Ray W. Brotherson

Funeral services for Ray Brotherson will be held Wednesday, January 5th, 10:30 a.m., at Peace Lutheran Church in Wall Lake with Reverend Roger Carlisle officiating. There will be special music by the men’s quartet: Steve Nuetzman, Keith Erickson, Jack Stickrod, and Brent Becker, accompanied by Jan Potthoff, keyboard, and Carol Nuetzman, organist. Hilda Arnold, Pat Schwaller, and Audrey Lamaak will take care of the flower arrangements. Pallbearers will be the following: Chris Brotherson, Dan Brotherson, Andrea Gansemer, Jackie Meister, Larry Rowedder, Laura Rowedder, Jody Fischer, and Andrew Fischer. Burial will be at the South Wall Lake Cemetery under the direction of the Farber & Otteman Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 4:00-8:00 pm, Tuesday, January 4th, at the Farber & Otteman Funeral Home in Wall Lake.

Ray W. Brotherson, age 89, of Wall Lake, Iowa, passed away Sunday, January 02, 2005, at Twilight Acres Nursing Home in Wall Lake. Ray was born on October 11, 1915, the son of Chris and Anna (Rickers) Brotherson. He grew up on the family farm six miles south and two west of Wall Lake. He attended Jackson #5 Country School through the eighth grade and was a member of Peace Lutheran Church.

Ray was united in marriage to Clara E. Dierenfeld on June 12, 1937, at a Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska. This union was blessed with two daughters: Carol Ann and Lorene Mae, and a son Allan Ray.

Ray loved to farm and enjoyed working the land, growing crops, raising cattle, hogs, sheep, chickens, and horses. He retired in 1981 but continued helping on the farm and enjoyed his drives around the countryside. Ray and Clara enjoyed sixty-seven years of marriage. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather and will be missed by many.

Survivors include his loving wife, Clara; daughters: Carol Ann Arneil and her husband Darrell of Breda, IA, Lorene Mae Rowedder and her husband LeRoy of Wall Lake, IA; son Allan Ray Brotherson and his wife Patti of Breda; 13 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; brother-in-law Walter Dierenfeld; sisters-in-law: Edna Brotherson, Evelyn Luckow, LaVern (Walter) Dierenfeld, Louise (Charles) Dierenfeld, and Leona Petty; many extended family members and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers: Glen and Clayton; and half-sister Margaret Pfannkuch.