Ema Ratliff

Closed casket services are scheduled at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 23, at First United Methodist Church for Ema Jo Ratliff, 1904 W. Clayton Ave., Artesia, New Mexico.

Mrs. Ratliff died Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at Casa Maria Nursing Center in Roswell, N.M.

Rev. James I. Edwards will officiate at the services with burial at Woodbine Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Craig Simons, Bruce Waugh, John Pavlik, Doug Coffman, Eric McCaleb and Killian Nettesheim. Jerry Dodd has been designated as an honorary pallbearer. Visitation at Terpening Son Mortuary will begin at 10:00 a.m. Friday.

Ema Jo was born June 4, 1915 in Quinlan, Texas the daughter of Thomas Edward Carter and Emma Hattie Hooks Carter.

She married Gene Ledford on Dec. 2, 1935. He preceded her in death Dec. 1, 1939. She came to Artesia in 1940 from Texas.

On Feb. 3, 1942 she was married to Max H. Ratliff in Roswell. He preceded her in death Nov. 12, 1961. She was also preceded in death by her parents by brothers Ray Carter and Fritz Carter and by sisters Gladys Fulghum, Marie Schlegel, Melba Cole and Mary Ruth Thomason.

She was a retired public school teacher having taught from 1964 to 1979. She taught at Cottonwood School and Hermosa Elementary school in Artesia. She was a member of First United Methodist Church, Beta Sigma Phi sorority American Legion Auxiliary, Artesia Association of Educational Retirees, and former member of Eastern Star.

Survivors include a son Max Ratliff and wife Mimi of Artesia a daughter Susan Simons and husband Mike of Artesia grandchildren Michelle Pavlik and husband John, Craig Simons and wife Anelisa, Jennifer Waugh and husband Bruce, and Llana Coffman and husband Doug eight greatgrandchildren and by special friends Jerry and Sue Dodd, and Eric and Mitzi McCaleb.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Senior High Sunday School Class at First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1492, Artesia, NM 88211 or to New Mexico Baptist Childrens Home, P.O. Box 629, Portales, NM 88130.