Raymond J. Keeper
Mason City - Raymond "Ray" J. Keeper, 74, of 411 Second St. S.W., died
Sunday (July 25, 1993) at North Iowa Mercy Health Center, west campus.
Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Fullerton Patterson James
Funeral Chapel, 123 Second St. S.E. Officiating will be the rev. Harlan
Stenberg, former pastor of the Grace United Methodist Church.
Visitation will be after 3 p.m. today at the chapel. A Moose Lodge funeral
service will be held at 7 p.m. followed by the Elks Lodge funeral service at
7:30 p.m. , both at the funeral chapel. Interment will be at Memorial Park
Cemetery with full military honors by the Mason City Memorial Association.
Raymond was born May 27, 1919, in Klemme, the son of Henry and Mata
(Bachman) Keeper. He graduated from Klemme High School in 1937. He enlisted
in the Army Air Force in 1941 and was honorably discharged as a technical
sergeant in 1945 after serving in the South Pacific during World War II.
He married Irene Peck on Oct. 6, 1944. Their only son, Terry was born July
5, 1945. Ray operated a lumber yard for many years. In 1973, he retired from
the business. He sold cemetery monuments until the time of his death. Ray
was active in the Loyal Order of the Moose, Legion of the Moose, Fellowship
of the Moose, the Elks Lodge B.P.O.E., V.F.W., a member of the American
Legion, the Eagles, and was a member of the Grace United Methodist Church in
Mason City. Ray was the chairman of the Elks Handicap Village dinners and
assisted at the Moose Lodge with the same program. He also enjoyed fishing.
Ray is survived by his wife Irene, Mason City; one son, Terry and his wife,
Gina, Forest City; three grandchildren, Shannon, Shawn and Shayne, all of
Forest City; and one sister, Mrs. Erwin (Hilda) Lucas, Conga Park, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Anna, and two brothers,
Albert and Alvin.
source: Mason City Globe Gazette, 26 Jul 1993, page A4, column 1
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Raymond J Keeper: born 27 May 1919 - died 25 Jul 1993
Grave marker at Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa