Ralph Dean, 80, son of James and Ethel Lathrom Dean, was born July 18, 1925, near Rayborn in Wright County. He died March 5, 2006, at Houston House Nursing Center following a long illness.
He grew up in the Rayborn area and graduated from the eighth grade at Lawson. He attended Mountain Grove High School through his junior year.
After serving in World War II with the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S. Shippley Bay CVE85 in the South Pacific, he graduated in 1947 from Central High School in Springfield.
He married Velma Fay Zirschky July 3, 1947. They had five children, and except for a short time in Kansas City, lived in the Rayborn area until buying a farm in the Graff and Bendavis area in Texas County in 1950.
Mr. Dean worked at International Shoe in Houston until it closed in the early '60s. He then worked at Brown Shoe Co. in Mountain Grove until he retired in 1986. He and his wife milked cows and raised beef cattle and always had a big vegetable garden.
After selling their farm in 1993, they made their home in Houston.
He became a Christian at an early age and was a member of New Rock Springs Free will Baptist Church near Bendavis.
After his retirement, he began woodcarving, whittling many animals, pictures of historical buildings and more than 3,000 feet of wooden chain. He enjoyed spending time with his children, fishing, hunting and his flower gardens.
The Deans loved to travel and visited all of the lower 48 states, Canada and Mexico.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Essie Rice.
Surviving are his wife of 58 years; one son, Donald of Houston; four daughters, Virginia Clark and Janice Wood of Houston, Wanda Pointer of Republic and Donna Robertson of Bendavis; three brothers, Alvin of Cabool, Russell of Springfield and Marshall of Mountain Grove; one sister, Parthenia Bickford of Lawrence, Kan.; three granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.
Services are 10 o'clock today (Thursday) at the Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home Chapel in Mountain Grove with the Rev. Ronnie Turner and the Rev. Randy Brooks officiating. Burial will be in the Rock Springs Cemetery.
He grew up in the Rayborn area and graduated from the eighth grade at Lawson. He attended Mountain Grove High School through his junior year.
After serving in World War II with the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S. Shippley Bay CVE85 in the South Pacific, he graduated in 1947 from Central High School in Springfield.
He married Velma Fay Zirschky July 3, 1947. They had five children, and except for a short time in Kansas City, lived in the Rayborn area until buying a farm in the Graff and Bendavis area in Texas County in 1950.
Mr. Dean worked at International Shoe in Houston until it closed in the early '60s. He then worked at Brown Shoe Co. in Mountain Grove until he retired in 1986. He and his wife milked cows and raised beef cattle and always had a big vegetable garden.
After selling their farm in 1993, they made their home in Houston.
He became a Christian at an early age and was a member of New Rock Springs Free will Baptist Church near Bendavis.
After his retirement, he began woodcarving, whittling many animals, pictures of historical buildings and more than 3,000 feet of wooden chain. He enjoyed spending time with his children, fishing, hunting and his flower gardens.
The Deans loved to travel and visited all of the lower 48 states, Canada and Mexico.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Essie Rice.
Surviving are his wife of 58 years; one son, Donald of Houston; four daughters, Virginia Clark and Janice Wood of Houston, Wanda Pointer of Republic and Donna Robertson of Bendavis; three brothers, Alvin of Cabool, Russell of Springfield and Marshall of Mountain Grove; one sister, Parthenia Bickford of Lawrence, Kan.; three granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.
Services are 10 o'clock today (Thursday) at the Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home Chapel in Mountain Grove with the Rev. Ronnie Turner and the Rev. Randy Brooks officiating. Burial will be in the Rock Springs Cemetery.
Ralph Dean, 80, son of James and Ethel Lathrom Dean, was born July 18, 1925, near Rayborn in Wright County. He died March 5, 2006, at Houston House Nursing Center following a long illness.
He grew up in the Rayborn area and graduated from the eighth grade at Lawson. He attended Mountain Grove High School through his junior year.
After serving in World War II with the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S. Shippley Bay CVE85 in the South Pacific, he graduated in 1947 from Central High School in Springfield.
He married Velma Fay Zirschky July 3, 1947. They had five children, and except for a short time in Kansas City, lived in the Rayborn area until buying a farm in the Graff and Bendavis area in Texas County in 1950.
Mr. Dean worked at International Shoe in Houston until it closed in the early '60s. He then worked at Brown Shoe Co. in Mountain Grove until he retired in 1986. He and his wife milked cows and raised beef cattle and always had a big vegetable garden.
After selling their farm in 1993, they made their home in Houston.
He became a Christian at an early age and was a member of New Rock Springs Free will Baptist Church near Bendavis.
After his retirement, he began woodcarving, whittling many animals, pictures of historical buildings and more than 3,000 feet of wooden chain. He enjoyed spending time with his children, fishing, hunting and his flower gardens.
The Deans loved to travel and visited all of the lower 48 states, Canada and Mexico.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Essie Rice.
Surviving are his wife of 58 years; one son, Donald of Houston; four daughters, Virginia Clark and Janice Wood of Houston, Wanda Pointer of Republic and Donna Robertson of Bendavis; three brothers, Alvin of Cabool, Russell of Springfield and Marshall of Mountain Grove; one sister, Parthenia Bickford of Lawrence, Kan.; three granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.
Services are 10 o'clock today (Thursday) at the Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home Chapel in Mountain Grove with the Rev. Ronnie Turner and the Rev. Randy Brooks officiating. Burial will be in the Rock Springs Cemetery.
He grew up in the Rayborn area and graduated from the eighth grade at Lawson. He attended Mountain Grove High School through his junior year.
After serving in World War II with the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S. Shippley Bay CVE85 in the South Pacific, he graduated in 1947 from Central High School in Springfield.
He married Velma Fay Zirschky July 3, 1947. They had five children, and except for a short time in Kansas City, lived in the Rayborn area until buying a farm in the Graff and Bendavis area in Texas County in 1950.
Mr. Dean worked at International Shoe in Houston until it closed in the early '60s. He then worked at Brown Shoe Co. in Mountain Grove until he retired in 1986. He and his wife milked cows and raised beef cattle and always had a big vegetable garden.
After selling their farm in 1993, they made their home in Houston.
He became a Christian at an early age and was a member of New Rock Springs Free will Baptist Church near Bendavis.
After his retirement, he began woodcarving, whittling many animals, pictures of historical buildings and more than 3,000 feet of wooden chain. He enjoyed spending time with his children, fishing, hunting and his flower gardens.
The Deans loved to travel and visited all of the lower 48 states, Canada and Mexico.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Essie Rice.
Surviving are his wife of 58 years; one son, Donald of Houston; four daughters, Virginia Clark and Janice Wood of Houston, Wanda Pointer of Republic and Donna Robertson of Bendavis; three brothers, Alvin of Cabool, Russell of Springfield and Marshall of Mountain Grove; one sister, Parthenia Bickford of Lawrence, Kan.; three granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.
Services are 10 o'clock today (Thursday) at the Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home Chapel in Mountain Grove with the Rev. Ronnie Turner and the Rev. Randy Brooks officiating. Burial will be in the Rock Springs Cemetery.
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