Obituary of Ralph J. Manley

Ralph J. Manley, 85, of Muscatine, died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at Lutheran Homes. Funeral Service will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 6, 2005, at the Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home, 1931 Houser Street. The Reverend Father Bart Ryan will officiate the service. Honorary bearers will be Bruce Kennedy, Nick Sousa, and Mac McCurry. Casket bearers will be Art Dennis, Jim Allen, Jake Regenwether, Gary Morgan, Richard Buster and Nick Wilson. Burial will be in Conesville Cemetery with Military Rites provided by the combined squads of American Legion Post 27 and the V.F.W. Post 1565. Following the committal service there will be a time of food and fellowship at the Muscatine American Legion. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at the funeral home. Ralph was born on December 7, 1919, in Columbus Junction, the fourth child of James and Maggie Tisor Manley. He married Carol Vance on June 17, 1950, in Muscatine. She preceded him in death on July 19, 2004. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1944 and served his country on three tours of duty during World War II through the Korean War. Ralph was a member of the V.F.W. Post 6416 of Riverside and the American Legion Post 27 of Muscatine. Following his military service he worked at Heinz USA for 26 years as a forklift operator retiring in 1982. Survivors include one son, Steve Manley and wife, Dianne, of Cedar Rapids; three daughters, Arla Allen and husband, Jim, of Richmond, Virginia, Sharon McCurry and husband, Mac, of Summerfield, Florida, and Linda Regenwether and husband, Jake, of Ocala, Florida; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; one great great-grandson; two brothers, Robert Manley and wife, Della, of Conesville, and Jack Manley and wife, Donna, of Orlando, Florida; and two sisters, Kathleen Mills and Pat Mullen and husband, Louran, all of Muscatine. Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, one brother, Paul Manley, and three sisters, Louella Manley King, Pearl Manley Dennis, and Betty Manley in infancy.