Obituary of Judith Ann Ratzlaff

Judith Ann Belford Anderson Ratzlaff, 82, was born Jan. 7, 1941, in Devils Lake, North Dakota, to her wonderful parents, Grace and Ray Belford. Judi went to meet her Lord on Aug. 26, 2023, after suffering a heart attack at her Boise home.

A funeral Mass will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 4, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 811 S. Latah St. in Boise. Viewing will take place beginning at 9 a.m. before Mass. After Mass, Judi will be laid to rest in Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise. A reception at Sacred Heart will follow the burial service. Arrangements are under the direction of Summers Funeral Home.

Judi loved her family (particularly her grandchildren), flowers and gardening, card games, dancing, fashion and clothes shopping, fresh fruit, and Swedish Fish. She also loved talking on the phone and meeting up with her friends--and just talking to people in general.

But most of all, she adored laughing and spending time with her devoted husband, Lynn Ratzlaff. Judi and Lynn wed in 2006 at Sacred Heart. Judi's Catholic faith was a very important part of her journey on Earth, and she was ever grateful to Lynn for agreeing to celebrate the sacrament of marriage in her longtime parish church. 

Judi was also a tremendous supporter of formal education and Boise State University, where she earned her Master of Science in Instructional and Performance Technology in December 1993. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to a Boise State scholarship fund at www.boisestate.edu/giving/donate.

Judi herself was a proud teacher, starting her career in education after graduating from North Dakota State University with a degree in home economics. She then moved to Idaho with then-husband Paul Anderson and their growing young family, first to Idaho Falls in 1967 and then to Boise in 1973. Judi later resumed her teaching career, working with students at the Boise School District and then at the Meridian School District (now known as West Ada) until she retired in 2006. She was passionate about helping teenagers learn the life skills of cooking, sewing, budgeting, and more.

In addition to her husband Lynn, Judi is survived by her daughters Holly Anderson (Mark Jones) of Boise and Suzanne Anderson (Scott Mattinson) of Moscow; by her sons Raymond (Jenny) Anderson of Boise, Matthew Anderson (Caroline Herron) of Seattle, and Jacob Anderson of Boise as well as ex-husband Paul Anderson of Boise; and by her stepsons Eric (Teri) Ratzlaff of Nampa and Bruce (Gretchen) Ratzlaff of Portland. Judi is also survived by her grandchildren Chloe, Maggie, Samuel, Sophie, Kevin, Cory, Luke, Ian, Sage, and Summer, as well as her step-grandchildren Sarah and Ryan.

Judi is also survived by sisters Ranae (Larry) Holody of Fresno, Calif., and Cindy (Rodger) Wetzel of Bismarck, N.D., as well as sisters-in-law Terri Belford and Mary Lou Belford, both of Devils Lake, and brother-in-law Tim Bone of Fresno, Calif., as well as many, many nieces and nephews. 

Judi was preceded in death by her daughter Heidi Anderson Lombard of Pocatello and Boise. Judi was also preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Joe Belford and Pat Belford, and her sisters Debby Bone and Noella "Brownie" Peterson (of Knoxville, Tenn.). 

Sharing stories about her North Dakota heritage and her brothers and sisters was another one of Judi's favorite things. You wouldn't have had to know her long before she'd tell you about getting to the one-room schoolhouse each day in a cart pulled by the family pony, "Beauty"; about how her father served as a longtime sheriff of Ramsey County; and about the many activities she and her sisters were able to participate in while attending St. Mary's Academy. In Judi's honor, we encourage you to share a family or heritage story with someone you love today.