Junior's Mama

Junior is almost 56 years old now, he has held the same job in the Newcastle Sanitation Department for more than 35 years. He owns his own conveniently located little home, purchased with money he himself earned (and Mama saved). He has a personal checking account and always a "little money in his pocket". He is a member of the Newcastle Volunteer Firemen. He is the official "hose-roller" for the Wyoming Volunteer Firemen and accompanies the Newcastle group to conventions each year. Junior is a member of the first United Methodist Church and has attended regularly since childhood. If through the years he has dozed through many services, he is not alone.

Junior is a physically strong, hard working, friendly person. He is a totally honest man--a man with the trusting heart and mind of a child. He was a "special" child, born long before the day of special education classes, Special Olympics and such activities but he was raised by a very special mother.

This then is the story of that mother -- Ora Ratcliff -- Junior's mama.

Ora O'Neill Hackney was the daughter of an early Weston County (Wyoming) sheriff, Ralph Hackney. She was born in Custer County, Nebraska on July 20, 1889 -- the same year that Newcastle, the town in which she was to spend most of her life, was founded. She lived for a time in the Limestone area near Newcastle. The family came to Newcastle in April 1901.

Ora attended the Newcastle Schools and graduated from Newcastle High School in 1908. There were only four members in her graduating class -- Ora, Ida Barrett (Andersen), Helen Donielson (Dash) and Carroll Jeffries.

After graduation from high school, she worked for a time in the office at the Cambria mines. She rode horseback up the canyon returning after dark. In the fall of 1908, she decided to go to a business college; she attended Lincoln Business College in Nebraska for a year before returning to Newcastle. In 1911 she won a trip to Europe as an award for obtaining the greatest number of subscriptions to an Omaha newspaper. She traveled from July 1 until September 1 and had the time of her life. Again she returned to her hometown and went to work, this time as a legal secretary and part time court reporter.

Ora was ambitious, she wanted to learn, there was so much she wanted to know. She applied for a scholarship to the University of Wyoming at Laramie. She received the scholarship and entered the university in the fall of 1913. Room and board for one month in Woman's Hall was 22 dollars.

To assist with her expenses at the university, Ora worked in the university library under the tutelage of Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard and also as a part time secretary to Dr. H. G. Knight, Dean of the College of Agriculture. This was a fine experience for the young woman -- she earned not only money but academic credit as well.

Ora Hackney was an attractive lady. Her photo in the yearbook (The Wyo) is captioned "Just a little bit of heaven". Again quoting from the yearbook, "The College of Liberal Arts is the college that specialized in the humanities. . . . It is the college that makes a specialty of not specializing. . . .Too often specialization means limiting the scope of one's knowledge and appreciation. The liberal idea is the opposite of this. It aims to prepare for a higher efficiency and a wise leadership; a leadership that is able to meet new situations, analyze them, discover the issues involved and develop new solutions in new crises. Such leadership the world needs today as in the past, and the greatest of these leaders -- prophets, editors, social reformers, captains of industry, poets, men of letters, statesmen -- insofar as they have been prepared for their life work by formal education, have depended on the broadly cultural and ultimately practical education of the College of Liberal Arts." As you will see, Ora applied her Liberal Arts education to her life and that of her family.

In 1917, Ora decided to try a year at the University of Colorado at Boulder. There she found what was pictured as a great opening but it was not to be compared with that at Laramie -- at Boulder she earned only credits, not money. She left Boulder and went to Sheridan, Wyoming where she obtained employment in the law offices of Deifendifer and Dinwiddie. It was in Sheridan that she met Orris Kemper Ratcliff, an engineer at the mines at Dietz at Dayton, Wyoming. Ora and Orris (Slim) Ratcliff were married September 14, 1918, in Sheridan.

Ora and Slim moved to Newcastle after their marriage. Their first child, a baby girl, died at birth.

Slim Ratcliff went into business with a partner, "Jap" Williams. Both men were excellent mechanics. They had a good business.

The Ratcliff's first son, William Wade, was born January 21, 1921. On November 14, 1922 a second son was born. He was named Claude. Jack was born May 19, 1925. The three little boys were a joy to Ora and Slim. Ora was a fine cook and shoemaker. She had been confirmed in the Episcopal Church when she was attending the university at Laramie; her husband was a Methodist. The boys went to Sunday School at the Methodist Church. Ora attended services at the Episcopal Church.

Life was good, even when the depression hit and money was hard to come by. People couldn't afford to buy new cars so there was always a demand for repairs and a mechanic to make the repair. Often customers found they could not pay for the work performed for them, so they would bring vegetables, meat, chickens, cream, butter, eggs and canned goods in exchange for the services. There was always enough cash for clothes, gas and a few comforts. "Maybe we didn't have everything we wanted, but we were never in need," Ora confided.

It was really at the very height of the depression that Ora learned that she was again pregnant. It took a bit to adjust to the idea, after all, there was a six year age span between this child-to-be and the youngest son. Ora had always grieved over the loss of the baby girl who had died at birth, she hoped that this baby would be a girl. When the child arrived on June 4, 1931, it was a boy, a beautiful healthy boy! Ora forgot that she had ever wanted the baby to be a girl. The older boys all idolized their new little brother, Junior, named for his father Orris Kemper Ratcliff.

Bill and Claude had been in school for some time and Jack started to school the year Junior was born. They attended the school on the hill, a new high school had been built just down the steps from the grade school. Built in 1924, it later served as the junior high. Today it stands empty of all but memories.

