Raymond John Sanders, age 88, of Sac City, Iowa, passed away on Friday, April 4th, 2008, at Loring Hospital in Sac City.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, April 9th, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sac City with Father Larry McCarty officiating. Burial will be at the Oakland Cemetery in Sac City under the direction of the Farber & Otteman Funeral Home.

Visitation is from 4:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 9th at the funeral home in Sac City.

Ray was born on May 21, 1919, in Maple River, Iowa, the son of Frank and Lena Sanders. In his early years he grew up on a farm near Arcadia and then moved to the Breda area. At age 13 Ray lost his father and helped his mother manage the farm near Early. Ray continued with his education and graduated from Early High School in 1936. He was married to Helen Neppl on April 21st, 1942, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Willey, Iowa.

After their marriage, Ray and Helen began their life together and farmed near Breda and settled on the home farm near Sac City for more than 30 years. He began “semi-retirement” in 1980 when they moved off the farm to Sac City.

Affectionately known as “Sandy” by close friends and neighbors, Ray always had a twinkle in his eye. He loved his card parties, fishing trips and a good story. With 5 daughters and 4 sons, life was filled with endless trips to town, a busy chore schedule on the farm and countless school activities. Ray was a lifelong sports fan and enjoyed shooting baskets with the boys and hitting pop-flies on a summer evening. In his later years, his many friends at the VFW and around town could attest to his competitive streak at the Euchre table. He was a favorite grandpa and prided himself on offering the grandkids their first taste of ice cream and a bowl of buttery popcorn.

Ray was a loving husband, father and grandparent. Children left to cherish his memory include Beverly (Bruce) Wulf, Sherry (Steve) Hoy, Doug (Laurence) Sanders, Jack (Anne) Sanders, Russ (Susan) Sanders, Scott (Georgia) Sanders, Sara (Steve) McCandlish, Suzanne (Kyle) White, and Amy Matz. Ray is also survived by 23 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, and sister Annabell (Marvin) Pietig.

Ray was a longtime member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sac City and the Knights of Columbus.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Helen on March 21, 2001; infant sisters Viola and Donna Jean; sister Evelyn Fasbender, and grandson Brad Babbitt.