Ray was born at Mission Hospital there in Jackson County Kansas City Missouri,to Floyd and Eva Turner. He was born on Armistice day in 1928. His father was a laborer and his mother was a house wife. Grandpa was the fifth of seven kids,however two of them died as babies.
Grandpa lived in the worse nieghborhoods imaginable, both in Kansas City and L. A. he seen alot of ugly things,such as race riots and shootings. Once, in Kansas City, he and his mother ran from flying bullets fired from gangsters who shot up an icecream parlor for not paying them protection money. He and his mother had just left there with a half gallon can of root beer. He saw a man laying on a sidewalk in a pool of blood, he was disfigured, the man jumped out of a tall hotel window.
Grandpa was a veteran of the Coast Guard and served in San Pedro Calif and the Alutians in Alaska on the USCGC Cahoon and USCGC Cedar as a Seaman First Class. He served as a ships gunner and gun captain. Grandpa would train men to service and fire ships guns. He completed his gunners mate training class, however he was denied his petty officers rank due to the close down of gunners mates since World War Two had just ended. He was awarded the World War Two Victory Medal, and the Commandants Letter of Commendation Ribbon, which is the highest personal award given in the Coast Guard for acheivement, Grandpa also served in the Calif National Guard for 2 years where he was in the Color Guard. Its interesting to note that grandpa tried over and over again to join the military during World War Two, but was turned down because of his age. When he turned 17 in a half, he again tried, and was again turned down because of his age. He needed his parents signature. He got his fathers but couldnt obtain his mothers. She remained stubborn and would not relent. He finally forged his mothers signature and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard under a special two year enlistment program. He was Honorably Discharged 18 months later, as a convenience of the government. The United States military began to down size and grandpa was discharged. A couple years later, he would enlist in the National Guard.
He loved big band music,his favorites were Harry James, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman,and Glenn Miller. His favorite singers were Bing Crosby, Andy Russell, Bob Eberly, Dinah Shore,the Andrew Sisters,and Frank Sinatra. He loved commedians like Laurel and Hardy, Red Skelton, Jack Benny,and Bob Hope, to name a few.
His favorite movie of all time was the Grapes of Wrath.his early life was pretty much like the Joad family in the movie. He used to tell his kids and grandkids stories about his adventures coming out to California from Missouri on old highway 66 when he was just a kid. He made about 6 to 8 trips back and forth from Missouri to California,yet his family was extremly poor, his mother must of had gypsie in her . These trips were made by his parents, his brothers and sisters and a close family friend,by the name of Claude Goucher. This took place starting around 1936 and ending around 1943 .
When Grandpa reached adulthood he studied hard on electronics and modern technology, passed a test and became a registered professional engineer in the state of California. He was an engineer at Hughes Aircraft for 24 years before retiring as a manager of the process engineering department. Before that he worked at North American.
In 1989 he invented a water soluble soldering flux that eliminated the need to use ozone depleting hydrocarbons. He recieved numerous awards,television exposure and printups around the world. He was granted eight us patents and a write up in National Geographic.
Grandpa also loved to restore old philco radios. He also restored a 1929 chevy and a 1931 model a ford .
Grandpa was a boy scout and was in troop 56 in Kansas City Missouri and they had their meetings at a building called swope settlement. He told me one time that his scoutmaster was also a police officer and he bought all the boys their first pocket knives,that was a real prize for my grandpa, who had next to nothing and sometimes nothing. later grandpa served the scouts for over 30 years in many capacities, some of which were scoutmaster, cubmaster, troop committee member, committee chairman, scout commissioner, and asst scoutmaster. He started a cub pack and a boy scout troop in Norwalk Calif. He always said it was to pay back the great experience he had as a scout. Grandpa was so dedicated to the scouts that he had an extensive collection of Boy Scout handbooks that went from around 1916 to the present. I wanted to join the scouts so bad as a kid, that when my mom and dad and I would go over to visit, I would head over to his books and would read them for hours, sadly, grandpa had to sell them years later. Seeing my interest in scouting, grandpa gave me my first hand book;I still have it today. I remember on one visit, grandpa brought me back to the master bed room and he turned on his tape player, he had a recorded speech of Baden Powell, founder of the boy scouts, and we listened to it about three times over. Grandma and Grandpa bought me my first boy scout back pack along with some other things that a boy would need for his first outing away from home. Every summer camp that I went on, they would send me some candy and pop money, and a letter. When I recieved my Eagle Scout award, grandma and grandpa was smiling from ear to ear. There was no way whats so ever that grandma and grandpa was going to miss that court of honor. I was very grateful that they came. Some of my prized possessions are his scoutmaster uniforms. I even made a plaque honoring his service to the boy scouts and have it proudly hanging up in my history room.
