Deane Wright Ragan, a 90-year-old resident of Mercer, died Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011 at the Decatur County Hospital in Leon, IA.
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Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. today (Monday, Jan. 17, 2011) at the Greenlee-Middleton Funeral Chapel in Lineville, IA. Pastor Ron Helton officiated.
Burial was in the Early Cemetery at Mercer.
Mr. Wright was born Nov. 10, 1920 near Mercer, the son of Perry Alden and Florence Gladys Black Ragan.
He was raised in Mercer and was a 1937 graduate of Mercer High School.
He was united in marriage to Opal Mildred Brummett on Dec. 21, 1940. She preceded him in death on April 28, 2002.
The couple resided in the Davenport, IA area from 1941 until 1944, where he worked as a painter in Bettendorf. They lived most of their lives in Mercer, where they farmed and Mr. Ragan worked as an auto mechanic for a short time.
Mr. Ragan was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Navy. He also served on and was past president of the Mercer R-3 Board of Education. He was a member of the Mercer Baptist Church and the Ragan-Hickman American Legion Post #477 of Mercer.
Mr. Ragan is survived by a daughter, Betty Cox and her husband, Jerry of Mercer; a son, Rickie Ragan and his wife, Lynda of Warrensburg; eight grandchildren, Jim Martin and his wife, Valerie of Mercer; Cheryl Ragan of Columbia; Deane Martin of Las Vegas, NV; April Ragan of Chillicothe; Kevin Cox and his wife, Sheri of Hale; Rachael Singleton and her husband, Damion of Buhler, KS; Kurtis Cox of Bethany; and Jennifer Oshel of Trenton; eight great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Wayne Ragan of Eldridge, IA, and Jack Ragan and his wife, Ila Mae of Hollister; two sisters, Doris West and her husband, Jim of Branson, and Barbara Laughlin and her husband, Tom of West Des Moines, IA; and by many other relatives and friends.
In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Helen June Martin and an infant sister, Mary Deloris Ragan.