My Great Aunt. 6th great-grandaughter of Godfrey I and Mary Ragsdale.

Ramona Hawk, beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the age of 93.

Ramona was born premature on the Oklahoma prairie in 1918, the last of 11 children born to Oakey and Calista Ragsdale. She was wrapped with cotton, placed on the warming lid of a Dutch Oven and unnamed during her first weeks of life because she was not expected to live. But live she did, riding in a covered wagon in the spring of 1919 as a baby girl from Oklahoma. The family travelled into Colorado, on to Idaho and back to the Paradox Valley where they lived in several different locations until 1925 when they returned by covered wagon to Oklahoma, her father restless in his pursuit of greener pastures. Her stories of their adventures as she grew up during the ensuing years were equally split between the many hardships endured and the simple joy of living with her family. When her father died in 1927, in Oklahoma, Ramona and her mother returned to Bedrock in the west end of Montrose County to live with her older sister and brother-in-law, Georgia and Roy Weldon. Ramona's dearly loved mother Calista became her lifelong inspiration as she watched her contend with matters both good and bad with an unwavering grace and cheerfulness.

Ramona attended school in Paradox and graduated from Nucla in 1936. She often recounted stories of this time and formed a special bond with Cy Orr, an ornery but gentle hearted old cowboy and the author David Lavender who wrote wonderful stories of the region she loved.

After a year studying secretarial skills in Montrose, Ramona returned to the west end to work as a shopkeeper in Uravan and it was here that she met and married Roy F. Hawk in 1940. Roy was a plumber, farmer, volunteer fireman and a baseball player. She described him as the best dancer she ever met. They moved to Delta and raised a family, Frank Leonard, Wayne Raymond, Alice Calista and Carl Michael. Roy passed away in 1999. Ramona and Roy are also survived by eight grandchildren. Ramona was active in church, attending services at St. Michael's in Delta. She was also a member of her beloved social group, the "Sewing Club." She had many friends in Delta and the surrounding communities. She was an opinionated, loving, helpful and loyal friend who always rooted for the underdog. Reading and watching Jeopardy were two favorite pasttimes, as were visiting with friends and relatives over a cup of witches' brew. One of her best known greetings was, "Come in if your nose is clean, stay out if it isn't." Ramona will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved her.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, P.O. Box 24, Delta, CO 81416.