Ray married Marie Toll in April 1948 in L.A. California and was the father of Danny Ray, Micheal Eugene, Donna Marie, Carol Ann, Charles Leroy, and baby Dennis who only lived for one day and died in 1951. At the time of his death grandpa was a grandfather to 11 grandkids and a great grandfather to three. He was a father too two Eagle scouts and a star scout, and a grandfather to one Eagle Scout, plus many of his grandkids were also involved in scouting. His two daughters were also into girlscouts. Grandpa was very dedicated to his whole family,he loved us all.
One thing he taught my dad, was to work hard, and that was in turn passed down to me. Grandpa was the most patriotic American I ever knew, and a staunch Republican, that he also passed down to my dad and I.
Grandpa always went all out on something that he became interested in. He was definetly a self made man. Grandpa had a heart of gold and a great sense of humor. However, you would not want to get out of line with grandpa. When he told one of his kids or grand kids to do something, we did it. He was one man who took nothing off no body. He never tolerated laziness or ignorance, by that I mean he found it hard to get along with someone who didnt have any common sense.
Grandpa had a great sense of humor. He didnt like dirty jokes, in fact he wasnt the kind of man who told jokes, he just liked funny situations and would always come up with some funny comment. I remember one time while I lived in Oregon, I had a deep sea fishing pole and a small fresh water reel attached, oh Grandpa got the biggest kick out of thatLOL. Grandpa was such a technical man, a very intillegent man, but he loved the simplest things in life. While most people like to socialise and travel in their free time, grandpa, for the most part would prefer to stay home and watch Ma and Pa Kettle or an old classic movie. Grandpa was a cross between Clifton Webb and Harry S Truman with a touch of Mr. Roper and Bob Hope. He had a funny saying for just about everything and could deliver that comment without any facial expression. However, after he would deliver that comment, he would give you that Mr. Ropper smile, like, hehehe I got you on that one.
Grandpa told me one day about the time when he was a kid growing up in Kansas City Missouri, and how he valued getting a candy cane for Christmas. He said that it was a great treat to get one on Christmas morning. He didn't get but maybe a toy or 2 for Christmas, when his family could afford them. Sometimes he and his siblings wouldn't get a present at all. His family was very poor. But their eyes still lit up when they saw those candy canes in their stockings. He said they sure tasted good on those freezing cold days. Grandpa lived the most miserable life as a kid, but somehow or other he was always able to find something good about those times to talk about. He wrote a short story about those times, and I am glad he had the forsight to do so.
Grandpa died in his home in Grants Pass Oregon. He always called Grants Pass Oregon gods country. He was buried with military honors.
Grandpas Brothers and sisters have now all died. His brother Bob was the last to go.
Grandpa lived in the worse nieghborhoods imaginable, both in Kansas City and L. A. he seen alot of ugly things,such as race riots and shootings. Once, in Kansas City, he and his mother ran from flying bullets fired from gangsters who shot up an icecream parlor for not paying them protection money. He and his mother had just left there with a half gallon can of root beer. He saw a man laying on a sidewalk in a pool of blood, he was disfigured, the man jumped out of a tall hotel window.
