Obituary of Lloyd Raveling

Lloyd Henry Raveling, formerly of Melvin, IA, died on August 19, 2014 at Prairie View Home in Sanborn, IA. He was born September 2, 1916 on a farm in Sioux County north of Remsen, IA to Henry Tjebbe and Ella (Haack) Raveling, and was baptized at the Remsen Evangelical Church. In March of 1920 the family moved northeast of Melvin, IA where his parents bought a farm in Section 4 of Baker Township. In August of that same year, Lloyd’s mother died following goiter surgery. Lloyd was nearly four years old at the time. He and his father remained on the farm and Lloyd started school just down the road a half-mile at Baker Township No. 2. A few years later his father started seeing Anna (Brandt) Graves Schlict, twice widowed with three children. Henry and Anna were married February, 1924 when Lloyd was seven years old. The family then moved to Anna’s farm in the NW corner of Section 32 in Ocheyedan Township. Lloyd attended the country school directly across the road at Ocheyedan No. 9. Anna’s children were grown by this time. Lloyd was confirmed March, 20, 1932 at the Melvin Lutheran Church. He remained a member of this church for 82 years. He graduated from Melvin High School in May 1934. Following graduation, Lloyd joined his father doing carpentry work for several years. He was also employed at Bedford, IA for a time. In 1936, Lloyd moved into Melvin with his parents to a home they had purchased north of the school. The next year, he and a friend spent the winter in California. During World War II, Lloyd accepted the call to duty by enlisting in the U.S. Army in February, 1942. He did his basic training at Camp Barkley in Texas. In February, 1943 he became a 2nd Lt. and in July 1944 he landed on Utah Beach, Normandy, France where he served in the European Theatre until the end of the war. He arrived back home in Melvin just prior to Christmas 1945 and was honorably discharged as 1st Lt. in February, 1946. Lloyd never shared much about his war years, finding it hard to talk about those experiences and the deaths of his friends. Upon returning home to Melvin, he helped his father with carpentry work and also started keeping company with a young lady in the community, Betty Huck. Lloyd and Betty were married May 18, 1947 at the American Lutheran Church in Melvin. They began their married life in a home on the west edge of Melvin, which Betty's Grandfather had built some years before. At this time Lloyd was operating a corn sheller which he did for the next couple of years. In 1949, they had the opportunity to farm the Dunkelman farm, one mile east and ½ mile north of Melvin. Shortly after moving to the farm, their first-born son arrived. Soon, two more boys would join them. Lloyd and Betty raised their family and lived on this farm for 20 years. In 1969, they moved into Melvin after Lloyd's father, Henry, had passed away. In the fall of 1972, Lloyd ran for county supervisor in Osceola County and held that office for the next 12 years until the end of 1984. In 1979, Lloyd had open-heart surgery and afterward enjoyed good health for many years even though the doctors thought the new valve would only last 15 years. These were bonus years for him and his family! Through the years Lloyd and Betty enjoyed traveling to many areas of the country. They enjoyed spending time fishing and camping with their children and grandchildren. Bowling leagues and card clubs were a favorite activity. They enjoyed their Melvin friends and all the activities of small-town living. He was a long-time member of Melvin American Legion Guthrie Post 470. Above all, his grandchildren were Lloyd’s special joy. He also enjoyed helping out at son, Bruce’s, shop in Melvin and visiting with all of the people who came in to do business. In 2009, Lloyd fell and broke his hip. After surgery he kept a positive attitude and was determined to walk again. He endured therapy and indeed, walked for many months without aid. In his later years he would still drive himself to the doctor's office in Sibley even though he knew one of his sons would gladly take him. (He just wouldn't tell them that he had an appointment.) In September of 2012, Lloyd and Betty moved to Prairie View Manor in Sanborn. By the following September, at the age of 96, Lloyd made the decision to hand over the car keys. His health was declining and he was ready for what was ahead. Those "secret trips" to drive to get an ice-cream treat without Betty knowing would come to an end. His children and grandchildren remember him for being strong, both physically and mentally, enduring the trials of life in a calm manner. He was a hard worker a tough man, exhibiting strength while working on the farm, doing what he loved. Yet, his kindness, compassion and love for his family always came first, and he was always willing to help in any way. The grandchildren could not have had a better Grandfather. He lived through losing his mother at a young age, the Great Depression, farming with horses, no electricity or plumbing, heating the house with corn cobs and no TV, to using tractors to farm with, watching the first man land on the moon and then, on to the computer age. Those left with wonderful memories are his wife of 66 years, Betty, living at Prairie View Home in Sanborn; sons: Doug (Dianne) of Cloverdale, IA, Mark of Longville, MN, and Bruce (Lori) of Melvin; 8 grandchildren: Shane (Emily) Raveling, Jay Raveling, Heather Raveling, Rachel (Mike) Neldner, Ryan (Angie) Raveling, Michael (Bridget) Raveling, Travis Raveling, Brennan Raveling; and 11 great-grandchildren. Lloyd was preceded in death by his parents; step-mother, Anna; step-siblings: John Graves, Phoebe Alberts and Irma Stellingwerf; his mother and father-in-law; and several brothers and sisters-in-law.