Blair, Kathryn Elizabeth Ratzlaff (1911-2005)

Newton Kansan obituary: 2005 May 13 p. 2

Birth date: 1911 Feb 11, Oklahoma
Date of Death: 2005 March 11, Kansas

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2005 May 23 p. 8

text of obituary:

KATHRYN E. BLAIR

Kathryn Elizabeth Ratzlaff Blair, 94, of Hillsboro, Kan., died May 11, 2005. She was born Feb. 11, 1911, to John J. and Mary Decker Ratzlaff near Meno, Okla.

She was baptized May 31, 1925, by her father at Zoar Mennonite Church, Goltry, Okla. In 1926 the family moved to Newton, Kan., where she graduated from Newton High School in 1929.

She began teaching at Meno in 1933 in a one-room school. In 1934 she came back to Kansas to teach intermediate grades in a school between Canton and Galva. It was there that she met Milford O. Blair. In 1935-37, she taught in Lehigh as her relationship with Milford grew. They were married Aug. 20, 1937, at the Bethel College Chapel.

The Canton community was home for the next six years. In 1943 they moved to a farm northwest of Lehigh.

They enjoyed working with farm organizations such as Hawkeye Grange and Willing Workers 4-H Club, in which their daughter Lenore was active.

In 1955 she returned to Bethel College to complete her degree, graduating in 1957. In 1968, she received a master's degree from Emporia State University.

In 1957 they moved to Hillsboro. She taught in the Hillsboro system until her retirement in 1973. After retirement, there were seven years of volunteer work at the Et Cetera Shop in Hillsboro and traveling to all the 50 states, Mexico, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Milford died June 25, 2003. They enjoyed 65 years of marriage and mourned the death of their only child, Lenore, in 1994 at the age of 55.

She was a member of First Mennonite Church in Hillsboro.

She is survived by a sister, Esther Schrag of North Newton.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Milford; daughter Lenore; two sisters, Ruie Becker and Sadie Harms; and a brother, Walter Ratzlaff.

Funeral services were held at First Mennonite Church of Hillsboro. Burial was in Haven of Rest Cemetery in Hillsboro.

---

MLA Personal Photos Collection

Biographical note:
Meno, Oklahoma
Daughter of John J. and Mary (Decker) Ratzlaff
Married Milford Oren Blair 1937 August 20, Bethel College Chapel
Teacher, homemaker -- Canton, Lehigh, Hillsboro, Kansas

Bethel alumni note:
Bethel College BX 1957

Photo holdings:
See Milford Oren Blair for wedding photos
See Frances Louise (Goerz) Garrison (1911-1995) for C. 1928 May Festival photo

Sources:
Kathryn (Ratzlaff) Blair (verbal) 1989
Grandma Online profile 281125
Find A Grave 1714444400