Grandpa was a veteran of the Coast Guard and served in San Pedro Calif and the Alutians in Alaska on the USCGC Cahoon and USCGC Cedar as a Seaman First Class. He served as a ships gunner and gun captain. Grandpa would train men to service and fire ships guns. He completed his gunners mate training class, however he was denied his petty officers rank due to the close down of gunners mates since World War Two had just ended. He was awarded the World War Two Victory Medal, and the Commandants Letter of Commendation Ribbon, which is the highest personal award given in the Coast Guard for acheivement, Grandpa also served in the Calif National Guard for 2 years where he was in the Color Guard. Its interesting to note that grandpa tried over and over again to join the military during World War Two, but was turned down because of his age. When he turned 17 in a half, he again tried, and was again turned down because of his age. He needed his parents signature. He got his fathers but couldnt obtain his mothers. She remained stubborn and would not relent. He finally forged his mothers signature and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard under a special two year enlistment program. He was Honorably Discharged 18 months later, as a convenience of the government. The United States military began to down size and grandpa was discharged. A couple years later, he would enlist in the National Guard.
He loved big band music,his favorites were Harry James, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman,and Glenn Miller. His favorite singers were Bing Crosby, Andy Russell, Bob Eberly, Dinah Shore,the Andrew Sisters,and Frank Sinatra. He loved commedians like Laurel and Hardy, Red Skelton, Jack Benny,and Bob Hope, to name a few.
His favorite movie of all time was the Grapes of Wrath.his early life was pretty much like the Joad family in the movie. He used to tell his kids and grandkids stories about his adventures coming out to California from Missouri on old highway 66 when he was just a kid. He made about 6 to 8 trips back and forth from Missouri to California,yet his family was extremly poor, his mother must of had gypsie in her . These trips were made by his parents, his brothers and sisters and a close family friend,by the name of Claude Goucher. This took place starting around 1936 and ending around 1943 .
When Grandpa reached adulthood he studied hard on electronics and modern technology, passed a test and became a registered professional engineer in the state of California. He was an engineer at Hughes Aircraft for 24 years before retiring as a manager of the process engineering department. Before that he worked at North American.
In 1989 he invented a water soluble soldering flux that eliminated the need to use ozone depleting hydrocarbons. He recieved numerous awards,television exposure and printups around the world. He was granted eight us patents and a write up in National Geographic.
Grandpa also loved to restore old philco radios. He also restored a 1929 chevy and a 1931 model a ford .
Grandpa was a boy scout and was in troop 56 in Kansas City Missouri and they had their meetings at a building called swope settlement. He told me one time that his scoutmaster was also a police officer and he bought all the boys their first pocket knives,that was a real prize for my grandpa, who had next to nothing and sometimes nothing. later grandpa served the scouts for over 30 years in many capacities, some of which were scoutmaster, cubmaster, troop committee member, committee chairman, scout commissioner, and asst scoutmaster. He started a cub pack and a boy scout troop in Norwalk Calif. He always said it was to pay back the great experience he had as a scout. Grandpa was so dedicated to the scouts that he had an extensive collection of Boy Scout handbooks that went from around 1916 to the present. I wanted to join the scouts so bad as a kid, that when my mom and dad and I would go over to visit, I would head over to his books and would read them for hours, sadly, grandpa had to sell them years later. Seeing my interest in scouting, grandpa gave me my first hand book;I still have it today. I remember on one visit, grandpa brought me back to the master bed room and he turned on his tape player, he had a recorded speech of Baden Powell, founder of the boy scouts, and we listened to it about three times over. Grandma and Grandpa bought me my first boy scout back pack along with some other things that a boy would need for his first outing away from home. Every summer camp that I went on, they would send me some candy and pop money, and a letter. When I recieved my Eagle Scout award, grandma and grandpa was smiling from ear to ear. There was no way whats so ever that grandma and grandpa was going to miss that court of honor. I was very grateful that they came. Some of my prized possessions are his scoutmaster uniforms. I even made a plaque honoring his service to the boy scouts and have it proudly hanging up in my history room.
Ray married Marie Toll in April 1948 in L.A. California and was the father of Danny Ray, Micheal Eugene, Donna Marie, Carol Ann, Charles Leroy, and baby Dennis who only lived for one day and died in 1951. At the time of his death grandpa was a grandfather to 11 grandkids and a great grandfather to three. He was a father too two Eagle scouts and a star scout, and a grandfather to one Eagle Scout, plus many of his grandkids were also involved in scouting. His two daughters were also into girlscouts. Grandpa was very dedicated to his whole family,he loved us all.
