Obituary of Rachel Ellen Ramsey

Ellen Rachel Ramsey passed away on Thursday, December 17, 2020 in Pensacola, Florida, where she had been residing for the last several months. She was born at home to Harold Pierson (“Pat”) and Esther (Rairdon) Murphy on Jan 10, 1931 in Franklin, Indiana. In those days, it was common for the doctor to attend to the mother and newborn in the home, and not at the hospital. Rachel grew up in Franklin, where she met her future husband and partner in life, Fred Ramsey, during her sophomore year at Franklin High School. Rachel lived in the house nearest to the high school; hers was the first house east of Hurricane Creek. She would later recount how after school, Fred would often accompany her across the bridge to her own front porch, before running back to catch his ride to the family farm on the outskirts of town. Rachel and Fred were married in 1949 and were inseparable until Fred’s death in 2004. In the interim, Rachel worked at the Johnson County Memorial Hospital as a nurse’s aide, and subsequently at the Indianapolis headquarters for Indiana Blue Cross/Blue Shield, initially in clerical services, and later as a supervisor. After leaving her supervisory position, she supported Fred’s numerous business ventures; along with her husband, she pursued a life-long interest in buying, selling, restoring, and collecting antiques and memorabilia. Visiting their home was like taking a course in American history; their extensive collection included rare musical instruments, artwork, furniture, clothing, jewelry, books, mechanical toys, dolls and doll houses, and other miniatures. A few of those items eventually found their way into museum collections. Rachel’s own artwork did not; however, she possessed a true artistic sensibility, and displayed considerable talent in creating natural illustrations on wood, employing oil paint as the chosen medium. Some of her paintings were inspired by John James Audubon’s master work, “Birds of America.” A large edition of this work was an essential part of her art library. Other than high school art classes, she was entirely self-taught. Rachel also loved to write, leaving to posterity many letters and stories. After Fred’s death, she began crafting on paper, in her elegant long hand style, her memories of growing up in Franklin, Indiana. She was a child of the Great Depression and of WWII, and these events provide the backdrop for her writings. For several years after she moved from Indiana, and for as long as she was able, Rachel recounted her memories both orally and through her written letters and stories, sharing many of these with friends and family. She volunteered her services by writing to residents of nursing homes. This ministry of words offered both entertainment and solace to those whose situations were less fortunate than her own. After Fred’s death, Rachel resided with her daughter Judy, and son-in-law John Williams, first in Naples Florida, and later in Ellijay, Georgia. Rachel was a practicing Christian, at one time attending the Disciples of Christ Church in Franklin. More recently, she regularly attended the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Ellijay. In February of 2020, due to her increasingly fragile health, Rachel moved to the Pensacola area, closer to her youngest daughter Rebecca (“Becky”) Weaver, residing first at Victorian Manor Retirement Center, and ultimately at the Bayside Health and Rehabilitation Center, where she passed away. Rachel was loved by her family and many friends and will be deeply missed. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Frederick Duane Ramsey, her parents, her stepmother Dorothy (“Dottie”) (Fisher) Murphy and siblings Harold O. (“Pat”) Murphy, Martha (Murphy) Hendrickson, and Ann (Murphy) Pace. She is survived in death by her children, Frederick Bruce Ramsey and daughter-in-law Namreta Kantilal (Morar) Ramsey; Judy Ellen (Ramsey) Williams and son-in-law John Williams; Esther Rebecca (Ramsey) Weaver and son-in-law Ken Weaver; grandchildren, Kiran Caitlyn Ramsey, Deven Patrick Ramsey, Mark Ramsey Williams, Natalie Rae (Williams) Buell, Kelley (Williams) Simpson, Jesse Frederick Weaver, and Ty Brandon Weaver. Rachel is survived by many other family members as well, along with a few Franklin High School era friends, some of whom might remember Rachel as the young girl she was then. They might recall seeing her walk, hand in hand, with a star-struck boy as together they crossed the Hurricane Creek Bridge. They might remember those two, strolling as one, making their way just as slowly as they could, approaching the white, double story Victorian on Jefferson Street, the house with the gingerbread fretwork.