

Please make contributions to the First United Methodist Church of Van Vleck.

Arrangements are under the direction of Bay City Funeral Home.

The Bay City Tribune, Sunday, January 9, 2005                                Marker photo courtesy of Faye Cunningham

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