One thing he taught my dad, was to work hard, and that was in turn passed down to me. Grandpa was the most patriotic American I ever knew, and a staunch Republican, that he also passed down to my dad and I.
Grandpa always went all out on something that he became interested in. He was definetly a self made man. Grandpa had a heart of gold and a great sense of humor. However, you would not want to get out of line with grandpa. When he told one of his kids or grand kids to do something, we did it. He was one man who took nothing off no body. He never tolerated laziness or ignorance, by that I mean he found it hard to get along with someone who didnt have any common sense.
Grandpa had a great sense of humor. He didnt like dirty jokes, in fact he wasnt the kind of man who told jokes, he just liked funny situations and would always come up with some funny comment. I remember one time while I lived in Oregon, I had a deep sea fishing pole and a small fresh water reel attached, oh Grandpa got the biggest kick out of thatLOL. Grandpa was such a technical man, a very intillegent man, but he loved the simplest things in life. While most people like to socialise and travel in their free time, grandpa, for the most part would prefer to stay home and watch Ma and Pa Kettle or an old classic movie. Grandpa was a cross between Clifton Webb and Harry S Truman with a touch of Mr. Roper and Bob Hope. He had a funny saying for just about everything and could deliver that comment without any facial expression. However, after he would deliver that comment, he would give you that Mr. Ropper smile, like, hehehe I got you on that one.
Grandpa told me one day about the time when he was a kid growing up in Kansas City Missouri, and how he valued getting a candy cane for Christmas. He said that it was a great treat to get one on Christmas morning. He didn't get but maybe a toy or 2 for Christmas, when his family could afford them. Sometimes he and his siblings wouldn't get a present at all. His family was very poor. But their eyes still lit up when they saw those candy canes in their stockings. He said they sure tasted good on those freezing cold days. Grandpa lived the most miserable life as a kid, but somehow or other he was always able to find something good about those times to talk about. He wrote a short story about those times, and I am glad he had the forsight to do so.
Grandpa died in his home in Grants Pass Oregon. He always called Grants Pass Oregon gods country. He was buried with military honors.
Grandpas Brothers and sisters have now all died. His brother Bob was the last to go.
Ray was born at Mission Hospital there in Jackson County Kansas City Missouri,to Floyd and Eva Turner. He was born on Armistice day in 1928. His father was a laborer and his mother was a house wife. Grandpa was the fifth of seven kids,however two of them died as babies.
Grandpa lived in the worse nieghborhoods imaginable, both in Kansas City and L. A. he seen alot of ugly things,such as race riots and shootings. Once, in Kansas City, he and his mother ran from flying bullets fired from gangsters who shot up an icecream parlor for not paying them protection money. He and his mother had just left there with a half gallon can of root beer. He saw a man laying on a sidewalk in a pool of blood, he was disfigured, the man jumped out of a tall hotel window.
Grandpa was a veteran of the Coast Guard and served in San Pedro Calif and the Alutians in Alaska on the USCGC Cahoon and USCGC Cedar as a Seaman First Class. He served as a ships gunner and gun captain. Grandpa would train men to service and fire ships guns. He completed his gunners mate training class, however he was denied his petty officers rank due to the close down of gunners mates since World War Two had just ended. He was awarded the World War Two Victory Medal, and the Commandants Letter of Commendation Ribbon, which is the highest personal award given in the Coast Guard for acheivement, Grandpa also served in the Calif National Guard for 2 years where he was in the Color Guard. Its interesting to note that grandpa tried over and over again to join the military during World War Two, but was turned down because of his age. When he turned 17 in a half, he again tried, and was again turned down because of his age. He needed his parents signature. He got his fathers but couldnt obtain his mothers. She remained stubborn and would not relent. He finally forged his mothers signature and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard under a special two year enlistment program. He was Honorably Discharged 18 months later, as a convenience of the government. The United States military began to down size and grandpa was discharged. A couple years later, he would enlist in the National Guard.
He loved big band music,his favorites were Harry James, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman,and Glenn Miller. His favorite singers were Bing Crosby, Andy Russell, Bob Eberly, Dinah Shore,the Andrew Sisters,and Frank Sinatra. He loved commedians like Laurel and Hardy, Red Skelton, Jack Benny,and Bob Hope, to name a few.
