Raymond Lee Werkmeister

Raymond L. Werkmeister, 73, of Palisade, died Sunday, Feb. 15, 2004, at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman.

He was born Oct. 14, 1930, in White, to Adolph and Ella (Klug) Werkmeister. He attended school in Hayes County.

On Feb. 16, 1952, he married Roberta Ruppert at Garden Prairie Church. They had three daughters and one son. They lived in the Maywood and McCook area until 1967, at which time they bought a farm and moved to Palisade. He took pride in his family and farm and spent many years doing custom ensilage chopping. He was an NC+ seed dealer for many years. There was always a place for all the grandchildren to ride with him as he worked his fields. He truly enjoyed spending time with his family and took special time with each of them. He had to retire due to health problems.

He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Palisade and also a member of the McCook Elks 1434. He participated in well tests for Republican River Basin Studies and was an Earth Team Volunteer for Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Raymond loved following all his children and grandchildren in their sports activities. You could always find him on the third base line, on a folding chair at the entrance of the gyms or on the bottom bleacher seats. He coached Little League Baseball in McCook for four years and at Palisade for several years. He played baseball on the Quick team in the early 50s and was an avid Yankee fan.

Raymond loved music and dancing and was raised in a "polka/accordion playing" family.

He is preceded in death by his parents; infant daughter, Barbara Joy; son-in-law Bill Wilson; great grandsons, Erik Werkmeister and Austin Herbert; brother, Max Werkmeister; sister-in-laws, Jean Werkmeister and Norma Sorge; brother-in-law Chet Bennett; and mother and father-in-law, Clifford and Nellie Ruppert.

Survivors include his wife, Roberta; three daughters, Shirley and husband, Denny Ferguson, Terri Wilson and special friend, Matt Rotter of Palisade and Melody and husband, Robert Herbert of Chadron; one son, Roger and wife, Janet Werkmeister of McCook; grandsons, Dennis and Derek Ferguson, Travis, Troy and Roger Werkmeister, Nicholas, Brandon, and Jeremy Herbert, and Matthew Wilson; and granddaughter Megan Wilson; 10 great-grandchildren; brothers, Leo Werkmeister, Elgie and wife, Betty Werkmeister, Melvin and wife, Lucille Werkmeister of Maywood and Earnest and wife, Pat Werkmeister of Longmont, Colo.; sisters, Lois Bennett of Niwot, Colo., Arlene Werkmeister of Longmont and Darlene Werkmeister of Maywood; brother and sisters-in-law, Otis and Bonnie Ruppert of McCook, Jim and Viola Greenlee of Columbia, Mo., Larry and Shirley Schlem, Ogallala and Roger Sorge of Gurley and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be at the Methodist Church in Palisade on Thursday, February 19th at 10:30 a.m., with the Rev. Michael Laing officiating. Burial is at the Palisade Cemetery.

Carpenter-Breland Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.