Beloved wife and mother, loving daughter and sister, beautiful friend...

Joyce Ellen Ratliff, nee Theis, age 49, of Troy, Ill., born November 25, 1959 in St. Marys, Ohio, passed away Monday morning, July 20, 2009, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital after a courageous 14-year fight against complications from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Joyce graduated from Houston High School in Houston, Ohio and married James Ratliff on October 6, 1979 in Sidney, Ohio. Diagnosed in 1995 with cancer, Joyce stood strong and fought hard. She never complained and was steadfast in her love for her family and her support of her community. She was a devoted and loving wife and mother, who was proud of her children and their accomplishments. Joyce worked as a child care provider at various military installations during her husband's Air Force career, specifically the past 14 years at Scott AFB Child Care Center, until January 2008. She was a dedicated member of the Troy Fire Department Auxiliary, supporting her husband's volunteerism with the Troy Fire Dept. Joyce's love of flowers and gardening is evident by her beautifully blooming yard. Most remarkable is Joyce's huge collection of bears.

Joyce is survived by her husband, MSgt. James Ratliff, USAF (ret.), daughter Michelle Ratliff and son James Ratliff, Jr., both of Miami, Fla.; her parents, James and Marie, nee Berning, Theis of Sidney, Ohio; siblings Robert (Julie) Theis of Fort Loramie, Ohio; Debra Gagermeier of Sidney, Ohio; William, her stem cell donor, (Mary) Theis, of Sidney, Ohio; James Theis of Scappoose, Ore.; and Nancy (Mike) Rethman of Fort Loramie, Ohio.

Also surviving are members of the Ratliff family in Sidney, Ohio: Lola (Ralph) Strunk, Vonda (Jerry) Douglas, Don (Kay) Ratliff, and Beulah (Scott) Clark. Also nieces and nephews, Janelle (Scott) Holthaus, Jenna and Jill Theis, Amanda Gagermeier, Katie (Andy) Koester, Beth and Joe Theis, Wes (Casey) Rethman, and Kacie, Kayla, and Morgan Rethman, Robert Ratliff, Jerry David Douglas, Angie Booth, Samantha and Allison Clark.

Joyce is also survived by her very dear friends Mark and Kris George of Marshalltown, Iowa; and Joe and Eileen Bonfiglio of Shiloh, Ill.

Memorial donations may be made in Joyce's honor to Troy Fire Dept. Auxiliary, 116 W. Clay, Troy, IL 62294; Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University, Campus Box 1204, 7425 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105, or American Cancer Society, 5 Schiber Ct., Maryville, IL 62062.

Visitation: Friends may call from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Thursday, July 23, 2009, at Wolfersberger Funeral Home, 102 W. Washington Street, O'Fallon. The Troy Fire Department Auxiliary and Firefighters will conduct a walk-through at 6:30 p.m. at the funeral home.

Visitation will continue at St. Jerome Church, 511 South Main, Troy, at 9:00 a.m. Friday, July 24, 2009.

Funeral Service: Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 24, 2009 at St. Jerome Catholic Church, Troy, with Rev. Pat Jakel presiding. Interment will be at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery in Blackjack, (Jarvis Township, South of Troy) Illinois.

A luncheon will follow at the church.