Echo Myatt Ranta

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Echo Myatt Ranta, age 92, of Pinckneyville, Ill., passed away on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012 at 1:45 p.m. in Pinckneyville Community Hospital, Pinckneyville, Ill.

Echo was born on Oct. 15, 1919 in Rutland, Vt., a daughter to Willis Omri and Nita (Gibson) Cook. She attended Rutland public schools and graduated from Rutland High School in 1937 after which she graduated in 1939 from Green Mountain College, Poultney, Vt. She moved with her family to Leominster, Mass. and was employed by Northern Worcester County Public Health Association as a field secretary for a number of years. On Sept. 9, 1956, she was married at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Leominster, Mass. to George W. Ranta who preceded her in death on Jan. 14, 2012. After they moved to Pinckneyville she became active in many organizations including: Eastern Star, Nashville, Ill.; Daughters of the American Revolution; Daniel Brush Chapter, Carterville, Ill.; Secretary of the Red Cross Blood Drive Committee, Pinckneyville, Ill.; Meals on Wheels program at Pinckneyville Community Hospital for 20 years; Du Quoin Community Club and the Pinckneyville Women's Club. She was active in the First United Methodist Church, Pinckneyville, Ill. and the Perry County Jail Museum. She also taught the RSVP program at Rend Lake College.

Survivors include her sponsor child, Melinda Julkiram of Manilla, Philippines; cousins, Gay Mahder of Cromwell, Conn. and John C. (Ruth) Bradbury of The Village, Fla. and special friends, Bill and JoAnn Templeton, William Norton, Gloria Conroy and good neighbors.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, George W. Ranta and a cousin, Jane Little.

Funeral services were held at Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, Ill. on Thursday, Feb, 2, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. with Reverend Jim Barnett officiating. Interment was in Mueller Hill Cemetery, Pinckneyville, Ill.

Friends called at Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, Ill. on Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church, Pinckneyville, Ill.

For more information or to sign an online guest register please visit www.pyattfuneralhome.com.