Ralph Dubose

Ralph W. DuBose Arkansas / Hammond, IN Ralph Wayne DuBose, 81, died on June 19, 2004, at St. Vincent Hospice, Indianapolis, IN. Diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2002, he was given only months to live. However, God decided he was to have more time to work in his shop, fix up the barn and ride his tractor. Born August 31, 1922 in Stuttgart, AR, Ralph served in the Army Air Corps in WWII, continued military service in the Air Force and the Indiana Air National Guard, retiring as Chief Master Sergeant in 1980. He met his wife Katherine, of East Chicago, IN, while they were both stationed in Alaska in the 1940's. They married and eventually moved to Hammond, IN. He was chief mechanic for Prairie View Dairy in East Chicago, IN until the 1970's when he started his own refrigeration service. As DuBose Refrigeration he serviced local commercial businesses including Pleasant View Dairy in Highland and Dixie Dairy in Gary, for more than 25 years. He served as President of Indiana State Chapter of RSES (Refrigeration Service Engineers Society). He was also a member of the American Legion Post 232 in Hessville, IN, and the Air Force Sergeants Association. Katherine, his wife, died in 1995. In 1997 he moved to Des Arc, AR to be closer to his brothers and sisters. He continued his refrigeration service in Arkansas until 2002. He was a member of Morris Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Des Arc, AR. He will be "planted" as he put it, next to his beloved wife Katherine at Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens in Schererville. He is survived by his daughters, Charolotte Dian (Tom) Bradshaw of Coal City, IL and Estella Michele (Dick) Stafford of Indianapolis, IN; grandchildren: Troy (Val) Bradshaw of Channahon, IL, Machell (Ken) Enke of Joliet, IL, Esther and Charles Stafford of Indianapolis, IN; great-grandchildren, Kyle, Shannon and Taylor Enke, Jennifer and Melyssa Bradshaw; siblings, Lawrence (Melba) Stine and Florence Mitchell, all of Des Arc, AR and Shirley McMullen of Hazen, AR; niece, Jeannie (David) Keck of Highland, IN and nephews Nick (Pat) Popa of Highland, IN, Paul (Elena) Popa of Schererville, IN and Tom Popa of Highland, IN. Services will be 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 23, 2004 at Chapel Lawn Funeral Home, 8178 Cline Ave. (one mile south of 30), Schererville, IN. Ken Enke officiating. Friends may gather to share and remember from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to: Morris Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, R.R. #1, Box 187, Des Arc, AR 72040