Cecile Lovetta Harman Rankin

Visitation for Cecile will be from 7 – 8 P.M., Friday, May 6, 2011at Bratcher Funeral Home, Denison, Texas. There will also be a visitation at Park Lawn Funeral Home, Kansas City, Missouri from 10 -11 A.M., Monday, May 9, 2011.

Graveside service will be held Monday, May 9, 2011, 1:00 P.M. at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Kansas City, Kansas.

Pallbearers will be Richard Hinton, Robert Hinton, Jerry Hinton, Richard Hess, Steve Sales & Steve Scott. Honorary pallbearers will be Ray E. Hinton, Don R. Quick, Jr., Randy W. Harmon, Larry Michael Trey Ertel & Larry W. Ertel. Burial will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Kansas City, Kansas.

Cecile was born August 1, 1917 in Kansas City, Kansas to James Henry Harman & Sallie Ann Squires Harman. She attended Riverview Elementary School until the 6th grade. She started at Rosedale High School in the 7th grade and graduated from there in 1935. She gave up a music scholarship instrumental on the violin to marry her high school sweetheart, William Frederick Rankin on November 8, 1936. Pete gave up a baseball position with the Kansas City minor league to marry her. He still played baseball with the mixed Lapitinas.

Cecile & Pete belonged to the Armourdale Baptist Church, where they were married, all of their lives. They also belonged to the First Baptist Church of Denison. Pete & Cecile loved children and had Darlene Ann Rankin Quick on June 20, 1943 and Sallie Elaine Rankin Ertel on May 17, 1946.

Pete was in the Army Air Corps and went into the Air Force out of Fairfax Field in Olatha, Kansas in 1942. He had many assignments and declined the officer training academy to become a top flight jet mechanic. Cecile & Pete were stationed at Sweetwater, Texas, Bastrop, Texas, Swiftex Bergstrom A. F. Base, Faster A. F. Base, Perrin A. F. Base, Kirtland Air Naval Base, Cannon A. F. Base, and La Junta, Colorado. He was also stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa and Bentwaters A. F. Base, England. Pete retired September 1, 1970 at Cannon A. F. Base, Clovis, New Mexico.

Cecile followed Pete to most of his assignments, but worked in between as a graphic artist. She retired from the Graphic Artist International in 1994. Cecile especially loved Pete’s tour of duty at Bentwaters A. F. Base, outside of Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. This tour gave the family a chance to visit with their extended British family relatives.

Cecile was quite ill most of her life, but she was an active volunteer in PTA, Golden Jacket Band, Friends of the Denison Public Library, Nami GFC, Nami, Texas, NAMI, V.F.W., and she loved to do ceramics, sewing, bowling & cooking. She was a loving and giving person to everyone. She is with God now.

She is survived by her daughter, Sallie Ertel of Denison; granddaughter Karen Ertel Harmon & husband Randy of Denison; grandson Larry William Ertel & partner Shannon Shanks of Ft. Worth; great-granddaughter Brittainey Ertel of Ft. Worth; granddaughter Tamee Sue Quick Hall of Jacksonville, FL; grandson Donald Ray Quick, Jr. & wife Angie of Chesapeake, VA; great-grandchildren Larry Michael Trey Ertel of Richardson, Ashlund Michelle Ertel Carson & husband Will of Sherman, Amanda Bizier & husband Raymond of Jacksonville, FL, Rebecca Pitzer & husband Kyle of Jax, FL; great-great-grandchildren Hannah & Madeline Quick of Chesapeake, VA, Raymond & Bailey Bizer of Jax, FL, MacKenzie Pitzer of Jax, FL, Serenity Rose Carson of Sherman; several nieces, nephews, great nieces & great nephews & cousins.

She was preceded in death by parents, step-father, Ridgily Dever Peters, husband, daughter, parents-in-law, Anna & Charles J. Rankin, sister & brother-in-law Dulcie & Richard Hinton, brother-in-law Charles J. Rankin, Jr., sister & brother-in-law Ruth & Harry Hess.

Local arrangements are entrusted to the care and direction of Bratcher Funeral Home, 401 W. Woodard Street, Denison, Texas 75020. For further information, please call the funeral home at (903) 465-2323, or for an online obituary, directions or to leave a condolence, please go to www.bratcherfuneralhome.com. Park Lawn Funeral Home in Kansas City, Kansas is in charge of distant arrangements.