John Raymond Kirk, Jr. (2012)

KIRK, MCCHESNEY, VRIEZELAAR, MESSAMER, HATCH, POWERS, GRANDFIELD, WALLER

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart (email)
Date: 5/31/2012 at 16:32:15

Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
May 30, 2012

RAYMOND KIRK, Chariton

Services for Ray Kirk, 81 were Friday, May 25, at Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Chariton.

Raymond Jr Kirk was born Aug. 19, 1930, in rural Clarke County, Iowa, to John and Wilma McChesney Kirk. He went home to the Lord May 20, 2012 at Lucas County Health Center after a brief illness.

Ray grew up on the farm, the oldest of eight children. He graduated from Truro High School in 1949. In high school, lunch was often going to the pool hall, buying a bag of peanuts, putting them in a bottle of pop and shooting a game of pool.

Ray joined the Navy Dec. 26, 1950, where he served as a boilerman on the USS Sphinx. He served during the Korean Conflict in the area of Japan. He was released Oct. 24, 1954, after three years, nine months and 25 days of service.

Ray was a farmer. After leaving the Navy, he farmed with his dad in Madison County until 1958. In 1958 he married Joyce Vriezelaar in Kellogg, Iowa and they lived in Lorimor for a while. They then farmed in Story County, where daughter Kristen was born in 1960 and later in Marion County and finally Lucas County. To supplement his farm income he took a job as a Safety and Security Officer at Hy-Vee Distribution Center in Chariton, retiring in 1995 after 15 years. In 1999 Ray and Joyce moved from the farm to Chariton.

Despite health issues that kept Ray wheelchair-bound for much of his retirement years, he kept his great sense of humor. He didn’t know a stranger, and was always willing to lend a helping hand. He was a good and caring friend, as well as a great husband, brother, father, uncle and grandfather.

Ray was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce; parents: John and Wilma Kirk, and brothers: Ben, Max and Ronnie. Left to mourn his passing are daughter, Kristen (Bill) Messamer of Russell; granddaughters: Candace (Brian) Hatch of Knoxville and Nicole Messamer of Minot, ND; great-grandsons: Mason and Jaxson Hatch of Knoxville; brother, Larry (Mildred) Kirk of Lorimor; sisters: Helen Powers of Winterset, Pat (David) Grandfield of Lorimor, and Barb (Bill) Waller of Oskaloosa; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Online condolences may be left at www.pierschbacherfuneralhome.com