His favorite movie of all time was the Grapes of Wrath.his early life was pretty much like the Joad family in the movie. He used to tell his kids and grandkids stories about his adventures coming out to California from Missouri on old highway 66 when he was just a kid. He made about 6 to 8 trips back and forth from Missouri to California,yet his family was extremly poor, his mother must of had gypsie in her . These trips were made by his parents, his brothers and sisters and a close family friend,by the name of Claude Goucher. This took place starting around 1936 and ending around 1943 .
When Grandpa reached adulthood he studied hard on electronics and modern technology, passed a test and became a registered professional engineer in the state of California. He was an engineer at Hughes Aircraft for 24 years before retiring as a manager of the process engineering department. Before that he worked at North American.
In 1989 he invented a water soluble soldering flux that eliminated the need to use ozone depleting hydrocarbons. He recieved numerous awards,television exposure and printups around the world. He was granted eight us patents and a write up in National Geographic.
Grandpa also loved to restore old philco radios. He also restored a 1929 chevy and a 1931 model a ford .
Grandpa was a boy scout and was in troop 56 in Kansas City Missouri and they had their meetings at a building called swope settlement. He told me one time that his scoutmaster was also a police officer and he bought all the boys their first pocket knives,that was a real prize for my grandpa, who had next to nothing and sometimes nothing. later grandpa served the scouts for over 30 years in many capacities, some of which were scoutmaster, cubmaster, troop committee member, committee chairman, scout commissioner, and asst scoutmaster. He started a cub pack and a boy scout troop in Norwalk Calif. He always said it was to pay back the great experience he had as a scout. Grandpa was so dedicated to the scouts that he had an extensive collection of Boy Scout handbooks that went from around 1916 to the present. I wanted to join the scouts so bad as a kid, that when my mom and dad and I would go over to visit, I would head over to his books and would read them for hours, sadly, grandpa had to sell them years later. Seeing my interest in scouting, grandpa gave me my first hand book;I still have it today. I remember on one visit, grandpa brought me back to the master bed room and he turned on his tape player, he had a recorded speech of Baden Powell, founder of the boy scouts, and we listened to it about three times over. Grandma and Grandpa bought me my first boy scout back pack along with some other things that a boy would need for his first outing away from home. Every summer camp that I went on, they would send me some candy and pop money, and a letter. When I recieved my Eagle Scout award, grandma and grandpa was smiling from ear to ear. There was no way whats so ever that grandma and grandpa was going to miss that court of honor. I was very grateful that they came. Some of my prized possessions are his scoutmaster uniforms. I even made a plaque honoring his service to the boy scouts and have it proudly hanging up in my history room.
Ray married Marie Toll in April 1948 in L.A. California and was the father of Danny Ray, Micheal Eugene, Donna Marie, Carol Ann, Charles Leroy, and baby Dennis who only lived for one day and died in 1951. At the time of his death grandpa was a grandfather to 11 grandkids and a great grandfather to three. He was a father too two Eagle scouts and a star scout, and a grandfather to one Eagle Scout, plus many of his grandkids were also involved in scouting. His two daughters were also into girlscouts. Grandpa was very dedicated to his whole family,he loved us all.
One thing he taught my dad, was to work hard, and that was in turn passed down to me. Grandpa was the most patriotic American I ever knew, and a staunch Republican, that he also passed down to my dad and I.
Grandpa always went all out on something that he became interested in. He was definetly a self made man. Grandpa had a heart of gold and a great sense of humor. However, you would not want to get out of line with grandpa. When he told one of his kids or grand kids to do something, we did it. He was one man who took nothing off no body. He never tolerated laziness or ignorance, by that I mean he found it hard to get along with someone who didnt have any common sense.
Grandpa had a great sense of humor. He didnt like dirty jokes, in fact he wasnt the kind of man who told jokes, he just liked funny situations and would always come up with some funny comment. I remember one time while I lived in Oregon, I had a deep sea fishing pole and a small fresh water reel attached, oh Grandpa got the biggest kick out of thatLOL. Grandpa was such a technical man, a very intillegent man, but he loved the simplest things in life. While most people like to socialise and travel in their free time, grandpa, for the most part would prefer to stay home and watch Ma and Pa Kettle or an old classic movie. Grandpa was a cross between Clifton Webb and Harry S Truman with a touch of Mr. Roper and Bob Hope. He had a funny saying for just about everything and could deliver that comment without any facial expression. However, after he would deliver that comment, he would give you that Mr. Ropper smile, like, hehehe I got you on that one.
