Ralph Bratts

Ralph A. Bratts, age 71, of Maynard, died Tuesday morning, August 25, at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, August 29, at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar. Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, August 28, and one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Interment will be in the Fairview Cemetery in Raymond with Military Honors provided by the Austin F. Hanscom American Legion Post 167 of Willmar. Memorials are preferred to the Rice Cancer Center or the Ronald McDonald House.

Ralph was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 16, 1944, to Andrew and Ruth (Ahlers) Bratts. He grew up and received his education in Alexandria, Minnesota. In 1961, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was stationed on the West Coast. He served on the U.S.S. John W. Thomason until his honorable discharge in May 1965.

Ralph married Lola Mead in September 1966. They raised seven children. He worked as a truck driver for 41 years. He loved to do landscaping, lawn care, work in his shop and travel in his spare time.

He is survived by his wife, Lola; seven children, Cory (and See) Bratts of Minneapolis, Gina (and Ian) Bratts of Hartford, CT, Cassandra Bratts of Clara City, and Mindy Bratts, Jaden Bratts, Chris Bratts, and Drew Bratts, all at home; a foster daughter, Lacy; four grandchildren, Dakota, Marqus, Jude, and Savannah; sisters-in-law, Carol (and Donald) Danielson, Pam (and Bruce) Quimby, Dawn (and Jerry) Slagter, Patty Mead, and Becky (and Cary) Holmgren; brother-in-law, Kelly (and June) Mead; and several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a foster son, Amos; his sister, Darlene Schmitz; a sister-in-law, Darla Toms; two brothers-in-law, Lowell "Skip" Mead and Leroy Schmitz; and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Lowell and Harriet Mead.

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