Albany Democrat Herald February 6, 1976

Ralph McDonald
Jefferson-Ralph Homer McDonald, 84, 123 W. Second St., died Thursday morning at Albany General Hospital after a brief illness. Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Fisher Funeral Home in Albany with Pastor Lynn Langley officiating. Burial follows at Willamette Memorial Park in Albany. Friends who wish may contribute in his memory to Warner Pacific College in Portland.
He was born March 8, 1891 in Scio, where he lived most of his life. He had lived in Jefferson the past 17 years. He was a retired schoolteacher and school principal.
He married Myrtle Peterson April 28, 1917 in Albany. She survives. He was a member of Oakview Church of God.
In addition to his widow, survivors include six daughters, Mrs. Joseph Ultican of Boise, Idaho, Mrs. Stuart Earl of Baker, Mrs. E. M. McDaniel of San Diego, Calif., Mrs. Ellis B. Finch of Dundee, Mrs. Gerald Parsons of Antioch, Calif. and Mrs. Everett Winter of Ashland; 21 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Quotes in the writings of T. Melvin Holt, a student and the son of a fellow school teacher, Smith B. Holt who taught with Ralph. (Courtesy of KH.)

"Ralph McDonald was a teacher at Riverview School in the 1920s and 1930s. All eight grades were in one room. Mr. McDonald had an idea of reducing the number of classes by combining the second and third grades every other year. This would result in a total of only about five actual grades instead of eight. In 1931, total enrollment was about 39, of whom nine were in the eighth grade. [Dad's grade]"

"Mr. McDonald was an excellent teacher in the language and arithmetic areas as well as other subjects as needed. At that time, there were statewide exams in language, math, geography, and perhaps others as well. The Riverview students did OK in them. These were exams required for graduation from elementary schools."

Their daughter Arlene Florence Parsons was born November 27, 1928 and died May 27, 1985 in Contra Costa Co, CA