Flora A. Pope

Date of Death: January 6, 2011

Flora Alice Pope, 92, of Lafayette, IN died Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, at her residence.
On March 1, 1918, Flora was born near Crawfordsville, Indiana on a farm in Montgomery County, to Arnett and Dessie Ratcliff. When Flora was very young, her father passed away and Flora helped to support her family by selling milk and eggs door to door. She was raised by a very loving mother that was known for her baking skills and blessed by having a wonderful brother (Russell Ratcliff-deceased) always by her side. Preceding her in death was her stepfather, John Pierce.
She was a student nurse at Home Hospital School of Nursing where she met the love of her life. His name was Charles Earl Pope and they were married on November 20, 1938. Earl preceded her in death, but remained in her heart. Together they raised their three surviving daughters, Veronica Cleaver (Bob-deceased) of Deerfield Beach, Fl; Barbara (William) Fickes of Grand Haven, MI; Connie (Thomas) Wiese of Lafayette, IN. Flora was the most loving, caring, and giving mother and her family was so blessed to have had her in their life.
Preceding her in death was one brother Russell Ratcliff and his wife Ruth. Ruth and Flora became close immediately and were the sisters they never had. Flora is survived by a half-brother, Gale (Marlyn) Pierce of Jamestown, IN.
Flora was very proud of her 5 grandchildren, Brian Cleaver of Elizabethtown, KY; Bradley Cleaver (deceased) of Margate, Fl; Anne Fickes of Friday Harbor, WA; John Fickes of Grand Haven, MI; Paige Wiese of Lafayette, IN. Also special to her were her 2 great-granddaughters, Sarah Cleaver of Elizabethtown, KY and Jade Wiese of Lafayette, IN. and many nieces and nephews whom she dearly loved.
Flora had a love of nature and enjoyed traveling, making sure to visit all 50 states before venturing abroad. She enjoyed telling stories of her travels and nursing days. She was an excellent cook due to her many childhood hours of helping her mother prepare meals for farm families. Her greatest love was for her family and her church. She had been a member of First Christian Church, Lafayette, IN for almost 58 years becoming a member on March 29, 1953. Flora was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Hope Chapter No. 5.
Visitation will be from 11:00 until the service at 1:00 pm on Saturday, January 8, 2011 at Soller-Baker Lafayette Chapel 400 Twyckenham Blvd Lafayette, IN 47909 with Rev. Greg Eberhard officiating. Entombment will follow at Tippecanoe Memory Gardens in West Lafayette.
Those wishing may contribute in her memory to First Christian Church, the American Diabetes Association or charity of choice.
You may offer condolences at www.soller-baker.com

Soller-Baker Funeral Homes, Inc.

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I met Flora in our neighborhood when I was much younger. She was always so kind. She gave me a job mowing her yard and we spent time visiting and I played with her black dog. As time went by, I married my first husband and found out that she knew his grandmother (Martha-Betty Mennen-White) and they traveled some together. I enjoyed knowing Flora she was always nice and a joy to talk to. My condolences are sent to your family this time of grief.
Sincerely,
Vickie Hess-Hatke

My prayers and thoughts are with you. Flora was a wonderful woman who had many of smiles. I wanted to share my story of Flora. I have told Connie this story before, but it is in mind every time I seen Flora. In 1989, at the age of 17, I started beauty school during my senior year of high school. There was where I first met Flora. She was my ""saturday"" lady. Every Saturday at 9 am she was there to get her hair roller set by me. She would sit under the dryer and talk loud enough to hear her across the school. I had other ladys, but Flora was my favorite and stuck in my mind years after I was gone. Often I wondered what happened to her. A few years ago I decided after 20 years it was time for me to hang the scissors up and take a new path. Nursing was my new path to walk. While going to school, I got a part time job as a home health aid. What a wonderful surprise and big smile I had to see Flora when I opened the door to her room. She was still the Flora I knew, with her big smile. I sat and thought about how she was there for my first carreer to help me learn when I was just seventeen. Now she was there for me to start my second carreer 20 years later and to learn once again. She will always be in my heart and never forgotten. The family was blesses with a wonderful women....God Bless all of you

Gina Martin

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.