RATCLIFF, Albert Alonzo - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Dr. AL Ratcliff, 78 the oldest practicing physician in Fountain County, died early Thursday morning in St. Elizabeth Hospital, Lafayette. Death was due to the effects of injury suffered in a fall at his home on Monday Jan 8. Fractured vertebrae mae it necessary to remove the courageous doctor to the hospital, where his son, Dr. Frank Ratcliff of Lafayette is a member of the staff. The veteran medical man had been miinistering to the physical ills of the Kingman community and been to a much larger territory since 1905. He was born east of Kingman the son of Wm. and Mary Catherine Eubanks Ratcliff, both of pioneer families on February 12, 1872. He attended the county schools of that time and Union Christian College at Merom, Indiana where he was graduated in 1894, and the same year married Laurena McHenry, also a student at Merom and a native of NY state. For a few years, Dr. Ratcliff taught school, beginning his medical eduation in Chicago in 1899. He was grad. from medical school adn began practice in Kingman in 1905 where he had continued faithfully to serve the sick throughout the years. A physician of the old school, he would drive miles to see a patient, regardless of weather or the financial status of the sick one. He and his wife had not held a golden wedding party but had planned to celebrate their sixtieth anniversary. Dr. and Mrs. Ratcliff were the parents of six children: one of whom, Howard Lorin Ratcliff died at age six. The others who survive with Mrs. Ratcliff are four sons: Dr. Gilbert Ratclif of Huntington W Va; Dr. Frank Ratcliff of Lafayette; Oral M. Ratcliff of Muncie Ind; Cathmer Ratcliff a teacher of Niobruar, and one daughter, Winifred, wife of Marshall Newnum of Pontiac, Ill, 9 grandchildren and 3 greats. A grandson, Robert H. Ratcliff is serving in Korea. The doctor was a member of the Methodist Church and Masonic Lodge in Kingman.