Grandpa told me one day about the time when he was a kid growing up in Kansas City Missouri, and how he valued getting a candy cane for Christmas. He said that it was a great treat to get one on Christmas morning. He didn't get but maybe a toy or 2 for Christmas, when his family could afford them. Sometimes he and his siblings wouldn't get a present at all. His family was very poor. But their eyes still lit up when they saw those candy canes in their stockings. He said they sure tasted good on those freezing cold days. Grandpa lived the most miserable life as a kid, but somehow or other he was always able to find something good about those times to talk about. He wrote a short story about those times, and I am glad he had the forsight to do so.
Grandpa died in his home in Grants Pass Oregon. He always called Grants Pass Oregon gods country. He was buried with military honors.
Grandpas Brothers and sisters have now all died. His brother Bob was the last to go.
Grandpa lived in the worse nieghborhoods imaginable, both in Kansas City and L. A. he seen alot of ugly things,such as race riots and shootings. Once, in Kansas City, he and his mother ran from flying bullets fired from gangsters who shot up an icecream parlor for not paying them protection money. He and his mother had just left there with a half gallon can of root beer. He saw a man laying on a sidewalk in a pool of blood, he was disfigured, the man jumped out of a tall hotel window.
Grandpa was a veteran of the Coast Guard and served in San Pedro Calif and the Alutians in Alaska on the USCGC Cahoon and USCGC Cedar as a Seaman First Class. He served as a ships gunner and gun captain. Grandpa would train men to service and fire ships guns. He completed his gunners mate training class, however he was denied his petty officers rank due to the close down of gunners mates since World War Two had just ended. He was awarded the World War Two Victory Medal, and the Commandants Letter of Commendation Ribbon, which is the highest personal award given in the Coast Guard for acheivement, Grandpa also served in the Calif National Guard for 2 years where he was in the Color Guard. Its interesting to note that grandpa tried over and over again to join the military during World War Two, but was turned down because of his age. When he turned 17 in a half, he again tried, and was again turned down because of his age. He needed his parents signature. He got his fathers but couldnt obtain his mothers. She remained stubborn and would not relent. He finally forged his mothers signature and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard under a special two year enlistment program. He was Honorably Discharged 18 months later, as a convenience of the government. The United States military began to down size and grandpa was discharged. A couple years later, he would enlist in the National Guard.
He loved big band music,his favorites were Harry James, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman,and Glenn Miller. His favorite singers were Bing Crosby, Andy Russell, Bob Eberly, Dinah Shore,the Andrew Sisters,and Frank Sinatra. He loved commedians like Laurel and Hardy, Red Skelton, Jack Benny,and Bob Hope, to name a few.
His favorite movie of all time was the Grapes of Wrath.his early life was pretty much like the Joad family in the movie. He used to tell his kids and grandkids stories about his adventures coming out to California from Missouri on old highway 66 when he was just a kid. He made about 6 to 8 trips back and forth from Missouri to California,yet his family was extremly poor, his mother must of had gypsie in her . These trips were made by his parents, his brothers and sisters and a close family friend,by the name of Claude Goucher. This took place starting around 1936 and ending around 1943 .
When Grandpa reached adulthood he studied hard on electronics and modern technology, passed a test and became a registered professional engineer in the state of California. He was an engineer at Hughes Aircraft for 24 years before retiring as a manager of the process engineering department. Before that he worked at North American.
In 1989 he invented a water soluble soldering flux that eliminated the need to use ozone depleting hydrocarbons. He recieved numerous awards,television exposure and printups around the world. He was granted eight us patents and a write up in National Geographic.
Grandpa also loved to restore old philco radios. He also restored a 1929 chevy and a 1931 model a ford .
