| Graduation Year | Class of 1987 |
| Date of Birth | Sep 27, 1967 |
| Date of Passing | Nov 12, 2023 |
| About | Manivone Mary (Ratts) Harris, age 56, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 in Yakima, Washington at MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital. Manivone had lived in the Yakima Valley since 1977. She was born in a time of war in Vientiane, Laos on Sept. 27, 1967. She fled Laos at age 8 accompanied by her 7 year old uncle, Sang, and lived in the Nong Khai, Thailand camp for Lao refugees for one year after the communist Pathet Lao takeover of her country. Two weeks after her escape from Laos, she was joined by her 5 year old brother Manivong (Vong) Ratts and her 10 year old aunt, Huong. One month later, her mother, Hoa Ratts, and her 6 month old brother, Manichanh (John) Ratts, were able to escape Laos and join them in the refugee camp. Her father, Larry Ratts, was able to legally exit Laos after another 2 weeks and found work in Thailand for the year the family was confined to the refugee camp. Her sister, Manisone (Susan) Ratts was born in the Nong Khai Refugee camp. In Sept of 1977, the family was able to obtain visas for immigration to America, the homeland of her father. The family arrived at SeaTac airport and walked across a large tarmac area from the plane to the immigration building. It was a sunny day with the spectacular white-capped Mt Rainier clearly seen in the distance and the largest American flag any of them had ever imagined flying fully unfurled above the terminal. That was a sight never to be forgotten after years of instability, a year of communist government, and a year of international homelessness. Three years later when her dad had gained his nursing degree and wanted to return to work in refugee camps, the rest of the family announced that they were never leaving their new, safe, loved and permanent home in America. Manivone did not speak a word of English in 1977, but she entered public schools and quickly learned the language. Manivone attended Roosevelt and Barge Lincoln Elementary schools, Franklin Jr. High, and graduated from Eisenhower High School. As a youth, she attended West Side Church with her family. She worked as a laborer for many years and particularly liked her work at Western RV for the Doyle family. She enjoyed a trip to Belgium with her mother where she reunited with her mother's 7 siblings who also had fled Laos but who were accepted by Belgium after failing to gain visas to America. In more recent years, her health failed and she moved next door to her parents as her physical disability increased. Her mother, Hoa, became a full time caretaker for Manivone in later years. Manivone valued her family relationships above all else and was especially close to her two nephews and two nieces. She loved to fish and would fish around the valley. She caught her first Fish at Rest Haven Lake. Manivone is survived by her parents Larry and Hoa Ratts, her brother Manivong Ratts (Nga) and their daughter Kieu An, her brother Manichanh Ratts and his sons Elias and Isaiah, her sister, Manisone Ratts, (Sean Quigley) and their daughter (Gracen) June. She is also survived by her numerous aunts, uncles and cousins in Belgium and the United States. The family will be joined by Manivone's three aunts from Belgium and one aunt from Houston for a private memorial service. In lieu of flowers, Manivone would want everyone to spend quality time with their loved ones. |
