Edward Ranney (1934-2015)

RANNEY, PETERSON, GIBSON

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 7/26/2015 at 11:12:43

Obituary from Winter Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Buffalo Center, Iowa:

Edward Ranney, 81 of Story City, Iowa (formerly from Lakota) died Tuesday June 23 at Bethany Manor in Story City.

Private services will be held at a later date with inurnment to be at St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery at Lakota, Iowa.

Edward Lee Ranney passed peacefully on June 23 at Bethany Manor in Story City. Ed was born on March 7 1934 to William and Ruth Ranney in Des Moines. He grew up in Lee Township and enthusiastically called himself a Des Moines East side local. He graduated from high school and entered the army, and was honored to serve his county during the Korean Conflict. He returned and attended Grandview College in Des Moines. Ed met Barbara Jean Peterson while they were student teaching. They were married June 8, 1958 and were married 56 years until Barb’s death.

Ed was a career educator, working in several northeast Iowa school districts as a teacher and guidance counselor at many different grade levels. The family moved to Huxley in 1974. Ed then worked for the Iowa Department of Education. Ed felt honored when he recalled his contributions to the development of Iowa’s community colleges.

Ed enjoyed fishing, especially trout fishing in northeast Iowa and walleye fishing in northern Minnesota, hunting pheasants and deer, golfing, gardening and RVing with Barb. They spent many years traveling all over the United States. Their favorite part of our country was the western states. After the RV years, they bought a place in the Sonora desert near Florence Arizona. There they spent many winters enjoying the weather. Ed liked to feed birds, watching gambel quail and hummingbirds and listening to cardinals and other songbirds.

Ed is preceded in death by his wife Barb and his parents, William and Ruth. He is survived by his brother Bob Ranney of Casey IA. He is also survived by his children Angela Ruth Gibson (Doug) of Eagan MN, Edward Jonathan Ranney (Kara) of Mason City IA, grandchildren Katharyn Angeline Khalar Gibson (Phil) of Minneapolis MN, Elizabeth Barbara Michele Gibson of Eagan MN, Kayla Jean Ranney of Golden CO, Sean Lawrence Ranney of Omaha NE, and Kevin Edward Ranney of Ames IA. Ed always enjoyed listening to the updates of his family’s activities and travels. The family wishes to extend great appreciation to all of the caregivers at Bethany Manor and caregivers at other facilities that assisted Ed in his later years. Memorials may be sent to Seed Savers Exchange www.seedsavers.org or Friends of the Decorah Fish Hatchery, P. O. Box 46, Decorah, IA 52101