Raynard M. Koenck

Raynard Melvin Koenck was born September 26, 1932, the son of Albert and Violet Warrington Koenck. He passed away Monday, October 29, 2012, at his home in Lake View, Iowa, at the age of 80.
Ray was born in Vail, Iowa. He was confirmed in 1946 by Rev. Winter at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Stockholm Township in Deloit, Iowa. He worked for Delmar and Jean Ellis on a farm by Sac City as a young man. Ray was very patriotic and at age 17, he joined the U.S. Air Force, leaving from Des Moines for active duty on January 6, 1951. He served three years in the Air Force, including one year in Korea, and the remainder at the Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas. Ray was united in marriage to Mary Lou Gosch on September 14, 1952, in Wall Lake, Iowa, and this union was blessed with seven children. Ray was honorably discharged on November 6, 1953. After his discharge, he moved back to Iowa and worked for two farmers in the Holstein and Ida Grove area. In 1957 he moved to his fathers farm near Boyer, Iowa. In 1958 he purchased a 160 acre farm north of Vail where Michael and Shannon now reside. Ray was a dedicated grain, livestock, and custom farmer for 25 years. Ray married Jean Wiebers Carlson in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 17, 1981.
Ray was a loving, but strong-willed husband, father, and grandfather. He enjoying being outside in the sunlight. Ray was an inventor and ingenious craftsman, able to make something from nothing using spare parts. He enjoyed the solitude of fishing and hunting deer, pheasants, and coyote. His CB handle was Coyote. Ray loved country music and in 1981 he renovated an old barn near Boyer and opened a country western bar with live bands and snowmobiling around the surrounding land. Ray was a member of the American Legion Chelon Post 262 in Wall Lake for over 50 years.
Ray was preceded in death by his parents and step-parents, Violet and Herman Schwanz; and Albert and Freda Rostermundt Koenck; two brothers, Vernie, and Lloyd and his wife, Trudy; one sister, Norma Fineran; and one brother-in-law; Donald Zimmer. Survivors include his wife, Jean of Lake View, Iowa; six daughters: Mary Kay Thomsen and special friend, Mark Sayre of Milan, Missouri; Kathy Brown and her husband, Larry of Omaha, Nebraska; Lori Koster and her husband, Ray of Wall Lake, Iowa; Kristi Kean and her husband, Bill of Carroll, Iowa; Alison Ehlers and her husband, Doug of Westside, Iowa; and Wendy Hugeback and her husband, Jeff of Halbur, Iowa; one son, Michael Koenck and his wife, Shannon of Vail, Iowa; three step-children: Joel Carlson and his wife, Jamie of Gayville, South Dakota; Kristie Katt and her husband, John of Westminster, Colorado; and Ben Carlson and his wife, Kate of Tampa, Florida; 17 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; 6 step-grandchildren; one sister, Betty Zimmer of Boyer, Iowa; one sister-in-law, Lorraine Koenck of Lake City, Iowa; and one brother-in-law, Jerry Fineran of Denison; former wife, Mary Lou Koenck of Wall Lake, Iowa; three stepbrothers: Larry Schwanz and his wife, Kathleen of Breda, Iowa; Glenn Schwanz and special friend, Dee Bigge of Omaha, Nebraska; and Albert Schwanz and his wife, Linda of Wall Lake, Iowa; two sisters-in-law, JoAnn Coil and her husband, Richard; and Judy Hayes and her husband, Al; and one brother-in-law, Earl (Butch) Wiebers, Jr. and his wife, Marna; other relatives and friends.