Ranger Exes Memorial - RHS Class of 1941

Alethea Ashcraft ALETHEA BERNICE ASHCRAFT ERVIN, 80, a retired secretary, died on April 16, 2004 in Waco, TX, with burial in Evergreen Cemetery at Ranger, TX. Mrs. Ervin was born March 4, 1924 in Ranger, the daughter of Charles & Utile Butler Ashcraft. She spent 20 years in the U.S. Army and lived in Mineral Wells since 1964. At the time of her death, survivors were daughter, Linda Patton; grandchildren, Laura and Scott Patton; all of Allen, Texas, two sisters, Lilian Ashcraft Cozby (RHS- 1945) and husband Warren Reynolds Cozby (RHS-1934) of Waco; and Florence Ashcraft Baughman (RHS-1951) & husband Dennis Baughman of Conroe; several nieces and nephews and other family and friends. Alethea Ashcraft PARENTS: CHARLES P. & JOSEPHA UTILE BUTLER ASHCRAFT were longtime Ranger, TX residents. He was born on July 13, 1885, in Fincastile, TX, & she was born in Gordon, TX, on Nov. 19, 1894. They were married in Feb. of 1920, at Mingus, TX. They moved to Ranger where Mr. Ashcraft was already an employee of the Ranger post office where he retired in 1955. When they met, Mr. Ashcraft was teaching in Gordon and one of Utile's younger sister's was a student in one of his classes. Utile was number 5 of eight children born to Joseph & Louisa Butler of Gordon where they are buried. The Gordon Lake is now located in the area where the old Butler home place used to be. Always active, Utile was a worker in the PTA & the Nursery Department of the Methodist Church as well as a member of the church choir and in her later years she enjoyed activities at the senior center, making ceramics & playing dominoes. Mr. Ashcraft had two sisters who lived in Ranger at one time. They were Sally Ashcraft Rogers & Alice Ashcraft Sneed. Mr. Ashcraft died Oct. 7, 1963, in Ranger and Mrs. Ashcraft died in Waco on Sept. 9, 1986. They are buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Ranger. The Ashcrafts had four children born at home in Ranger, 1116 Young Street, with Dr. Wier attending: Eunice Margaret Ashcraft Brown died in 1948 of an automobile accident and is buried at Evergreen. Alethea Bernice Ashcraft Ervin was in the RHS Class of 1941. She served in the WACs during WWII and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. Ola Lilian Ashcraft Cozby was in the RHS Class of 1945. She was married in Jan. of 1946, to Warren Reynolds Cozby (RHS-1934) at mid-term while they were both attending RJC. Florence Rheba Ashcraft Baughman was in the Class of 1951. She married Dennis Baughman in Ranger in 1957, and is a graduate of Texas Tech. The Ashcrafts have a long history in Ranger. Charles Ashcraft’s parent's were John Drury Ashcraft & Arah Caroline (Hopkins) Ashcraft. They are buried at Crossroad Cemetery near Ranger.