BEVERLY RATZLAFF

Helen Beverly Ratzlaff was born July 21, 1934, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado to George and Esther (Desch) Robinson, the oldest of four children, and passed away on Sunday, August 15, 2021, at Ridgewood Care Center in Seward at the age of 87.

She attended grade school in Wisconsin and later in Iowa and South Dakota where she graduated with the class of 1952 from Avon High School. Beverly’s father was a preacher, and so in her youth, she and her family got accustomed to moving often from one community to another. Later, Beverly was united in marriage to Leonard R. Ratzlaff on March 12, 1954, in Avon and to this union two sons, Robert and Allen and two daughters, Brenda and Janet were born.

Together they lived in Avon where Leonard farmed and Beverly was a loving mother and housewife. They later resided in Red Lion, PA, and in 1992, moved to Lakewood, New Mexico before moving to Milford in 2008. Beverly was an associate member of the Milford United Methodist Church and was a member of the Friedensberg Bible Church, Avon where she was a Sunday school teacher and bible school teacher and also served as president of the mission society. Beverly was a resilient and kind person and loved to do quilting and sewing. She was an avid reader and loved to play games. She faced life’s trials with her trust in the Lord and would comfort others by saying, “Everything happens for a reason."

Survivors include her husband, Leonard, Lincoln; sons and daughters-in-law, Robert and Kathryn, Norfolk, VA, Allen and Sandra, Malcolm, NE, daughters and son-in-law, Brenda and James Meyer, Papillion, Janet Ratzlaff of Lincoln; grandchildren and spouses, Zachary Ratzlaff, Malcolm, Gabe and Mardi Ratzlaff, Fort Dodge, IA, Amanda and John Snyder, Omaha, Jared and DeAnna Meyer, Elkhorn, Etta Ratzlaff, Chesapeake, VA, great-grandchildren, Yazmin Ratzlaff, Malcom, Judd and Mae Snyder, both of Omaha, brothers and sisters-in-law, David and Doreen Robinson, Minneapolis, MN, Dennis and Connie Robinson, Maple Grove, MN, many nieces, nephews and a bunch of other relatives and friends.

Beverly was preceded in death by her parents, George and Esther Robinson, parents-in-law, Sanford and Etta Ratzlaff, a great-grandson, Andrew Snyder, sister, Ruth Pleins, sisters-in-law, Delia Knoll and Mary Waltner.

A funeral service was held Thursday, August 19, at Lauber Funeral Home, Milford, with Pastor Angela DeFisher. A visitation Her final resting place will be at Friedensberg Cemetery near Avon at a later date. Memorials have been established to the Milford United Methodist Church or to the Friedensberg Bible Church.