Raymond was born December 2, 1929, in Coldwater, Ohio, the son of The Rev. Edwin and Edith (Meister) Ackerman. Raymond was united in marriage to the former Sarah Johnson on April 12, 1959, at St. John Lutheran Church, Lithopolis, Ohio, with his father presiding.
He was a police officer for the City of Norwalk, Ohio, Police Department in the 50's and was a funeral assistant at Kubach-Smith Funeral Home in Norwalk. After his marriage to Sarah in 1959, the couple moved to Hessel, Michigan, where he and his brother Bill operated the Ackerman Lumber Company. During that time Ray, his brother Bill, and their brother-in-law, Dr. Leonard J. DeLooff, founded the Les Cheneaux Ambulance Service, one of the first services in the U.P. In 1969, Ray and his family moved to Coleman where he was employed at the Krause Lumber Company. In 1974, Ray became affiliated with Patz Sales, Inc., Pound, and was employed there until he retired in 1985 due to illness. In 1991, Ray and his son Raymond founded Ackerman Medical Transfer. After that he answered phones for Rhodes-Charapata Funeral Home, until illness would not allow him to do so.
Ray was a long-time member of Bethel Lutheran Church, Cedarville, Michigan, where he served on the church council, as well as on various committees within the church body. He was a former member of the Les Cheneaux Chamber of Commerce and was a bus driver for the Les Cheneaux Community Schools for 10 years. He was also a member of the Coleman Businessmen's Association, where he was secretary for many years, the Coleman Harvest Festival Committee, the Coleman/Pound Doctor's Search Committee, the Coleman School Board, the board of the Coleman Housing for the Elderly, and was a former Cub Scout Leader.
Ray's greatest joy in life was his wife, Sarah, and their children and grandchildren. He was honest, hard-working, incredibly generous, and was deeply loved and admired by his family. Even though he was in ill health much of the time during the past few years, he was always there to offer encouragement and advice and was greatly involved in the daily lives of his children. He also had a deep passion for the Les Cheneaux Islands in Lake Huron where he spent many happy times.
Surviving are his loving wife of 40 years, Sarah; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Raymond, Jr. and Sarah, Oconto; Edwin II, Coleman; two daughters and sons-in-law, Margareta and Jens Blegvad, Newark, OH and Stephanie and Leo Macedo, Green Bay; three grandchildren, of whom he thought the world, Emily Blegvad, Newark, OH, Raymond Ackerman, III, Oconto; and Majriela Macedo, Green Bay, a brother, William (Marjorie) Ackerman, Lancaster, OH; two sisters, Phyllis DeLooff, Cedarville, MI and Carol Ackerman, Pickerington, OH; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dr. Ray and Penny Johnson, Hillsdale, MI; and several nieces and nephews.
Raymond was preceded in death by his parents, by two infant children, Mirium and Russell; by his brother-in-law, Dr. Leonard J. Delooff, and by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, E. Leland and Olive Johnson.
The family received friends from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 18, 1999, at First American Lutheran Church, 511 Madison Street, Oconto. A Service of Christian Burial was held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 19, 1999, at the church with The Rev. Richard DeBenedetto officiating. Visitation continued at Bethel Lutheran Church, Cedarville, MI, from 12 noon until 2:00 p.m. Monday, June 21, 1999, where a Service of Christian Burial was held at 2:00 p.m. with The Rev. George Kaiser and The Rev. Peter Johnson officiating. Interment followed in Cedar Cemetery, Cedarville.
Rhodes-Charapata Funeral Home, Raymond B. Ackerman, Jr. Funeral Director (920) 834- 2133.
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials may be made to Bethel Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 87, Cedarville, MI 49719 or First American Lutheran Church, 511 Madison Street, Oconto 54153. Special thanks to) to the staff of St. Vin- cent Dialysis Center, St. Vincent Hospital, and to Dr, Steven Neu for the wonderful care provided to Ray. Also, to Rev, Richard DeBendetto and Rev. Jerry Kucha for their comfort to Ray and the family. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."