Myrtle Mae Ratliff, 96, of Franklin, formerly of Brown County, Indiana, passed from this life into her next chapter on Friday, November 28th, 2025. Myrtle was born February 15, 1929 in Cumberland County Kentucky to Charlie and Roxie Pruitt Blythe. Myrtle's widowed mother and family moved to Indianapolis in the early 1940s. Myrtle and her husband, Kenny Ratliff, moved to Brown County and raised their family; sons Thomas (Susie) Sterrett and Mike (Kim) Ratliff; daughters, Vickie Dawson, Janey (Danny) Sawyer, Dorothy Logsdow, Bonnie (Grover) Hamilton, Melody (Dave) Rutherford, and Amanda (Troy) Ratliff-Jackson. Myrtle is survived by 19 grandchildren; 34 great grandchildren: and many great great grandchildren.

Myrtle was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years Kenneth; mother, Roxie; step-father, Thomas Werden; sisters Ruby, Annie, and Marie; brothers, Willie and Elva; daughters, Dorothy and Vickie.

As did many of the greatest generation, Myrtle did not have the opportunity to finish high school in her teens. But in her 40's, she completed studies to obtain a High School Diploma (a feat her family was most proud of). She then set out on a quest to help the youth of Brown County by volunteering for many years at the Hickory Ridge Head Start Program. she was a small woman with an enormous spirit of compassion and determination, which drove her to become a tenacious supporter of the elderly at the most personal level. She persisted insuring that those in her orbit received proper care.

Myrtle didn't climb the corporate ladder of success, but found her calling in a most noble profession, that of mother, friend, and advocate. She mended scrapped knees with a gentle touch, fed the hungry student with an extra sandwich, and mended broken hearts with a gentle smile and kind words. For all who knew her, today feels heavier, with steps slowed by sorrow yet guided by cherished memories.

A visitation for Myrtle will be held on Friday, December 5, 2025, at Forest Lawn Funeral Home from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. The funeral service will be on Friday, December 5, 2025, at 1:00pm. Burial will immediately follow at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens at 2:00 pm.

For those choosing to make a memorial contribution in Myrtle's memory, the family suggest that donations be sent to Hickory Ridge Senior Citizens Center (2314 Hickory Ridge Ln, Morgantown, IN 46160).