Ralph L. Starling

Ralph L. Starling, 86, of Stephenville, died Monday evening, July 14, 2008, in Irving. Family visitation will be held Wednesday afternoon, July 16, 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Stephenville Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held Thursday afternoon at Croft Cemetery in Paragould, Arkansas. Ralph was born March 18, 1922 in Imboden, Arkansas to the late Harry L. and Dollie F. Ratliff Starling. He married Dorothy ‘Dot' Johns, September 4, 1944 at Dot's home in Paragould, Arkansas. She preceded him in death March 15, 1996. Ralph was a graduate of Sloan-Hendrix Academy High School in Imboden, Ark.. He received his BS degree in biology and business from Harding College in Searcy, Ark. Ralph has been a Church of Christ gospel minister for well over 60 years. He has been a full time minister for churches in Arkansas, Schenectady, New York; Brownsville, TX, Fort Worth, Waco, and Richland Hills/Meadow Lake Retirement Village. In 1950 Ralph and Dot moved to Stephenville where he began his full time ministry for six years at the Graham Street Church of Christ. In 1969 he returned to the Graham Street congregation where he continued to preach until 1983. He preached for the Morgan Mill Church of Christ approximately ten years, and until his health recently began to fail has spent several years as minister at the Johnsville Church of Christ. Over the span of 60 years Ralph has conducted over 1500 weddings and funerals. Ralph is survived by his two daughters and sons-in-law, Beth and Jimmy Paul of Clarkston, Michigan, and Ann and Tim Lewis of Irving, TX; brother and sister-in-law, J. W. ‘Dub' and Jane Starling of Florence, MO; and a sister, Imogene Chilton of Springfield, MO; 4 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren In lieu of flowers the family wish expressions of sympathy be made in the form of donations to Foster's Home for Children, P. O. Box 978, Stephenville, Texas 76401