Raymond Dean Arends

Raymond Dean Arends, age 86, was born on January 2, 1930, in Knife Lake Township, Minnesota to John and Carrie (Harms) Arends. Ray was the fourth of five children. Ray had two brothers: Leslie (Carol) and Charles (Ruby), and two sisters: Amelia (Merrill Berg) and Cleo (Clarence Smith).Ray grew up on the family farm in the Ann Lake area near Mora until he left home at age 16 to work at a ranch in South Dakota. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton (California) during the Korean War. He had many “life-learned” skills and held multiple occupations during his working years including farmer, welder for Paper, Calmenson & Company in St. Paul, and owner / manager of the Amoco full-service station in White Bear Lake (Bellaire and County Road E). He also enjoyed woodworking which produced many gifts for family and friends.Because of his new, shiny, black 1950 Chevy, Ray was pursued by Lois Ann Mudrick of St. Paul. She knew many of his family members, including cousins before they ever met! Lois caught him, and they were married on December 13, 1952, in Mora. Together they had four children: Sheila, Wesley, Casey and Scott. Throughout their life together, they resided in several Minnesota towns: St. Paul, Ogilvie, Hastings, Centerville, White Bear Lake, back to Ogilvie and finally Rush City. Ray and Lois also spent nine years of living “on the road” in their 5th-wheel trailer and returned to Rush City in 1998. After nearly 47 years of marriage, Lois went home to glory in August 1999.Ray continued to live in Rush City until April 2016, when he moved to Uptown Maple Commons in North Branch. He enjoyed the new friends he made and the good lunches provided in the Senior Center.Ray accepted Christ as his personal Savior, and as evidence of his new birth, was baptized on July 11, 1976. Ray had a quiet but firm faith in God knowing that his sins were forgiven through the death and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. He knew that death here would mean entrance into glory for eternity.Ray passed peacefully from earth to heaven on the morning of December 27, 2016, at his apartment in North Branch.Ray is survived by his children Sheila (Jordan) Bien of Stacy, Wesley (Cynthia) Arends of Ogilvie, Casey (Lauri) Arends of Rush City, Scott (Cindy) Arends of Sandstone; 10 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews other relatives and friends; sisters-in-law Carol Arends of Portland, Oregon and Ruby Arends of Foley.He is preceded in death by his wife Lois Arends; parents John and Carrie Arends; step-father Elmer Casey; siblings Leslie Arends, Amelia (Merrill) Berg, Cleo (Clarence) Smith and Charles Arends.Mr. Mike Higgins will officiate at funeral services for Ray: 11 AM Monday (1/2/17) at Faith Baptist Church in Stacy. A time of visitation and reviewal is planned for Sunday (1/1/17) from 2-5 PM at the Olson Funeral Chapel in Rush City and also 1 hour prior to the service at the church. The interment will take place in the Evergreen Cemetery at Maplewood.Memorial designations may be directed to Faith Baptist Church32341 Forest Blvd. Stacy, MN 55079.Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Funeral and Cremation Service of Rush City ~ Olson Chapel www.funeralandcremationservice.com