Raymond Wesley Kiel

Funeral services for Raymond Kiel, age 72, of Milaca, will be held on Monday, November 28th 2011 at 11:00 AM at the Christian Reformed Church in Pease with Rev. David Smit officiating. Interment will follow at the Pease Cemetary. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Casketbearers are Ray’s nephews Greg Kiel, Jason Sanford, Michael Whitcomb and Jeff Sanford. Honorary casketbearers are Ray’s nieces Debbie Peel, Denise Haliburton, Janelle Hsia, Heather Bisson-Dale, Michelle Fryhover, Darcy Johnson and Renee Lunemann. Music will be provided by Dorothy Brink and Shirley Geurkink. Arr. Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home of Milaca, MN. Raymond Wesley Kiel was born January 7, 1939 at Bogus Brook Township, Mille Lacs County, MN to George and Flora (Winters) Kiel. Ray was born 2 ½ months premature with Cerebral Palsy. Ray attended the Michael Dowling School for Handicapped Children in South Minneapolis from the age of 4 through sixth grade. Ray and Arlys Wolbert, who suffered from Polio, were tutored by Mrs. Ben Alderink in 7th and 8th grade; he then attended Milaca High School and graduated in 1959. He later attended Augsburg College where he developed his interest and passion in art. While mostly painting with his left foot, he also experimented with other artistic media including clay sculptures and figurines. At first Ray’s father would sketch parts of the scene and Ray would fill them in, but Ray quickly started doing the paintings on his own. Through his paintings, Ray travelled the world visiting Germany, Holland, Norway, England, Australia, Alaska and Hawaii. In addition to painting, Ray was also an accomplished author and talented poet. Ray wrote a self-published autobiography, “Memories, True Tales and My Left Foot,” which he typed during the course of a year and half using a pencil in his mouth. For the past several years Ray has lived at the VOA group home in Milaca where he received loving care and was treated like a member of the family. Ray was an inspirational example of what it means to truly live life despite physical limitations. Ray died on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at the Fairview Northland Regional Hospital in Princeton, MN. Raymond Kiel is survived by his siblings, Don and wife Carol Kiel of Milaca, Gloria and husband Robert Whitcomb of Longmont, CO, Barbara and husband Roger of Milaca, MN and brother-in-law Martin Bisson of Brainerd, MN; also by many nieces, nephews, countless other relatives, his “VOA family” and numerous friends. Ray was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Connie Bisson.