Raphael "Ray" Leo Wohletz

Raphael "Ray" Leo Wohletz, 75, Atchison, Kansas, died Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at the Overland Park Regional Medical Center.

Mass of Christian burial will be Saturday, July 9, 2016 at 10:30 AM at St. Louis Church with Fr. Benjamin Tremmel, OSB as celebrant. Interment will follow in the St. Louis Church Cemetery. A Parish and Knights of Columbus rosary will be recited Friday, July 8, 2016 at 6:30 PM with visitation to follow until 8:30 PM at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home. Memorial contributions are suggested to Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth and St. Louis Church and may be left in care of the funeral home.

Raphael (Ray) Leo Lawrence Wohletz is the oldest child of Lawrence Leo and Rose Anna (Thurn) Wohletz. There were six children in their family.

Ray was born April 24, 1941 at home in the house where he still resides, 7 miles northwest of Atchison. His grandparents purchased this farm and lived and farmed the land for several years. Raphael's dad was the second generation to farm this land and Raphael is the third.

Ray started out very young helping with his little sister and brothers and his Dad's parents, who lived with them until their death. He also helped with the many farm chores and farm work at a very young age. He was tall for his age, so he was driving a tractor when he was nine years old.

Ray attended St. Louis Catholic Grade School and excelled in art. They didn't have Kindergarten class in the schools in the farm communities back then, but his folks started him a year early because a child of one of their neighbors was going to have to start by himself. There were only two rooms in the St. Louis Grade School. One was for first through fourth grades and the other room had fifth through eighth grades. He was a member of 4-H while he was in grade school.

Ray graduated from Atchison County Community High School in 1958. He was very involved in Future Farmers of America (FFA). He was President of the FFA his senior year and represented his school at the big convention in Fort Collins after his graduation. He also loved working with cows and pigs.

In the fall of 1958, Ray enrolled in classes at Clark's Business School in Topeka,KS. He attended for one year. In the Spring of 1960, he started working for Mosby Mack Ford Company. He was the service clerk and also took care of the new Ford cars. He liked that!! He was also the relief telephone switchboard operator. He continued to take some night classes at Clark's for a while. In the Fall of 1960, Noller Ford Motors Company bought out Mosby Mack. He continued to do the same work for them until August of 1962 when he went to work for E.I. Dupont Cellophane Company until 1968 when they moved to the farm. He alternated three different shifts, which changed every week; 8 a.m. until 4 p.m for 7 days straight; 4 p.m. until midnight for 7 evenings; and 12 a.m. until 8 a.m. for 7 nights. He always had 2 days off in between shifts which allowed him to spend time at the farm and help his Dad with the plowing, planting corn, soybeans, milo & wheat, cultivating, and putting up hay. He also helped with the cows and pigs. Barb would help Mom Wohletz with the meals and dishes and take her to town to do grocery shopping and run errands since she didn't drive. Debbie, Susie and Pam enjoyed shopping too.

Ray met his wife, Barb through a mutual friend on Sept. 15, 1960. Their first conversation was on the phone. After conversing on the phone for about 2 1/2 months they had their first date on Nov. 25, 1960. (This was also the date that John Kennedy Jr was born.) After dating for 1 1/2 years they were married on June 2, 1962.

Ray & Barb lived in an apartment on 8th Street in Topeka for the first 9 months of their marriage. Then they bought a house at 924 MacVicar, caddy-cornered across the street from Barb's Mother & siblings. They moved there in Feb of 1963. Their first child (Debbie) was born two months later. Their second daughter was born 15 months after Debbie. Pam was born 28 months after Susie. It was great to have help from Barb's sweet Mom and siblings and they had a lot of fun together also. Even Barb's brother helped a lot with the girls and he and Ray also did some guy things together since Barb's Dad died at the young age of 47 on Aug. 10, 1958.

On April 2, 1968 their lives all changed. Ray's wonderful mother died at the age of 56 - so young. Her death was due to a blood clot in her leg. Ray & Barb decided to move to the farm and live with Ray's Dad. Barb says she should have realized how much Ray wanted to farm when he stopped to show her the cattle and pig stockyards in St. Joseph, MO on their way home from their Honeymoon. He just had to show it to her!

Ray quit his job in Topeka on June 8, 1968 to start farming with his Dad. This was also the day that Robert Kennedy was shot and killed. He worked hard farming with his Dad and his Dad's brother, Raymond Wohletz and working nights at Locomotive Finishing Material Company, (LFM) making locomotive frames. He quit the night job after he started renting more farm ground.

Ray was elected Treasurer of the Shannon Township in Atchison County in 1975. He became the Trustee of Shannon Township in 1992. He worked hard grading roads and hauling rock. The hardest part of the job was snow plowing the 50 miles of township roads during the many terrible Kansas Winter Blizzards before cell-phones. Ray retired after putting in 34 years for the township in 2009.

Ray has always had a cattle herd (bull, cows & calves) and still does. He has given up raising pigs (boars, sows & piglets). They require a lot of work. He retired from farming in 2010. He now rents his land to his neighbors.

Ray served on the Farm Service Agency Committee (FSA) in Effingham for a number of years. He also served on the St. Louis Church Parish Council Finance Committee for many years at two different times. The first time Barb was also on the Church Council. The church was destroyed by fire on April 12, 1977. Their whole family watched in horror as it burnt to the ground. There were many long meetings afterwards planning for the building of the new church. The new church was dedicated on May 13, 1979. Ray was one of the Honor Guards of the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus that participated at the dedication. He is a member of the 3rd Degree Sacred Heart #723 Council and 4th Degree General Assembly Knights of Columbus William T. Jochems #1716 Council.

One of his favorite summer pastimes was finding turtles and taking care of them. His daughters helped him care for them. The turtles were used for the Turtle Race Game at the annual church picnic of the St. Louis Church. Ray was in charge of the Turtle Race Game and everyone enjoyed playing it. It was one of the popular games.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years Barb Wohletz, Atchison, KS, three daughters, Debbie (Lonnie) Coder, Effingham, KS, Susie Wohletz, Atchison, KS, Pam (Darren) Hicks, Shawnee, KS, three brothers, Jim Wohletz, Topeka, KS, Louie Wohletz, Liberty, MO, Clarence Wohletz, Enid, OK, a sister, Mary Christian, Atchison, KS, four grandchildren, Dalon (Adam) Stevens, Logan Coder, Ryan Hicks, Andrew Hicks, and a great grandson Kenneth Raphael "Kent" Stevens.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers, Lawrence Peter and George Wohletz.