ALETHEA BERNICE ASHCRAFT ERVIN, 80, a retired
secretary, died on April 16, 2004 in Waco, TX, with
burial in Evergreen Cemetery at Ranger, TX.
Mrs. Ervin was born March 4, 1924 in Ranger, the daughter
of Charles & Utile Butler Ashcraft. She spent 20 years
in the U.S. Army and lived in Mineral Wells since 1964.
At the time of her death, survivors were daughter, Linda
Patton; grandchildren, Laura and Scott Patton; all of
Allen, Texas, two sisters, Lilian Ashcraft Cozby (RHS-
1945) and husband Warren Reynolds Cozby (RHS-1934) of
Waco; and Florence Ashcraft Baughman (RHS-1951) & husband
Dennis Baughman of Conroe; several nieces and nephews
and other family and friends.
PARENTS: CHARLES P. & JOSEPHA UTILE BUTLER ASHCRAFT were
longtime Ranger, TX residents. He was born on July 13,
1885, in Fincastile, TX, & she was born in Gordon, TX,
on Nov. 19, 1894. They were married in Feb. of 1920, at
Mingus, TX. They moved to Ranger where Mr. Ashcraft was
already an employee of the Ranger post office where he
retired in 1955. When they met, Mr. Ashcraft was teaching
in Gordon and one of Utile's younger sister's was a student
in one of his classes. Utile was number 5 of eight children
born to Joseph & Louisa Butler of Gordon where they are
buried. The Gordon Lake is now located in the area where
the old Butler home place used to be. Always active, Utile
was a worker in the PTA & the Nursery Department of the
Methodist Church as well as a member of the church choir
and in her later years she enjoyed activities at the senior
center, making ceramics & playing dominoes.
Mr. Ashcraft had two sisters who lived in Ranger at one time.
They were Sally Ashcraft Rogers & Alice Ashcraft Sneed.
Mr. Ashcraft died Oct. 7, 1963, in Ranger and Mrs. Ashcraft
died in Waco on Sept. 9, 1986. They are buried at Evergreen
Cemetery in Ranger.
The Ashcrafts had four children born at home in Ranger, 1116
Young Street, with Dr. Wier attending: Eunice Margaret Ashcraft
Brown died in 1948 of an automobile accident and is buried at
Evergreen. Alethea Bernice Ashcraft Ervin was in the RHS Class
of 1941. She served in the WACs during WWII and is a graduate
of the University of Texas at Austin. Ola Lilian Ashcraft
Cozby was in the RHS Class of 1945. She was married in Jan.
of 1946, to Warren Reynolds Cozby (RHS-1934) at mid-term while
they were both attending RJC. Florence Rheba Ashcraft Baughman
was in the Class of 1951. She married Dennis Baughman in Ranger
in 1957, and is a graduate of Texas Tech.
The Ashcrafts have a long history in Ranger. Charles Ashcraft’s
parent's were John Drury Ashcraft & Arah Caroline (Hopkins)
Ashcraft. They are buried at Crossroad Cemetery near Ranger.