Grandpa was a boy scout and was in troop 56 in Kansas City Missouri and they had their meetings at a building called swope settlement. He told me one time that his scoutmaster was also a police officer and he bought all the boys their first pocket knives,that was a real prize for my grandpa, who had next to nothing and sometimes nothing. later grandpa served the scouts for over 30 years in many capacities, some of which were scoutmaster, cubmaster, troop committee member, committee chairman, scout commissioner, and asst scoutmaster. He started a cub pack and a boy scout troop in Norwalk Calif. He always said it was to pay back the great experience he had as a scout. Grandpa was so dedicated to the scouts that he had an extensive collection of Boy Scout handbooks that went from around 1916 to the present. I wanted to join the scouts so bad as a kid, that when my mom and dad and I would go over to visit, I would head over to his books and would read them for hours, sadly, grandpa had to sell them years later. Seeing my interest in scouting, grandpa gave me my first hand book;I still have it today. I remember on one visit, grandpa brought me back to the master bed room and he turned on his tape player, he had a recorded speech of Baden Powell, founder of the boy scouts, and we listened to it about three times over. Grandma and Grandpa bought me my first boy scout back pack along with some other things that a boy would need for his first outing away from home. Every summer camp that I went on, they would send me some candy and pop money, and a letter. When I recieved my Eagle Scout award, grandma and grandpa was smiling from ear to ear. There was no way whats so ever that grandma and grandpa was going to miss that court of honor. I was very grateful that they came. Some of my prized possessions are his scoutmaster uniforms. I even made a plaque honoring his service to the boy scouts and have it proudly hanging up in my history room.
Ray married Marie Toll in April 1948 in L.A. California and was the father of Danny Ray, Micheal Eugene, Donna Marie, Carol Ann, Charles Leroy, and baby Dennis who only lived for one day and died in 1951. At the time of his death grandpa was a grandfather to 11 grandkids and a great grandfather to three. He was a father too two Eagle scouts and a star scout, and a grandfather to one Eagle Scout, plus many of his grandkids were also involved in scouting. His two daughters were also into girlscouts. Grandpa was very dedicated to his whole family,he loved us all.
One thing he taught my dad, was to work hard, and that was in turn passed down to me. Grandpa was the most patriotic American I ever knew, and a staunch Republican, that he also passed down to my dad and I.
Grandpa always went all out on something that he became interested in. He was definetly a self made man. Grandpa had a heart of gold and a great sense of humor. However, you would not want to get out of line with grandpa. When he told one of his kids or grand kids to do something, we did it. He was one man who took nothing off no body. He never tolerated laziness or ignorance, by that I mean he found it hard to get along with someone who didnt have any common sense.
Grandpa had a great sense of humor. He didnt like dirty jokes, in fact he wasnt the kind of man who told jokes, he just liked funny situations and would always come up with some funny comment. I remember one time while I lived in Oregon, I had a deep sea fishing pole and a small fresh water reel attached, oh Grandpa got the biggest kick out of thatLOL. Grandpa was such a technical man, a very intillegent man, but he loved the simplest things in life. While most people like to socialise and travel in their free time, grandpa, for the most part would prefer to stay home and watch Ma and Pa Kettle or an old classic movie. Grandpa was a cross between Clifton Webb and Harry S Truman with a touch of Mr. Roper and Bob Hope. He had a funny saying for just about everything and could deliver that comment without any facial expression. However, after he would deliver that comment, he would give you that Mr. Ropper smile, like, hehehe I got you on that one.
Grandpa told me one day about the time when he was a kid growing up in Kansas City Missouri, and how he valued getting a candy cane for Christmas. He said that it was a great treat to get one on Christmas morning. He didn't get but maybe a toy or 2 for Christmas, when his family could afford them. Sometimes he and his siblings wouldn't get a present at all. His family was very poor. But their eyes still lit up when they saw those candy canes in their stockings. He said they sure tasted good on those freezing cold days. Grandpa lived the most miserable life as a kid, but somehow or other he was always able to find something good about those times to talk about. He wrote a short story about those times, and I am glad he had the forsight to do so.
Grandpa died in his home in Grants Pass Oregon. He always called Grants Pass Oregon gods country. He was buried with military honors.
Grandpas Brothers and sisters have now all died. His brother Bob was the last to go.
