Obituary of Ray Gillespie

A funeral service for Ray Gillespie, 94, of Lake Park will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Park. Burial will follow at the Silver Lake Cemetery in Lake Park. Visitation for Ray will begin at the First Presbyterian Church on Wednesday one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to First Presbyterian Church for the Harvest Festival. Ray Dudley Gillespie, the son of S.A. and Myrtle (Siefkin) Gillespie, was born September 3, 1923 in Primghar, Iowa. After graduating from Gaza High School in 1940, he attended trade school for welding. In 1945, Ray was drafted into the U.S. Army and served with the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) in Panama during World War II. He reached the rank of sergeant during his service, and was honorably discharged in December 1946. On October 14, 1948, Ray was united in marriage to Elizabeth Hazlett in Hartley, Iowa. The couple lived near Primghar until moving to Lake Park in 1949 where Ray farmed his entire life. He enjoyed hunting and all aspects of farming. Ray was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Park and the American Legion. Ray passed away June 2, 2018 at Spencer Municipal Hospital in Spencer, Iowa at ninety-four years of age. He is survived by his children, Mike (Jean) Gillespie, Pat (Shirley) Gillespie and Beth (Dave) Grigsby; grandchildren, Joel (Molly) Gillespie, Tom (Sonja) Gillespie, Jerilyn Gillespie, Jon (Kate) Gillespie, Scott (Melissa) Gillespie and Lara (Stacy) Tegtmeier; great-grandchildren, Blake, Owen, Fiona, Nolan, Anton and Taylor; brother, Lyle Gillespie; sister-in-law, Barbara Gillespie; a host of nephews and nieces. Ray was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Elizabeth; sisters, Gladys McDowell, Bernice Iverson, Edith Parrish and Corrine Gillespie; brothers, G. Wayne Gillespie and Lowell Gillespie.