Ralph G. Edgington

Ralph Gerald Edgington was the third child born to Guy L. and Mabel V. (Brammer) Edgington on April 19, 1939 in Iowa City Iowa. He passed away on December 25, 2018 at the Chariton Specialty Care facility at the age of 79 years.

Ralph grew up and went to Greenville and Russell schools. He enjoyed helping with the family farm and their sawmill. When he was sixteen, he had bought his first baler and baled hay all over the county. Then, Ralph went out to Washington state to work in the Hops fields and picked apples for two years. After Washington, he moved back to Colorado and worked on his uncle’s ranch in Sterling, Colorado.

Ralph was united in marriage to Shirley Ann Smith in 1959 and to this union two children were born, Cindy and Tammy. They made their home in Chariton, Iowa, where Ralph worked for Eikenberry’s Lumber Yard for five years. Ralph and Shirley built a new house in the country on the family farm, where him and Shirley worked on the farm together. The whole family loved the farm. He continued to farm and also worked at Big Bear for 14 years. He also worked for the Chariton Machine Auction, when he wasn’t working for Big Bear.

In 1995, the couple sold the farm and moved to a house between Russell and Chariton, where they lived for two years before returning back to Chariton to live. While living in Chariton, Ralph had lost his wife of 59 years as she had passed away.

Ralph mowed yards and done yard work as long as he was able due to loving the outdoors. He also loved to deer hunt and shot many of deer through the years. Shirley and Ralph had taken many trips Missouri, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Tennesee,  Arkansas, Kentucky and Minnesota. They enjoyed going to the annual Iowa State Fair and going camping. Shirley would help with the farm while Ralph worked in town. He also worked on construction, helping to build the bypass around Chariton. Ralph was a member of the Farm Bureau and served many years on the board as the treasurer.  He was also a Honorary Gold Star member of the Iowa Sheriff and Deputies Association.

Ralph was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Shirley Edgington; and his brother, Leslie Gene Edgington.

He is survived by his daughters, Cindy (Terry) Gall and Tammy (Tony) Dahms; his siblings, Ronald Edgington, James Edgington, and Dorthea Shenefield; his grandchildrenGerald Gall, April (James) Green, T.J. (Maggie) Gall and Christopher (Kelsey) Dahms; his great grandchildren, Nathan, Tate, Ashlynn, Payton, Scarlette, Cale and Emersyn.

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