Raymond Dick

Raymond H. Dick, age 96 of Mesa, AZ and formerly of Mountain Lake and St. Peter died peacefully on Wednesday, August 1, 2012 at the Banner Gardens Hospice in the Baltimore Street Care Home in Mesa, AZ. The funeral service is 2:00 PM, Sunday, August 12 (Ray's date of birth) at Bethel Mennonite Church in Mountain Lake, MN. Reverend Elaine Kauffman will officiate. There will be one hour of visitation prior to the funeral. Interment is at Mountain Lake City Cemetery. The family requests any memorials be given to a charity of the donors choice or hospice. Raymond Henry was born in Mountain Lake, Minnesota on August 12, 1915 to Henry W. and Marie C. Dick. He grew up on the family farm located on the north shore of Mountain Lake and married Rosella E Friesen on June 1, 1938. Their wedding was the last service in the original Bethel Mennonite Church building. They delayed tearing down the old church one day to allow for their wedding. Ray was initially employed at the Sinclair service station in Mountain Lake and soon bought the station with Jake Friesen. Later, after farming the family homestead for several years he purchased the Coast to Coast store in St. Peter, Minnesota where he and Rosella ran the store from 1947 to 1960. Raymond and Rosella then started a Real Estate Agency in St. Peter and continued there until 1971. Rosella succumbed to cancer in March of 1975. He married Harriet Kiral in 1976 who had also lost a spouse to cancer. Much of his retirement involved winters in Mesa, Arizona and summers on the family farm in Mt. Lake. First with Rosella and then with Harriet, Ray traveled extensively throughout the continental USA, Canada, Alaska, Central America and Europe. Means of travel included Airstreams, RV's and camping in a tent. This continued until Harriet's illness forced them to settle full time in Mesa, Arizona in 2001. After a long illness she passed away in Mesa in December of 2005. He was unstintingly devoted in his support of Rosella and Harriet in their final illnesses. At age 92 he reluctantly sold his motorcycle which he rode regularly. Whether flying an airplane or driving down the road his favorite song was "Don't Fence Me In." He took his faith seriously and regularly attended the Trinity Baptist Church in Mesa Arizona and the Bethel Mennonite Church when living near Mountain Lake. Ray's gregarious personality made him an energetic voice in any conversation. He was quick to visit friends in the hospital and senior care centers, and to be of help to his neighbors whenever he could. He had the good fortune of having a strong clear mind to his last days and generally excellent health. Ray Dick is survived by his son, Dr Rodney (wife Patricia) Dueck; grandson, Jonathan (fiance Kristi Fox) Dueck; friend and companion, Kay Frederick; several cousins; numerous nieces and nephews... and a host of friends as he was a person who never met a stranger. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Elmer, and both wives. Visitation 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Sunday, August 12, 2012 Bethel Mennonite Church 301 N 9th St Mountain Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159 Service Information 2:00 pm Sunday, August 12, 2012 Bethel Mennonite Church 301 N 9th St Mountain Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159