Arthur V. Raasch

Arthur Victor Raasch, age 95, was born on March 10th, 1919 on the family farm three miles north of Princeton, Wisconsin in Green Lake County. He was the Son of Albert Raasch and Effie Blanch Luker. He is survived by his wife Viola Christina Ida Reetz Raasch, who he married on May 16th, 1948 at Evangelical Lutheran Church in Neshkoro, Wis. They had three children----Christine Holly Helburg (Mike,) Cory Arthur Raasch (Nancy,) and Kevin Ray Raasch (Jessica.) He has five Grandchildren, Kelsey Helburg, Amy and Brian Raasch, and Jenna and Ethan Raasch. Arthur had three siblings, one brother Alfred and two sisters, Edna Raasch (no longer living,) and Grace Polfuss (Bob, deceased) plus many nieces and nephews. Arthur was Baptized and Confirmed at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Princeton, Wisconsin by Reverend Hoyer, attended Grade School at Black Creek and Princeton Parochial School.

Farming was Arthurs first Love and he and Viola ran the family farm at Black Creek, Wisconsin until 1957 when they and the children moved to Tucson, Arizona where he went into the Construction Industry and worked with the Storms Brothers (Todd and Gerald) until 1963 when they made another move to Ft. Collins, Colorado where he worked for various Contractors for 35 years as a self employed drywall finisher. Following the devastating Flood of 1997, Arthur and Viola moved to the Denver Area where they have lived until the present time. His Strong Lutheran Faith and work ethic carried him through! He was a long time member of St. Johns Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, Co.

Art enjoyed fishing, spending time in the Mountains, travel and woodworking but he never forgot his early years on the farm. He had a voracious curiosity! His need to know what lay beyond the next hill, curve or mountain, kept life exciting for all around him! And how he loved to talk! No matter where he went, he would search for anyone willing to strike up a conversation. The only Degree he possessed was a ‘Masters’ from the School of Hard Knocks and yet after each disaster he would pick himself up, dust himself off and start over again. Life was not kind to Art and Vi! Tragedy did not follow them but as a Co-Pilot, led them to the Abyss and seemingly watched them struggle on their way. They faced many hardships but also missed a number of disasters by last minute decisions such as missing their highway and avoiding the Northridge Earthquake in California, surviving the Monsoon downpour in Tucson when the dry Rio Riverbed became a wild torrent washing away part of their lot and later while living in Colorado, not being among the 129 drowning victims of the Big Thompson flood in Estes Park because of last minute change of camping plans, but what a heartbreaker when shortly before retirement they lost all of their life’s work in the Ft. Collins flood of 1997. Life definitely had its Peaks and Valleys but they rose above them and found simple joy in visiting the lower forty eight states, Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii and portions of the Canadian Provinces plus the Yukon, in their travel trailer. After retirement they were fortunate enough to have made two trips to several European Countries with son Kevin and daughter-in-law.

A private Family Graveside Service will be held at Olinger Crown Hill on Fri. 3/21/14. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Exempla Lutheran Hospice.(www.exemplalutheran.org/hospice).