Derwood Ratliff

Jesse Derwood Ratliff, 84 years of age, went to heaven on March 8, 2011. Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, March 11, 2011 at St. Mark's United Methodist Church with Rev. Gilbert Bela officiating.Derwood was born October 2, 1926 in Garden City, Texas to Bertha Mabel Cox Ratliff and James Brown Ratliff. He graduated from Glasscock Independent School District in May 1944.He joined the U.S. Army in April 1945 and served in the U.S. Mounted Cavalry and later as a rifleman and a surveyor. During his service, he was stationed in Japan and Korea. He graduated from Texas Tech University in 1950 with a B.S. in Geology. He returned to Garden City to begin a career in the oil and gas industry. While there, he met Frances Elizabeth White and they later married in May 1954.They moved to Midland and Derwood began work as a geologist for R.S. Anderson and later for TXL Oil Corporation. He worked for Texaco and later as an Independent Geologist for many years.He is survived by his wife, Frances; daughter and son-in-law, Roxane and Ben Strickling; two grandsons, Kelly Strickling and Mitchell Strickling; granddaughter and her husband, Lexie and Jason Horner of Dallas, TX. He is also survived by one brother, Lester Ratliff, of Big Lake, TX; and two sisters, Roberta Reynolds of San Angelo, TX and Juanita Johnson of Fort Stockton, TX.Known affectionately as "Granddad" by his grandchildren, who loved him dearly, he greatly enjoyed hunting and fishing trips with his grandsons. One of Derwood's greatest passions was traveling to the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico during the spring and summer months with his family.He is preceded in death by his parents and a brother, J.B. Ratliff Jr., of Fort Stockton, TX.He was a member of St. Mark's United Methodist Church and the West Texas Geological Society. He was also a dedicated Meals on Wheels volunteer for 16 years.In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of Midland, 911 W. Texas St., Midland, TX 79701 or St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 1701 N. Main St., Midland, Texas 79701.,