[email protected] wrote: > > This is from a zeroxed copy of a newspaper clipping someone sent me, probably > in the 1970's. It is from the Beaumont Enterprise, Beaumont ( Jefferson Co. > Tx.) and the only date is Feb. 21. > > Haskell Texas, Feb. 21 (ap) > > When they talk about the Kennedy political family around here, the Ratliff > family is liable to pop up for comparison.... > The line began, as far as Texas is concerned, with L. D. Ratliff, Tennessee > born lawyer. > L. D. Ratliff, Wise and Haskell county counselor-at-law. fathered 11 children, > four of them lawyers and a fifth, a state senator. > > "There was a major difference between Joe Kennedy ( president Kennedy's > father) and my Daddy", L. D. Ratliff's eldest son, Dennis, Haskell attorney > and former state legislator, and district judge here says, " My Daddy died a > poor man after raising 11 children". > L.D. had two brothers, Ed and W.H. The former was a member of the Oklahoma > Legislature and later counsel on the corporate commission of Oklahoma City. > The later was a member of the Texas Legislature from Hardeman County before > moving to Dallas, where he was tax commissioner for Texas Power and Light Co., > for many years until his death in 1949. > > The Ratliffs roots are buried in the subsoil of Hickman Co. Tenn. > L.D. came to Decatur, Wise County, about the turn of the century, got his > family on its voting way, and then moved to Haskell in 1921, spending his last > 21 years there. > L.D. died in 1942 but the Ratliff vein is thick in the motherlode of Northwest > and NorthCentral Texas political and civic minefield. > Dennis, the eldest, a practicing attorney here, was in the Legislature from > 1931 to 1935 and district judge here afterwards. > David Ratliff, a Stamford businessman is not an attorney, but elected State > senator in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the > colorful Harvey Sadler, David has been re-elected to this office every two > years since 1954. > L.D. Ratliff Jr., an attorney, is a district judge at Spur. > Bill Ratliff is the Haskell county attorney. > O.B. Ratliff, lawyer, never held public office, but he just never ran for it. > He lives in Lubbock, is a former member of the Board of Trustees at Texas > Tech. and now is with the Brazos River Authority. > Roy Ratliff, another office holder, now lives in Abilene, and was both county > clerk and district clerk here for several years. > > Rounding out the Ratliff record, there are two more, neither lawyers nor > office holders, but you better watch 'em on the latter counts. They could > qualify, being Ratliffs. > Hugh, a retired Warrant Officer in the Air Force, is manager of the Haskell > Clinic. > T.J. is a school-teacher for 35 years in DeQuincy, La. > Given a little running room, politically speaking, the runnin' Ratliffs could > crowd the Kennedys, especially Texas tabulations. > > Now, just so none of us get the big-head, I think I will post the story of > Marshall Ratliff, the Santa Claus Bandit and last white man lynched ( and > naked too!) in the state of Texas, that is if you want to read it. It is > long. Billie Ratliff Staggs > > ==== RATLIFF Mailing List ==== > Please rememember to keep your signature lines no larger than > four (4) lines, and NO surnames in signature lines other than your > own name as your signature. The archive search engine > will score a "hit" on any surnames listed in a signature line. By all means, lets hear the Santa Clause Bandit Story. The rascals are usually more fun than the others. -- Janet Reaves [email protected] ____________