Polly Ragon

Polly Ragon died on November 21, 2015 at the age of 89. She is survived by her only child, Heartsill Ragon III; her granddaughters, Sydney Ann Ragon and Caroline Heartsill Ragon; and her daughter-in-law, Claudia Hopkins Ragon. She was born in Frankenmuth, Michigan; spent her childhood in Englewood, Colorado; raised her family in Fort Smith, Arkansas; maintained a professional career in Washington, D.C.; and retired in Little Rock; Arkansas. She was born on April 17, 1926 as Paulina Johanna Grahammer, the youngest of three daughters born to German immigrants from the quaint and ancient town of Giengen an der Brentz, located in Bavaria in Southern Germany. Her German mother, Emilie Klara Brender Grahammer, remarried James Self and the family raised their children in Englewood, Colorado. Polly attended elementary and high school in Englewood, a suburb of Denver. She attended University of Colorado at Boulder and studied psychology. Upon graduation, Polly accepted a job in Fort Smith, Arkansas working for the government in administering psychological tests to the military at Fort Chaffee. She was recruited as a legal secretary thereafter, and met Heartsill Ragon Jr. Heartsill was, at that time, the youngest member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, and was a prosecuting attorney. Heartsill's father, Heartsill Sr., has served as a member of the United States Congress and was a federal district judge. Polly gave birth to her only child, Heartsill III, on May 4, 1956. As her young family grew, she became an avid golfer and tennis player. She was involved in numerous charitable and civic activities. She was an active board member of the local PTA, Girls Club and city library board, among the many organizations. She was especially proud of her role in assisting in the development of the new Carnegie Library facility in Fort Smith. After raising her family and the death of her husband, Polly reinvented herself and pursued her interest in policy and politics. When longtime family friend and then-governor Dale Bumpers decided to pursue a seat in the United States Senate, Polly became heavily involved in the campaign. After his win and in recognition of her volunteer service, Senator Bumpers offered Polly a job as a senior staff member. In this position, she coordinated his schedule and speaking engagements and was the regular tour guide to the numerous constituents who visited Washington D.C. over the decades. After 26 years in Washington D.C., Polly opted to move to Little Rock to oversee the family that her son and daughter-in-law Claudia were raising. Politics called again after Polly relocated to Little Rock. She became interested in the development of the Clinton Library and Foundation and was one of the original founding volunteers. Polly served as a volunteer throughout the conceptualization, development and construction of the Library facility, and worked in the Foundation office for a number of years. In recognition of her service and dedication, Polly was presented by President Clinton with the Foundation's Volunteer of the Year Award. When not working or caring for family, Polly was an avid reader and could consume a number of detailed novels during the course of a week. She solved the daily cross word puzzles with nominal effort…and always in ink. Polly was a great believer in volunteerism. She always stated that her commitment to volunteerism set her life's path, led her to an exciting life in Washington D.C., and allowed her to contribute the development of the Clinton Library and Foundation. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at Ruebel Funeral Home, 6313 West Markham Street, Little Rock. www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.