Richard Pickering Ratcliff

Richard Pickering Ratcliff, 83, of Spiceland, passed away Tuesday, September 18, 2024. An eighth generation resident of Spiceland, he was born in Henry County September 10, 1941, a son of Rea H. and Winifred (Pickering) Ratcliff.

He was a graduate of Spiceland High School in 1959 and Ball State University where he earned both a bachelor's and master's degrees. A teacher for 40 years, all but four were at Parkview Junior High School, now referred to as the New Castle Middle School.

He was married Dec. 21st, 1977, to the former Linda S. (French) Thomas of Springport. He was a member of the former Spiceland Lions Club, serving as president in 1971. He served as chairman of the board of trustees of the Henry County Historical Society from 1965 to 1986 and served as president of the society from 1988 until 1991.

Ratcliff was a member of the Spiceland Town-Township Public Library Board from 1967 until 2006 and served as president of the board from 1973 until his resignation. He was president of the Spiceland Alumni and Former Students Association from 1969 until 2019. A former member of the Spiceland Township Advisory Board, he served from 1974 until 1990.

In 1981, he was appointed the official Henry County Historian by the Indiana Historical Bureau. Ratcliff served in this capacity until resigning the position in 2021. He was an original member of the South Henry Dollars for Scholars.

Always active in Henry County Republican politics, for over 45 years he served as precinct committeeman for Spiceland Township, Precinct #1. He was the county party chairman from 1988 to 1991.

Honored by the BPW of New Castle in 1976, he was named "Citizen of the Year." Governor Robert D. Orr presented him with the Sagamore of the Wabash award in 1988 and Governor Mitch Daniels surprised him with the Distinguished Hoosier Award in 2009.

Ratcliff was the founder (1997) of the Spiceland Preservation and Tourism Society (SPATS) and remained president until 2023. An eighth-generation member of the Spiceland Friends Meeting, he was Sunday School superintendent for 27 years and had served as Clerk (or head) of the meeting from 1991 to 1997 and from 2005 to 2024. His family roots in the meeting go back father than any other family in the church.

Always interested in Henry County history, he was the author of several books dealing with the county, notably A Henry County Sample, Henry County at the Millennium, Spiceland Township, and Yesterday's Spiceland.

Over the years he revised and published numerous Henry County cemetery records. An example of some of the cemetery inscriptions be recorded and published would be those for Raysville, Cadiz, Clear Spring (Harrison Township), Elm Grove (Wayne Township), Dunreith, and Rich Square (Franklin) Township.

In 2021, the town of Spiceland renamed a street in his honor due to his lifelong interest in the community and county - "Richard P. Ratcliff Drive."

Always interested in genealogy, several of his ancestors were Henry County pioneers. His great-great grandparents, Isaac and Mary Ratcliff, operated a station on the underground railroad, sheltering over 300 slaves in their barn in the years prior to the Civil War. His great-great-great grandfather, Driver Boone, was the second postmaster at Spiceland and the father of fifteen children.

Another great-great-great grandfather, David Pickering, laid out the town of Cadiz in 1836. Coming to Henry County in 1818 even before the county was created, Eli and Elizabeth Stafford, also great-great-great grandparents, were supposedly the first settlers of Greensboro Township.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Thomas R. Ratcliff; a sister-in-law, Valorie Kay Ratcliff; four first cousins, Lea Rae (Ratcliff) Alexander, John C. Ratcliff, James R. Pickering, Joyce Holden of Kingston, Ontario.

Survivors are his wife; his son, Brian D. Thomas (wife, Jessica) of Spiceland; his grandchildren, Whitney Jane (Tyler) Lanterman of Midland, Texas, and Holden Thomas and Isaiah DeWitt, both of Spiceland. Also, his niece, Julia Ann (Ratcliff) Bouslog of Spiceland; his great niece, Lauren Bouslog; and one first cousin, Larry J. Ratcliff of Indianapolis; his mother-in-law, Yvonne French of Springport also survives.

Friends may call from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday, September 21, 2024 at the Spiceland Friends Meeting. Service will begin at 1:00 p.m. David Brock and Eric Bowman will preside at the service and burial will follow in the family plot in Circle Grove Cemetery, Spiceland. Memorial contributions may be made to the Spiceland Friends Meeting Building Fund, P. O. Box 27, Spiceland, or Hoover Hall, 103 East Main Street, Spiceland 47385. Arrangements have been entrusted to Hinsey-Brown Funeral Service in New Castle. You may express condolences or share a memory of Richard at www.hinsey-brown.com.