Anna Ralston

ANNA ELIZABETH RALSTON, 90 BELVIDERE - Anna Elizabeth Ralston, 90, of Belvidere died Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, at Maplecrest Care Centre. Born Dec. 13, 1922, in Manchester Township, daughter of Walter T. and Minnie (Erickson) Ralston. Graduated from Livingston one-room rural school, Belvidere High School, Northern Illinois University with her bachelor's degree, and Illinois State University with her masters degree. Anna had a 35-year career of teaching in the Livingston one-room school, Caledonia Elementary, Libertyville Middle School and Lombard Junior High, and was an assistant county superintendent of the Boone County Schools. Her hobbies included history and traveling. Member of Caledonia Congregational Church and attended as a friend of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockford. Member of Boone County Historical Society which she volunteered for 30 years after retirement, Belvidere Women's Club, Boone County Arts Council and Boone County Retired Teachers. She served on the board for the Community Building Complex Committee and Belvidere Preservation and took classes with the Center for Learning in Retirement at Rock Valley College since the program started. Survivors include sister, Mary (Robert) Newport of Belvidere; nieces, Claudia Newport of Springfield, Ohio; nephew, Mark (Jan) Newport of Montgomery; great-nieces, Christina Newport and Erika Shelton; great-nephew, Ethan Shelton; great-great-nephews, Caden Erickson and Maximus Deblack; and many close friends. Predeceased by parents; and niece Laura Beth Newport. Memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at Buck-Wheeler-Hyland Funeral Home, 218 W. Hurlbut Ave., with the Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson-Doyle, pastor of Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockford, officiating. Private burial of cremains in Livingston Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Doctors Without Borders, 333 Seventh Ave., Second Floor, New York, NY 10001 or to Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry, 200 S. Fifth St., Capron, IL 61012. To share condolences, visit buckwheelerhyland.com.