Allyne Hall Ramage
February 20, 1921 - April 3, 2006

Allyne Ramage Memorial services: 3 p.m. Friday, April 14, Central Park United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Ala. Allyne Hall Ramage, 85, died April 3, 2006, at Lutheran Homes, Muscatine. Immediately following the services, the family will visit with friends. There will be no visitation. Angwin Mortuary, Bessemer, Ala., is in charge of private burial at Oakland Cemetery, Birmingham. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Activities Department of Lutheran Homes, 2421 Lutheran Drive, Muscatine, IA 52761. Mrs. Ramage was born Feb. 20, 1921, in Wylam section of Birmingham, the daughter of Nell Grace Hall Gardner Williams and Harry Gardner. She married Andrew Jackson "Jake" Ramage Jr. on Oct. 12, 1940. He preceded her in death in 1973. She moved to Iowa in 2004 after a fall to live near her daughter and family. She was the eldest of three children; for the most part she was raised by a single mother during the depression. Her father died when she was 12-years-old. She attended Fairfield Schools except for her senior year of high school, where she graduated from Emma Sansom High School, Gadsden, Ala. Soon afterwards, she met her future husband at the Alabama State Fair. During World War II, she was much like "Rosie the Riveter", working at the T.C. I. Tin Mill, Fairfield, Ala., while her husband served with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific. Otherwise, she did work in various secretarial duties. However, after she was 40-years-old, she pursued her passion of helping others by taking nursing classes and completed her LVN degree in 1965, at the Bay Waveland Hospital, Bay St. Louis, Miss. Her love of nursing found her doing emergency room service for most of her 25 years of nursing. She retired from Lloyd Noland Hospital, Fairfield, in 1989. She was a faithful Pink Lady volunteer with the Lloyd Noland Hospital Auxiliary, receiving a 3,000 hours recognition pin. She belonged to the Fairfield High School Alumni Association. Her participation at the Senior Citizen's Shepherd's Center, Birmingham, was among her most cherished activities. She enjoyed the company of the others, Bible study, van outings and the guidance of Judy Poole, director of Shepherd's Center. She taught Sunday school at Central Park United Methodist Church for many years until moving to Iowa. In Muscatine, she participated in many activities including the "Old Bats in Red Hats" chapter, where her nickname was Southern Belle, for monthly lunch meetings. She was revered by staff and friends at Lutheran Homes so much that she was voted Queen of Valentine in 2005. Her family members were her most prized possessions, which made her life complete as she watched each grow and learn about the Lord Jesus. Survivors include a daughter, Brenda R. Fikes and husband Alan of Illinois City, Ill.; sons, Andrew J. Ramage III and wife Melinda of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Harry A. Ramage and wife Susan of Acworth, Ga.; a grandson, Tracey A. Fikes and wife Denise of Hortonville, Wis.; a granddaughter, Terry Walters and husband Cole of Salt lake City, Utah; great-grandsons, Tyler Fikes and Connor Fikes of Hortonville; a great-granddaughter, Caitlin Allyne Fikes of Hortonville; a brother-in-law, Elmer Elwell of Jacksonville, Fla.; a sister-in-law, Saidie Gardner of Pelham, Ala.; and her dearest Iowa friend, Charlotte Bartkus of Muscatine. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a sister, Catherine Elwell; and a brother, Harry Gardner.

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