Raymond Wesley Hinman, age 90, of Webb City, passed away on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at St. Luke's Nursing Center in Carthage, Missouri after a lengthy illness.
Raymond was born March 13, 1924 in Kismet, Kansas, son of the late Raleigh Hinman and Mary Berghaus Hinman. He was baptized at St. Joseph Hospital in Liberal, Kansas, and his confirmation in St. Patrick Catholic Church, Plains, Kansas where his family attended.
Raymond grew up spending time at his parents General Store, and later at his father's service station. Ray had many happy memories visiting his grandfather's farm. At the age of 12 he was driving the tractors, and helping out at the farm. This is when he knew he wanted to be a farmer. His grandfather helped him get into the hog business while he was in high school, and to help buy feed and supplies, Ray also had a paper route and worked at the grade school as a janitor.
Ray had a passion for airplanes, and spent hours building model airplanes of balsa wood and tissue paper. This love of airplanes led him to spending several hours at the Plains Airport where his uncle let him fly with him, and at the age of 18 he got his pilot's license and joined the local flying club. He enjoyed flying his Piper Clipper for many years.
He graduated from high school and joined the United States Navy where he served during World War II. He served in the Pacific Theatre, at Pearl Harbor, and the Marshall Islands where he was involved in a battle that took several Japanese soldiers at Milli Atoll.
Following his return from service, he worked several jobs including working for his uncle on the farm, helping his brother at a flying school, and at International Harvester in Plains, Kansas. He then got to start his lifelong ambition to become a full time farmer. In 1951, after marring Clara Mae Maxwell at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Liberal, Kansas, the couple moved to Flagler, Colorado where they became farmers and ranchers full time. They enjoyed this life together for many years, and had one son, Gregory James Hinman. Ray served on the Flagler Rural Fire Department Board since 1956.
Ray was a devote catholic, and was active at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Flagler where he was an Extra Ordinary Minister of the Eucharist. He loved his family very much, and also took good care of his employees that he hired on the farm, mainly high school age boys. He still keeps in touch with many of them today. It was said "Ray made work enjoyable".
In addition to his parents, Ray was preceded in death by his siblings, Eunice McElroy, and Bernard "Bee" Hinman.
Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Clara; his son, Gregory James Hinman and wife Charlene of Webb City; grandchildren, Carrie Gilstrap and husband Jason of Owasso, Oklahoma, and Joni Baker of Webb City; great-grandchildren, Lainey Gilstrap, Kinsley Gilstrap, Mason Baker, Kaleigh Baker; a sister, Louise Kneisel of Topeka, Kansas
Memorial Mass will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
A rosary will be recited on Monday at 6:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart.
Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Parker Mortuary.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Alzheimer Association, or the Flagler, Colorado Rural Fire Department.
No comments:
Post a Comment