Brenda Ratliff

Brenda Fay Ratliff, of Lennox, South Dakota passed from this life with family by her side at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls on June 18, 2026 at the age of 74. Please join Brenda’s family for a visitation from 6:00-8:00 pm, Thursday, June 25 at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church in Lennox. The funeral service will be the following day at 3:00 pm, Friday, June 26, 2026 also at the church. Brenda Fay Van Westen was born Sunday, July 1, 1951 to Hilbert and Delsie (Schmidt) Van Westen. She lived on a farm near Parker her first 6 years and then her family moved into town when she was in the 2nd grade. A year later, they moved to a farm near Monroe, where she finished the remainder of grade school at the Country School District #9. During her growing up years, Brenda and her older sister Sherlyn and younger brother Dale filled their days with farm chores, gardening and just being kids. Brenda attended the First Reformed Church in Monroe through all her grade school and high school years. It was at Rural Bible Crusade church camp near Mitchell, when she was 12 that she surrendered her life to Christ’s calling and was later baptized and joined the church when she was a senior in high school. In May of 1969, Brenda graduated from Marion High School. She then enrolled in the Certified Laboratory Technical Class at Mitchell Vocational School and interned at Bennett Clarkson Hospital in Rapid City. After graduating and passing her state boards Brenda moved to Watertown, where she worked at Saint Ann Hospital for four years. During this time, she met Alan Ratliff and the two were married November 17, 1973. They settled in Watertown, where Brenda continued her work at the hospital while Alan taught at the high school. In August of 1974, they moved to Oveido, Florida to attend New Tribes Missionary training camp. It was during this time that Tim was born in March of 1975. They moved to Camdenton, Missouri in January of 1976 to attend language school to study Pigeon English with hopes of going to Papau New Guinea. In June of 1976 they had completed their language training and moved back to Watertown to live with Alan’s parents while they prepared for the field. In February of 1977, daughter Rebecca was born. Leaving for New Guinea was put on hold and Alan took a teaching position that fall in Lennox, South Dakota. The family lived in a rental house while they built a home on Academy Street in 1978 then daughter Wendy was born in 1979. In January of 1982, daughter Heidi joined their family. Brenda was a stay-at-home mom but worked a few hours at the bakery in town. In April of 1986, Brenda started part time as a receptionist at the McGreevy Clinic in Sioux Falls until November of 1988 when she started at Central Plains Clinic Lab and worked in the processing department. She was there until April 1998 when she was hired at Omni Care in Sioux Falls, where she worked until 2004 and then began at Avera Hospital Lab in 2005 and was there until she retired in May of 2016. Throughout those years when Brenda’s children were growing up, she loved being at any event they were in. She loved making them special decorated cakes for their birthdays and special treats for the swimming pool where they worked each summer. She helped out in Sunday School, Bible School, WIC, and any church event that she could. After the children were married and on their own, Brenda filled her time with sewing and gave most of the items away. She loved spending time with the grandchildren and baking them cinnamon rolls. She and Alan took several trips to Disney World, but the vacations with the children and grandchildren were the most precious to her. Brenda loved walking, riding her bike, or anything she could do outside. She and Alan both had a heart for missions and hosted many missionary families throughout the years. Brenda loved life. Brenda loved her Lord. Grateful for having shared her life are her children: Tim (Tonya) Ratliff, Crescent, IA; Becky (Nathan) Hunter, Elk River, MN; Wendy (Chad) Hellenga, Sioux Falls, SD; and Heidi (Will) DeWitt, Freeport, FL; her twelve grandchildren: Elijah, Aliyah and Isaiah Ratliff; Daniel and Samuel Hunter; Dalton Hellenga; Morgan, Carter, Camden, Adalyn, Emmett, and Elliot DeWitt; mother, Delsie VanWesten; brother, Dale (Shelli) VanWesten; brothers-in-law Lyle Ratliff and Don Cooper; and sister-in-law Lila (Greg) Williamson, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Alan Ratliff, father Hilbert VanWesten, sister Sherlyn Cooper, and brother-in-law Robert Ratliff. Memorial donations may be directed to the family and will go toward mission work that Brenda supported during her life. Brenda’s family wishes to express tremendous gratitude to Carla Haan and Darell and Audrey Eide for their loving care for our mother.

Brenda Ratliff

July 1, 1951 - June 18, 2026

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