Mrs. Nancy Richey Ranson, 87, of 6151 Vanderbilt, a former poet laureate of Texas who retired Dec. 1, 1972, as garden editor of The Dallas Morning News, died here Saturday. Mrs. Ranson, who began writing travel and historical features with The News in 1931 had been garden editor for several decades. Her interest in Texas flowers and domestic gardens is most clearly seen in the many volumes of poems she published throughout her lifetime. In 1941 she was named poet laureate of Texas for a 2-year term by the State Legislature.

A native of Berryville, Va., Mrs. Ranson came to Dallas in 1927, after attending the University of Arizona in Tucson. She joined the staff of the Dallas Journal, writing several features on Texas flowers. Her feature in The Journal called "Texas Wild Flower Legends" became widely known. In those features, which she later wrote for The News, Mrs. Ranson examined each flower thoroughly and wrote a poem about each one. Mrs. Ranson also wrote many historical poems about the Old South and Texas. Her verses were widely reprinted and were included in Davis' "Anthology of Newspaper Verse" and Hilton Greer's "New Voices of the Southwest."

In the late 30s, Mrs. Ranson made two trips abroad for The News, filing many stories along the way. In 1937 she attended the coronation of King George VI and visited 12 European countries. In 1939 she spent four months in the Scandinavian countries, Poland and Russia only a few months before World War II.

Mrs. Ranson's most widely known book, "The Bucking Burro," was published in 1931. Other books by Mrs. Ranson are "Texas Wild Flower Legends," "Texas Evening" and "My Neighbor's Garden -- And Mine," recently reprinted by Cokesbury Press. One of her best-known poems was "My Mother," which appeared in her book "Texas Evening." She was the winner of the Alamo prize of the Poetry Society of Texas, and several of her verses appeared in the annual yearbook of the Society.

During World War II, Mrs. Ranson wrote a column in The News entitled "Calling All Victory Gardeners." It became "Let's Talk Gardening," which she continued up to her retirement this month. Her long-standing desire was to assist newcomers in getting acquainted with the local garden scene. Long before the current interest in ecology, Mrs. Ranson regularly toured clubs, schools and colleges over the state with the message of conservation and beautification of Texas. Her latest beautification campaign was the planting of crepe myrtles throughout Dallas, a movement which rallied garden clubs all over the city.

Mrs. Ranson had been widely honored for her poetry and her interest in horticulture. In 1972 she was awarded the Matrix Aware of the Dallas Professional Chapter of the Theta Sigma Phi, now Women in Communications, Inc. She had been awarded life memberships in the National Council of Garden Clubs, Texas Garden Clubs, Inc., and the Dallas Garden Center. She was also a member of the Poetry Society of Texas, Pan-American Round Table No. One, the Dallas Council on World Affairs and the Highland Park Presbyterian Church.

Mrs. Ranson is survived by two sisters, a niece and two nephews. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Highland Park Presbyterian Church. Dallas Morning News, December 31, 1972
. . . . . . . . . .
RANSON, Mrs. Nancy Richey, 6151 Vanderbilt. Survived by sisters, Mrs. Bess Richey Dessez, New York City, Mrs. Eleanor Richey Johnston, Denver, Colorado; niece, Mrs. Melvin Lindeman, Denver; nephews, Harrison Johnston, Atherton, California, Thomas Richey, Westfield, New Jersey. Memorial services 2 p.m. Tuesday, Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Texas. Rev. L.M. Kennedy officiating. Cremation will follow, Interment Dillon, Colorado. Dallas Morning News, December 31, 1972
. . . . . . . . . .
From her Texas certificate of death
Name: Nancy Richey Ranson
Death Date: 30 Dec 1972
Death Place: Gaston Hospital, Dallas, Dallas, Texas
Gender: Female
Race: White
Death Age: 87 years
Birth Date: 23 July 1885
Birthplace: Ft. Defiance, Va.
Marital Status: Widowed
Father's Name: Olin Richey
Mother's Name: Ella Locke
Occupation: Housewife
Place of Residence: 6151 Vanderbilt, Dallas, Texas
Crematory: Restland Crematory
Cremation Place: Dallas, Texas
Cremation Date: 03 Jan 1973
Informant: Mrs. Melvin Lindeman
. . . . . . . . . .