Jacqueline “Jackie” Ragsdale, age 88, of Xenia, Illinois, passed away Wednesday, December 23, 2015, at GreenTree in Mt. Vernon.  A beloved angel has gone home.

   Jackie was born April 23, 1927, in Paragould, Arkansas, to Dorsey and Sena (Drees) Bennett.  She married her lifetime sweetheart, Bob L. Ragsdale, on November 12, 1945, in St. Elmo and together they shared 69 anniversaries together before he passed away earlier this year, on April 12, 2015.

   Jackie retired from a rural mail carrier route and was also part of Bob’s Garage business during his years of operation.  At one time she was a bookkeeper for Wabash Telephone and secretary at Xenia Grade School.  She worked alongside Bob in caring for their farm and home where they made many family memories over the years.  Raising Black Angus cattle became the start of something she was especially proud of talking about.  Jackie is remembered for her kind, sweet-hearted nature and loving dedication to others.  At Powers General Baptist Church she served as a Sunday School teacher, and had been active as part of Ladies Aid and visiting area nursing home residents.

   Jackie is survived by her 2 daughters: Brenda (husband George) Wintrode of Andrews, Indiana, and Connie (husband Bob) Pieplow of Xenia; 5 grandchildren: Kelly (wife Kelly) Forth of Nashville, Tennessee, Steven (wife Ann) Forth of Andrews, Indiana, Eva (husband Marty) Fatheree of Flora, Holly (husband Ken) Wathan-Green of Evanston, Daniel (wife Sheena) Wathan of Lakeland, Florida; 9 great-grandchildren: Sean (wife Amy), Chad, and Nicole Hubble, Amy, Jacob and John Forth, Alexandra, Nicholas and Elliot Forth; a great-great-grandson: Logan Hubble; and many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and siblings: Lois Bennett, Charlie Bennett, Loretta Bennett, Virgil Bennett, Martha Crockett, Johon Bennett, Mary Kline, and Wanda King.

   A funeral service for Jackie Ragsdale will be 2 p.m. Sunday, December 27, 2015, at Frank & Bright Funeral Home in Flora, with interment to follow in Powers Cemetery, Xenia.  Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.  Memorials in Jackie’s memory are suggested to Powers General Baptist Church, and will be accepted at the funeral home.  To share a condolence or memory with the family, visit www.frankandbright.com.