Obituaries : Raymond 'Ray' Keiper

Raymond "Ray" Keiper

ATKINS: Raymond "Ray" Keiper, 93, died Sunday, March 11, 2012 at Rock Ridge Residential Care Center in Shellsburg following an extended illness.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in Atkins with Rev. Douglas Woltemath officiating. Interment will be held at St. Stephen's Cemetery near Atkins. Visitation will also be held at the church in Atkins from 4 to 7 p.m., on Tuesday. Memorials may be directed to St. Stephen's Lutheran Church or to the family.

Raymond Conrad William Keiper was born February 13, 1919 on the family farm near Atkins to Henry and Katherine (Rinderknecht) Keiper. He received his elementary education at St. Stephen's Lutheran School and graduated from the Atkins High School in 1937.

On May 24, 1941 he was united in marriage to Betty Lensch at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids.

Ray was a life long farmer and also enjoyed selling seed for DeKalb and McCubbin Seed Companies. A life long member of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church he served his congregation in many ways throughout his life. He was blessed to have special friends who loved playing Pinochle as much as he did and they came often to the care facility in Shellsburg to play cards with him.

He is survived by his wife of over seventy years, Betty, who was also his best friend and caregiver during these past years; his children, June Reed of Urbandale, Jim (Wendy) Keiper of Palo, Nancy (Edward K.) Wilhelmi of Atkins, and Donald (Barbra) Keiper of Palo; his eleven grandchildren, Carla (Todd) Chambers, Krista (Dwight) Oehlerich, Scott (Heidi) Keiper, Julie (Corey) Ruehle, Lori (Jerry) Farmer, Deb (Marty) Gorkow, Kathy (Daniel) Schneiderman, Tami (Nathan) Junge, Sara Jane Keiper and friend, Brian Bigelow, Melissa Darling and fianc׳e Brian Moyer, and Ben Darling; twenty-one great-grandchildren; his brother, Irvin (Dolores) Keiper; and his sister, Esto Jennings.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Fred "Fritz" Keiper; his sister, Milda Heitshusen; and his son-in-law, Roger H. Reed.

The family thanks the staff at Rock Ridge Care Center and Hospice Compassus for the wonderful care Ray received.