Raymond "Ray" Anthony Schaben
October 8, 1930 — December 10, 2015
Raymond “Ray” Anthony Schaben was born on October 8, 1930 to William and Josephine (Block) Schaben in Earling, Iowa. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Defiance, where he attended country school until the eighth grade.
On February 14, 1955, he was united in marriage to Frances Mary Haran at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Dunlap, Iowa. They became parents to eleven children: Kathy, Rick, Randy, Jerry “Turtle”, Larry, Jeff, Sue, Jeanie, Shirley, Sam, and Jon.
Ray farmed his entire life and even when he officially retired in 1993, he never quit working. He not only loved all things on the farm, he loved gardening, tending to his flowers, and taking care of chickens. He loved fishing, hunting, and playing cards. He really enjoyed teasing his grandkids and telling stories. Ray never met a stranger and came away from many conversations with a new friend. He coached baseball and was a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan.
He was a lifetime member of St. Boniface parish, a former member of the Westphalia Coop, serving as a board member for them as well as for the Westphalia Athletic Association. He belonged to the Shelby County Pork Producers and was named Pork Producer of the Year in 1972. He sold Farmers Hy-brid seed corn and was a Boars dealer. He was well known for his love of peach schnapps.
Ray was admitted to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, Iowa where he died on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at the age of eighty-five years, two months, and two days. He was preceded in death by his parents, son Rick, and brothers Eugene, Jack, and Marvin Schaben.
He is survived by his wife of sixty years Frances Schaben of Westphalia, Iowa; children: Kathy and her husband Jim Fawcett of Solon, Iowa, Randy Schaben and his wife Ronda of Portsmouth, Iowa, Jerry Schaben of Buck Grove, Iowa, Larry Schaben and his wife Shelli of Earling, Iowa, Jeff Schaben and his wife Joy of Westphalia, Iowa, Sue and her husband Dale Graeve of Earling, Jeanie and her husband Gary Schmitz of Missouri Valley, Iowa, Shirley Schaben of Westphalia, Sam Schaben and his wife May of West Des Moines, Iowa, and Jon Schaben and his wife Darla of Portsmouth; twenty-one grandchildren; brothers and sisters: Charles Schaben and his wife Delores of Harlan, Betty Grote of Earling, Delores and her husband Jack Staley of Carroll, Iowa, Janice and her husband Cletus Schmitz of Harlan, Gladys and her husband Dan Rau of Harlan, Duane Schaben and his wife Joan of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Ron Schaben and his wife Marge of Defiance, Iowa; other family members and friends.
On February 14, 1955, he was united in marriage to Frances Mary Haran at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Dunlap, Iowa. They became parents to eleven children: Kathy, Rick, Randy, Jerry “Turtle”, Larry, Jeff, Sue, Jeanie, Shirley, Sam, and Jon.
Ray farmed his entire life and even when he officially retired in 1993, he never quit working. He not only loved all things on the farm, he loved gardening, tending to his flowers, and taking care of chickens. He loved fishing, hunting, and playing cards. He really enjoyed teasing his grandkids and telling stories. Ray never met a stranger and came away from many conversations with a new friend. He coached baseball and was a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan.
He was a lifetime member of St. Boniface parish, a former member of the Westphalia Coop, serving as a board member for them as well as for the Westphalia Athletic Association. He belonged to the Shelby County Pork Producers and was named Pork Producer of the Year in 1972. He sold Farmers Hy-brid seed corn and was a Boars dealer. He was well known for his love of peach schnapps.
Ray was admitted to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, Iowa where he died on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at the age of eighty-five years, two months, and two days. He was preceded in death by his parents, son Rick, and brothers Eugene, Jack, and Marvin Schaben.
He is survived by his wife of sixty years Frances Schaben of Westphalia, Iowa; children: Kathy and her husband Jim Fawcett of Solon, Iowa, Randy Schaben and his wife Ronda of Portsmouth, Iowa, Jerry Schaben of Buck Grove, Iowa, Larry Schaben and his wife Shelli of Earling, Iowa, Jeff Schaben and his wife Joy of Westphalia, Iowa, Sue and her husband Dale Graeve of Earling, Jeanie and her husband Gary Schmitz of Missouri Valley, Iowa, Shirley Schaben of Westphalia, Sam Schaben and his wife May of West Des Moines, Iowa, and Jon Schaben and his wife Darla of Portsmouth; twenty-one grandchildren; brothers and sisters: Charles Schaben and his wife Delores of Harlan, Betty Grote of Earling, Delores and her husband Jack Staley of Carroll, Iowa, Janice and her husband Cletus Schmitz of Harlan, Gladys and her husband Dan Rau of Harlan, Duane Schaben and his wife Joan of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Ron Schaben and his wife Marge of Defiance, Iowa; other family members and friends.
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