Ray Ragland

Ray Ragland, age 63 of Denver CO, and formerly Belle Fourche, died Monday August 15, 2011 at the Colorado Acute Long-term Hospital in Denver CO. The funeral service will be held 10am Monday August 22nd, 2011 at Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche with Deacon Ray Klein officiating. There will be a visitation Sunday from 5 to 7 pm at Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche. Burial will take place in Pine Slope Cemetery in Belle Fourche. Military Honors will be provided by the Belle Fourche Veterans Honor Guard. Raymond Raynor Ragland was born July 19, 1948 in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. He was the son of Raymond and Emma (Rodriguez) Ragland. Ray grew up in Belle Fourche, where he graduated from high school in 1966. During the Vietnam War, Ray served his country in the U.S. Army. During part of this time he attended the U.S. Army Artillery and Missile School in Fort Sill Oklahoma. He served from 1968 to 1974. In 1974, he was married to Christine Rodriguez in Denver. They later divorced. Ray lived in Belle Fourche and Rapid City before settling in Denver Colorado where he worked for several years at the Jerneke Paper Company as a Machinist. During all his years working there, Ray became “family” with the other employees. He was good at keeping the morale up by singing songs from the “Oldie Goldie’s” that he loved so much, and playing “Name that Tune” with his friends there. Ray was athletic and he loved sports of all kinds, especially baseball and basketball. Ray loved his family very much and he will be greatly missed. Ray is survived by his sons, Michael (Phoenix) Ragland of Westminster CO, Raymond (Susan) Rodriguez of Denver CO; 4 grandchildren, Harmony and Brendan Ragland, Ray and Amber Rodriguez; great grandson, Sylas Rodriguez; mother, Emma Ragland of Belle Fourche; sisters, LaMar (Tom) Ragland – Ammons of Linden NC, Lisa Wallery of Belle Fourche; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Raymond Ragland. DATE OF BIRTH July 19, 1948 Belle Fourche, South Dakota DATE OF BIRTH July 19, 1948 Belle Fourche, South Dakota DATE OF DEATH August 15, 2011 Denver, Colorado FUNERAL SERVICE 10:00 A.M. – Monday – August 22nd, 2011 Funeral Home of the Northern Hills Belle Fourche, South Dakota OFFICIANT Deacon Ray Klein CASKET BEARERS Mike Ragland                                                    Ray Rodriguez Ray Rodriguez                                                  Tim Rodriguez Joe Wallery INTERMENT Pine Slope Cemetery Belle Fourche, South Dakota MILITARY HONORS Belle Fourche Veterans Honor Guard