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When Vivian and Deryl Ratliff made a right-hand turn from Carpenter Road onto West Main Street more than 20 years ago, they didn't know that turn would lead to a life in Patterson.

The local couple, then ages 30 and 35, respectively, found Patterson by accident. Over the years, they have contributed their time and talents to the town they call home.

Deryl remembers that day the family was house hunting — in the Manteca area. At the suggestion of real estate agents, they drove along Carpenter Road, where only open fields on every side greeted them.

“I think they played a trick on us — there’s nothing out here,” Deryl remembers saying to Vivian and son, Stephen.

Deryl made the right onto West Main to head toward Interstate 5 and their home in Oakland.

“Wait a minute!” Deryl remembers saying. “I found civilization.”

Civilization was the town of Patterson, and the young family put a down payment on a house they liked. But plans quickly changed for the couple after Deryl’s mother died. The Ratliffs had to back out of the deal, get his money back and use it to pay for his mother’s funeral.

A few months later the couple returned to Patterson, but the house they wanted was taken, so they put money on their present home.

Deryl, who has worked for New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. in Fremont for 23 years this November, married Vivian on March 27, 1982.

They vividly remember when they moved to Patterson on Oct. 23, 1987.

“The funny thing about it is there was a sign that showed how many people there were in town,” Deryl remembers. “We went back there a week later, and we noticed they changed the sign and added three more people. That extra three people must have been us!”

Community involvement The Ratliffs quickly became involved in the community. First, they put Stephen in a gymnastics class so he could make friends. Stephen attended Northmead School for a while, but it didn’t work out, so the Ratliffs enrolled the second-grader across the street at Sacred Heart Catholic School.

“Sacred Heart was very willing to deal with the racial problems,” Vivian said. “It was a lot easier for him to adjust to Sacred Heart.”

Back then, Vivian remembers, she and Deryl were involved in many activities with Stephen and brought the talents they used in the Bay Area to the small town. Vivian, who has Lupus, said when folks would see Stephen walking home from school they would stop to pick him up and bring him home.

Vivian looks back at that time when she said there were about 10 black families that moved to Patterson at the same time.

The Ratliffs, along with four other black families, founded the Patterson Family Enrichment Awareness Association, a support group.

“We were trying to help a lot of the black families and minority families around town,” Vivian said. “We brought all the kids together and talked about the problems and addressed the issues.”

Families went on camping trips and had social gatherings, and they helped youngsters deal with everyday life.

“We wanted Stephen not to grow up with a gangster mentality,” Deryl said. “I figured I saved his life by getting him out of Oakland.”

Stephen graduated from Sacred Heart and then Central Catholic High School in Modesto. He earned a four-year scholarship to Michigan State University and graduated from St. Mary’s College in Moraga in May 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in business communication. Stephen lives and works in Modesto, where he is a real estate agent.

Always community-minded, Deryl approached his employers at Nummi after he heard the Patterson Police Department was starting a Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in the early 1990s, and the company donated two cars to the program.

The Ratliffs also wanted to open a local business. In 1993, they started plans for the Circle City Car Wash at Highway 33 and M Street.

“Our original idea was to build a bowling alley, but it was much too expensive,” D eryl remembers. “The car wash was more reasonable.”

Deryl designed the car wash and took the drawings to a professional architect. The Ratliffs opened it in April 1995 and closed it after 1½ years of operation following a dispute with the builder. After the problems were ironed out, they sold it in 2000 to the Campbell family.

Making music these days Vivian, who was born in Detroit and raised in Santa Ana and Fresno, met Deryl through phone calls during her job. She worked for a collection agency, and he helped her out with the job.

When they met in person, nothing clicked — at least for Vivian.  

“When I first met him I didn’t like him,” Vivian remembers. “I didn’t want to bother, but my girlfriend said, ‘Give him a chance.’ He told me he came into this race last, but he was going to win it.”

Deryl, who was born in Oakland and raised in Richmond, never gave up pursuing Vivian. 

Now, after raising Stephen, working at his job for 23 years and contributing to Patterson, Deryl has time to get back to his music after having put it aside to devote time to his family.   

Deryl likes to play drums, bass guitar and piano. 

When friend Sandra Keyes wanted to know if Deryl could help her with the music and words to a song, he looked for his guitar and found it after a few days. 

“Once I started with the music, what I had in me came out nonstop,” Deryl said.

He taught himself how to play the piano. These days, he spends his free time in the music room of his house, writing music and words to his original compositions. He also puts his musical talents to use on old standards. 

Meanwhile, Vivian volunteers at her church, Modesto Christian Center, and is on the Patterson Beautification Committee.

“If you want to get involved, people here are willing to teach you,” Vivian said. “I think what happened to me and Deryl is we were willing to give of ourselves. That’s why I like being on the Beautification Committee — to get to bring the beauty back to Patterson that was here when we moved here — the downtown area was so beautiful when we moved here.”

For Deryl, the small-town atmosphere is the best.

“You can go into a store and they know your name,” Deryl said. “In this town, you’re not just another face in the crowd.

"What won me over was the breakfast at the Apricot Fiesta. It’s the first time I’ve been in a town that celebrated something on a yearly basis so people could come together and see who their neighbors are.” 

Vivian said the family has been blessed by coming to Patterson and offers advice to newcomers: 

“It’s been an asset to our lives,” Vivian said. “If you see something wrong, get involved. You might have the expertise to help. Let the older people teach you the history of the town.”

To reach Maddy Houk at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail her at maddy@pattersonirrigator.com

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Senior Lunch Menu

The Howard Training Center Senior Meal Program provides lunches at the Patterson Senior Center, 700 F St. Lunch is served at noon Monday through Friday. The suggested donation is $2 for those 60 and older. Those younger than age 60 must pay $4.50. 

Reservations should be made a day in advance by calling 892-5957 before noon. All meals are served with 8 ounces of milk.

Wednesday

Turkey tetrazinni, mixed vegetables, tossed salad, pineapple and mandarin mix, whole-wheat bread

Thursday

Pork roast, roasted potatoes, German-style cabbage, baked apple crisp, dinner roll

Friday

Chili macaroni, spinach, green salad, pears, whole-wheat bread

Monday

Baked fish, broccoli cheese bake, carrots, whole-wheat bread, fresh fruit

Tuesday

Johnny Marzetti corn, green salad, pineapple mandarin mix, dinner roll

Feb. 13

Orange-glazed chicken, rice pilaf, herb-seasoned spinach casserole, green pea salad, fruit cocktail

Feb. 14

Stuffed cabbage casserole, green beans, apricots, whole-wheat bread

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