When Junior was about two years old, he contracted mumps. He was very ill. Before he recovered from the mumps, he was stricken with measles. His temperature soared, neither the efforts of the doctors nor Ora's patient, loving care could bring the temperature back to normal. Junior went into convulsions. After endless days and nights, the fever broke. The child finally recovered but he was never the same.

When Ora realized the extent of damage done by her child's illness she vowed that she would do everything in her power to raise the boy to be a decent law-abiding citizen who would be able to care for himself and perhaps contribute to the welfare of his community.

It was hard for Junior, he was slower than the normal youngsters at learning to properly "answer nature's call". With what must be the natural cruelty of children toward another who is different, his playmates teased him unmercifully sometimes. His brothers kept a watchful eye on him and often came to his defense. Junior often came home in tears. Mama was his confidant, his protector and guide. She never hesitated to show her love but neither did she hesitate to discipline the boy when he needed it--and need it he often did. Few children have had more love and parental kindness than Junior and his brothers. Their father worked with their mother to make a home that was a haven.

The law required that youngsters attend school until they were through the eighth grade or sixteen years of age. Junior never made it above the third grade.

Slim Ratcliff operated a fleet of trucks doing highway construction work for about twelve years after Junior was born. He also operated a cafe at Provo for a time. He died of a brain cancer March 28, 1943. When they learned of his illness, Ora and he went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. They were told that there was nothing that could be done for him. He died in Newcastle hospital after about a month's illness.

Both of the older boys were in the service at the time of their father's death. Bill was in the Army, and Claude in the Navy. Jack was 17 years old and Junior was 11.

Junior's mama said that when her husband died, she went home after the funeral and knelt down by her bedside to pray that she would have to work so hard that she would be tired enough to sleep and not worry.

There was an oil boom in Newcastle about the time of World War II and through the fifties. Men were sleeping in any place they could, some even in old cars or in culverts. Junior and his mama slept on pallets on the floor of the closet and rented their beds to workers.

Ty Thomas was mayor of Newcastle during the boom. Ora talked with him and he agreed to hire Junior at least temporarily and if "it worked out" he could go on steady. That was in May, 1971, he is still there. As Junior himself said recently, "I guess it must have worked out--I'm still workin'!"

Ora Ratcliff was a strong woman, her control of Junior was almost unbelievable. Junior would never make a decision without consulting mama. On several occasions fellows around town, thinking it would be fun to get Junior in trouble, would try to get him to do something wrong. "I'll have to see what Mama says," Junior told them. So strong was her influence that Junior probably doesn't know how to tell a lie! He doesn't swear or use "dirty" language. He likes to go fishing and it is a familiar sight to see him, fishing pole in hand and tackle in a basket, heading out toward the LAK Lake riding his bicycle. Sometimes he hikes out or catches a ride. He also likes to bowl. Mama encouraged him to do as many things as he could. She also impressed upon him the dangers of drinking and he neither smokes nor drinks.

For many years the family -- and later just Junior and his mama lived in a comfortable home on Park Street. The house was a distance from town and on the busy highway. Junior's mama had saved and taken care of Junior's wages, saving them to use for his benefit when she was no longer around to care for him. She bought a neat little house in the downtown area across from the First State Bank and near to shopping places. She bought appliances and taught Junior to use them. She taught him that when he took food from the freezer, he should always replace it so he would have a supply on hand. She worked out a housekeeping schedule with him such as setting a certain day for changing his sheets. (Friday is the day for that chore.)

The three older boys make regular visits to Newcastle to see Junior and he travels to their homes for visits. Before Junior's Mama died she arranged for the court to appoint a guardian for Junior. The court appointed John S. Berdahl to serve in that capacity. "Stu", as Berdahl is better known is answerable to the court and makes an annual report. He encourages Junior to be as independent as possible. By putting him in care of the plane attendants and asking them to guide him, Junior can travel by plane (or bus) to California or Minnesota to visit. He enjoys these trips but is always glad to get back home where people know him and talk with him.

Ora Ratcliff died March 5, 1977, at the Weston County Memorial Hospital. She had trained Junior well, he lives by himself, with friendly visits by "Stu" Berdahl and Stu's wife Jeanette. Jeanette lived near the Ratcliffs when Junior was growing up and Junior feels close to the family. The 40 or so Newcastle Volunteer Firemen also watch out for him. "Stu" is one of the firemen. Junior handles his loneliness very well, but now and then, he, while talking with a friend will say, "You know, I sure do miss Mama."

The other sons and grandchildren miss her too. They are proud of Ora and the mark she has made in the community.

Bill is married to Virginia Oberle, they live in Mapleton, Minnesota. They have seven children--Richard, John, Margaret, Mark, Mary, Tom and Dan.

Claude and his former wife, Arely Mena, have two children--Carol Leary and Pat Milanese. Claude lives in Fremont, California, as does Pat. Carol resides in San Jose.

Jack and his wife Lorene live in Oklahoma. Their children are Bob, Jim and Don.

Dearest Grandma:

Thank you for giving us "the sun to brighten our days, the moon to guide our way to the heavens, and the stars upon which we wish our dreams" and for letting us see that in God all things are possible. Thank you for letting us smell the aromas of your kitchen and for seeing these special gifts through the eyes of those we love. The sunrays make grains of sand into diamonds. The waves make clouds upon the oceans. And the night has a thousand stars and a thousand eyes...yours and Junior's are among them. We will never forget you both for having touched our lives. Your spirit lives on in each of us you have left behind.

With my love and gratitude forever,

Your granddaughter, Pat

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