Barth, Raymond Harry -- 1911 - 1998
BARTH, BENDER, HEXOM, JACOBSON, BJERKE, SMITH
Posted By: Bill Waters (email)
Date: 1/8/2012 at 14:02:14
Raymond Harry was born May 11, 1911 in Hesper Township, the sixth of seven sons born to Henry and Margaretha (Young) Barth. A lifelong member of St. John's, he was baptized by Pastor Seehus on July 16, 1911 and confirmed by Pastor Heltne in 1925.
He attended the Knoke country school through the sixth grade, At 14 he hired out to a Mr. Nordheim, helping him plant watermelons, and made enough to buy a Model T, after that job he worked on the home farm for his father.
On February 28, 1934, Ray married Myrtle Bender, a neighbor girl three years younger than he. They were married by Pastor Losen at the home of Myrtle's parents, Adam and Dora Bender.
They lived with Adam and Dora the first year of their marriage and their first daughter Arlys was born there. Then they moved in with Ray's, parents until 1936 when Ray's older brother Frankie bought the home place, Ray &. Myrtle's second daughter Jerene was born there,
Ray & Myrtle's parents set them up in farming with horses and a harness, and they rented first the Shervin farm east of Mabel where daughters Darlene and Lois were born, and then the Hegg farm, four miles northwest of Mabel, where their son Lyle was born in 1944.
In 1947, Ray and Myrtle decided to try something different. They bought the Clover Farm General Store in Locust from Lester Young. Besides managing the store, Ray worked in Decorah as a mechanic, first at the Ford Garage and then for Glenn Rilling on the south end of town. He also took on the job of janitor of the St. John's church, which he did with the help of his industrious children.
In 1965, when the girls were gone and Lyle was the only one left at home, Ray and Myrtle decided to go back into farming. They bought the home farm from Frankie's son Dale, who in turn bought the Locust store from them.
In 1971, Ray and Myrtle retired from farming and sold the home place to Lyle and his wife Mary. They continued to live on the homeplace until 1989 when they moved to an apartment on Ohio Street in Decorah, in town they have maintained their strong ties to the farm and the Locust church. Ray enjoyed having more time to fish, play cards with friends (especially whist], and attend garage sales.
After suffering a heart attack last Friday, Ray died Saturday morning, January 17, at Winneshiek County Memorial Hospital surrounded by a loving family
Ray is survived by his wife Myrtle, daughters Arlys (& Charles) Hexom of Decorah, Jerene (& Roger) Jacobson of Prescott, Arizona, Darlene (& Roger) Bjerke of Waukesha, Wisconsin, Lois Smith of Uncasville, Connecticut; son Lyle (& Mary) of Decorah; 12 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; and his brother Howard (&. Lela) of Dundee, Illinois
He was preceded in death his parents; his brothers Willard, Franklin, Walter, Arthur, and Harry; and his grandson Erik.
Blessed be the memory of Raymond Harry Barth.
Source: Bulletin info from Schluter-Balek Funeral Home
Submitted by John Matter jmatter@q.com
Locust Cemetery aka Saint John
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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