Obit: Durst, Raymond Lightfoot (1924 - 2015)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Durst, Lightfoot, Gorkowski, Christman, Meier, Iwaszczenko, Zank, Hohenstein, Scholze, Schutte, Kurasz, Sieg, Marg

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/10/2015

Durst, Raymond Lightfoot (30 March 1924 - 2 June 2015) With Flag

Raymond L. Durst, 91, of rural Fairchild died Tuesday, June 2, 2015, at his home.

Raymond Lightfoot Durst, son of James DeRoy “Roy” and Jane (Lightfoot) Durst, was born March 30, 1924, in rural Fairchild. Ray lived all of his life in Foster Township, rural Fairchild. He attended Lone Pine Country School and was baptized and confirmed at the United Methodist Church in Fairchild. It was at the church that he was united in marriage to Ilene Fay Gorkowski June 8, 1957. The couple farmed and raised their two sons on the Durst family farm. After Ilene passed away in April of 1977, Ray married Dorothea (Christman) Meier in Neillsville. Dorothea passed away Feb. 13, 2004.

Ray farmed until the late 1970’s, when he started employment with the Nelson Muffler Company in Neillsville, working there until his retirement. Ray served as the Foster Township assessor for many years. After his wife Ilene passed away, he took over on her position as Foster Town treasurer and he was also responsible for the township road grading and mowing alongside the roadway. Ray was a United States Navy Veteran. Through the years Ray enjoyed camping and fishing and also tackling various remodeling jobs and woodworking projects.

He will be deeply missed by his two sons, Darwin ‘Goose’ Durst of Fairchild and Bradley (Teresa) Durst of Osseo; three grandchildren: Michael, Kyle and Chelsie Durst; two great-grandchildren: Briley and Korbin; step-son, Charles (Debra) Meier of Hill Point;; three step daughters, Patricia (John) Iwaszczenko of Marshfield, Jane (Douglas) Zank and Irene (Gene) Hohenstein, both of Neillsville; 13 step-grandchildren; 23 step-great-grandchildren; two sisters: Leone Scholze of Black River Falls and Ella Jean Scholze of Rudolph.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents; and siblings: Virgil, Neil, James and Ivan Durst, Ethel and Vivian Schutte, Eva Kurasz, Dorothy Sieg and Betty Marg.

Services were held Friday, June 5, 2015, at 1 p.m. at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Neillsville. Burial was held in the Fairchild Cemetery with military rites conducted by the Osseo-Fairchild area veterans.

Online condolences may be made at www.andersonfhaugusta.com.  The family was assisted by the Anderson Funeral Home in Augusta.