The Herald Democrat
December 19, 2010

Edward R. Raasch died December 17, 2010, at the Homestead in Sherman. He was ninety-six years old. A memorial service will be held Monday, December 20, 2010 at 11 a.m. in the chapel at Dannel Funeral home in Sherman. Rev. Neill Morgan of Covenant Presbyterian Church will conduct the service and Dr. Jerry Lincecum will deliver the eulogy. He will be interred at Friendship Cemetery beside his wife.
Mr. Raasch was born October 14, 1914 in Indianapolis, Ind. to Edward Frank and Clara (Brandt) Raasch. He married Grace Kramer in Indianapolis in 1937.
In his early working life during the depression, Mr. Raasch drove a Coca-Cola route and operated a grocery store until he attended a radio announcing school and subsequently became the manager and on-air announcer for radio stations in Vincennes, Ind., and Olney and Mt. Vernon, Ill.
In 1950, the family moved to Corpus Christi, where he managed Leopard Street Lumber Company, moving later to Armstrong Lumber Company, where he remained actively involved until 1996 when he and Grace moved to Sherman to be near their children. Mr. Raasch was active in civic life in Corpus Christi where he served on the Board of Adjustments, insisting that the board members visit each site before voting on the issue. He was also a dedicated and longtime member of the Kiwanis Club and served as president of the Kiwanis Club and the Texas Lumberman's Association.
Mr. Raasch continued to work in radio, presenting a newscast from his office at Leopard Street Lumber, and working weekends as an announcer and doing voice-overs for the local radio and television stations.
Mr. Raasch was a lifelong passionate reader and writer, having written plays in his teens. After arriving in Sherman, he became an active early participant in the Telling Our Stories program at Austin College, where he enjoyed the writing opportunities and the companionship of the class. Those associations inspired him to write three mystery novels during his last years, as well as contributions to the annual publications of the TOS program. Several of his stories and poems have been published in additional venues, and he has left his family a wonderful legacy of stories documenting his early life and family.
Mr. Raasch was preceded in death by his parents, brothers and sisters, and his beloved wife.
Mr. Raasch is survived by his daughter, Jan Schronk and her husband Stacy of Euless; son, Douglas Raasch and his wife Sue of Denison; grandchildren, Chip Davis and wife Judith Lindberg and great-grandsons Cooper and Colin Davis of New Jersey; grandson, Jeff Raasch of Austin and granddaughter Maren Raasch Doherty and husband Michael and great-grandson Alex Doherty of Dallas; and by nieces, nephews and cousins Nancy Sherrod, Barbara Sass, Janet Oliphant, Gary Knott and Joyce Vrana.
The family thanks Drs. Peggy Redshaw and Jerry Lincecum, founders of Telling Our Story program, and the family of recently departed Frances Wiley for the many kindnesses they bestowed on Mr. Raasch.
Dannel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be sent to the American Parkinson Disease Association, Parkinson Plaza, 135 Parkinson Ave., Staten Island, NY 10305 (1-800-223-2732) or the Texas-Oklahoma District Kiwanis, 624 Six Flags Dr., Suite 265, Arlington, TX 76011-6342 (817-640-7711).