Raymond Emmanuel Karels

Raymond E. Karels, 69, of Willmar, died Sunday, April 21st at Carris Health Therapy Suites in Willmar. His private memorial service will be at a later date. Memorials are preferred. Arrangements are with Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar. www.hafh.org

Raymond was born to Lauretta (Monnens) and Emmanuel H. Karels and grew up in the Rosen, MN, area.  He attended parochial school, was baptized and confirmed at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church/School in Rosen.  He attended high school in Bellingham, but spent his Jr year at St. John Vianney Seminary in Elkhorn, NE, returning to Bellingham to graduate in 1967.  Following high school, Ray enrolled at the U of MN, Morris, and graduated with a major in Elementary Ed and a minor in English.  He also joined the National Guard out of Milbank, SD, and served six years, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.  

Following college, Ray taught for one year at St. Michael’s Catholic School in Madison, MN, and then 5 years at the Rosen St. Joseph’s Catholic School.  From there he went to St. Vincent de Paul’s Catholic School in Osseo, MN.  Ray worked at the Bloomington Lake National Bank in several locations.  He then began a home rental and repair business with two friends, he worked at the Gay 90’s and then sold his share of the rental/repair business and worked as a store manager for Majors and Quinn, which was a dream job for him as he was around books all day.  In 2000, Ray moved to Reno, NV, where he spent the next 5 years working on and off for Baldini’s Casino and then seven years for Nevada State Bank as a teller/personal banker/lender. 

In 2012, Ray retired and moved back to Willmar, Minnesota to be closer to family.  He continued his life-long hobby in genealogy and reading as well as new hobbies.  Ray traveled quite a bit researching all sides of his family and created quite a lengthy file, going back many decades, into the 1500’s.  In May of 2018, Ray was diagnosed with a very aggressive Lymphoma.  He underwent five months of treatments at Abbott-Northwestern, but the cancer was too aggressive and Ray succumbed to the disease on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, at Rice Care Therapy Suites in Willmar, MN.  

Ray is survived by his siblings: Colleen (Mike) Barber, New London, Cheryl (Jeff) Plathe, Willmar, Frank (LouAnn), Brooten, Marian (Jeff) Bloom, Willmar, Neal (Cindy), Byron, Lauralie, St Paul, Brian (Juni) Coleman, SD, Brad (Sandy) Pipestone, Geraldine (Carl) Kupres, Fenville, MI, as well as a sister-in-law, Sandy, Milbank, SD.  He is also survived by his step-mother, Arlene, Madison, step-siblings: Dick (Susan) Ohm, Bellingham, Darnell (Roger) Hanson, Monticello, Dene (Pat) Ohm, Bellingham, Sherry (Glenn) Mork, Buffalo, and Jim (Dee) Ohm, Bloomington.  He is also survived by his “adopted” daughter, Shanna (Brandon) Sharp, Spicer, as well as an “adopted” brother, Lee Baldwin, Anoka.  Ray is also survived by numerous nephews, nieces, great-nephews and nieces and a multitude of great friends all over the world. 

Ray was preceded in death by his mother (1968), his father (2000), his brother, Steven (2015), step-sister, Judy, and her husband, Ron Larson, and a great-niece, Lisa Hanson.

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