Mary Helen Ratliff

A Memorial service for Mary Helen Ratliff will be held Friday, April 4, 2014 at 11:00 AM at the First Christian Church in Okemah with Rev. Jeannie McMahan officiating. Born September 14, 1916 in Fredonia, Kentucky, Mary Helen Ratliff grew up in Okemah, the daughter of Dr. Luther J. and Sara Spickard. She passed away Thursday, March 13, 2014 at her home in Okemah at the age of 97. Mary Helen graduated from Okemah High School, and attended college at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia and later the University of Oklahoma. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological/Medical Technician. Mary Helen married William K. Ratliff, who achieved the rank of Captain in the United States Navy. They had five daughters, and lived in various places, including Honolulu, Hawaii, which is where they were living at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Mary Helen was among the volunteers who, because of medical training, assisted the nursing staff in treating wounded servicemen at the Naval Hospital in Pearl Harbor after the attack. Mary Helen and her daughters moved back to Okemah in 1959. She got her teaching degree from East Central State College (now East Central University) in 1964, and began her teaching career at Paden Public Schools, for the 1964-1965 school year. After one year at Paden, she taught at Okemah Middle School and High School until retiring in 1980. For most of those years she taught Middle School math and science. She was an active member of the First Christian Church in Okemah, the DAR, the En Evant Study Club and her bridge club. Preceding her in death were her parents and one daughter, Marcia Fesmire. She is survived by her four daughters, Sally Alasin and husband Ron of Akin, South Carolina, Molly Reeves and husband Ron of Muskogee, Oklahoma, Susan Webb of Oak Point, Texas and Peggy Wedel and husband Steve of Okemah; 6 grandchildren, Todd Alasin, Laura Sanders, Wilson Fesmire, Jr., Matt Reeves, W. J. Webb and Charles Webb and four great-grandchildren. Services will be under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Home, Okemah. Memorial contributions may be made to the Okemah First Christian Church.

Mary Helen Ratliff

September 14, 1916 - March 13, 2014