Doris Ann Ratchford

Mrs. Doris Ann Ratchford of 2502 Vintage Woods Drive, Alexander Ark. and formerly of Flat Rock, North Carolina and Gastonia, North Carolina died Friday, May 13, 2011 at Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was born in Little Falls, New York, daughter of the late Norine and Milton Jolly. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Smith Ratchford and by two half-brothers, Albert and Grover Jolly. Mrs. Ratchford is survived by one daughter, Donna Ann Ledford, and husband Harold; and one son, Michael Ed Ratchford, and wife Karen. She is also survived by four grandchildren, Steffney Jakab, Alicia Baugh, Jennie Brame and Jake Ratchford, as well as one great-granddaughter and seven step-great-grandchildren. Special friends she leaves behind are Lindell and Mark Traves, Tammy Creek, and Bill Hagadorn. Doris grew up in Georgia and North Carolina and attended Dallas High School in North Carolina where she was secretary of her sophomore and junior class. She was involved in numerous academic clubs including the Biology Club, Beta Club, French Club, Physics Club and English Club. Doris performed in many plays and was a member of the high school newspaper and annual staff. She married Don Ratchford in 1951. Doris and Don lived many years in Gastonia, North Carolina where they raised their two children. She and Don moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1985. She loved living in the mountains of western North Carolina. Doris was a homemaker and was employed at Ivey's Department Store in Gastonia as a buyer for women's clothes in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She was a fabulous southern cook and loved to feed her family. She and Don were collectors of antiques, including furniture, art, jewelry and cars. She was an avid reader throughout her life and had a personal interest and gifting in journalism and writing poetry for her family. In the last year of her life, when it was difficult for her to leave her home, she received monthly visits from the Saline County Mobile Library. Doris was deeply devoted to her family. She was a caregiver for her mother for nine years. It was her daily visits that allowed her mom to remain in her own apartment until just weeks before her mother died at the age of 89. She also cared for her husband who battled cancer for 20 years and managed to keep him at home until two weeks before his death in 2007. Doris was extremely generous with her children and grandchildren and loved to give them gifts. Each fall she made sure that two winter coats were ordered for her grandson, Jake. The family will receive friends on Friday, May 20 from 6-8:30 p.m. at the McLean Funeral Home on 700 South New Hope Road in Gastonia. A graveside service will be conducted on Saturday, May 21 at 11 a.m. at Gaston Memorial Park at 1200 South New Hope Road in Gastonia, N.C. Flowers are appreciated or memorials may be made to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at 424 East 92nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10128 (www.aspca.org). Online condolences can be sent to www.mcleanfuneral.com under the Obituaries link.