Ray Eakins

Ray Eakins
April 18, 1942 - July 15, 2004
Keota, Iowa
Visitation: 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. July 18, 2004 at Holy Trinity Parish-St. Mary Catholic Church
Funeral Service: 10:30 a.m. July 19, 2004 at Holy Trinity Parish-St. Mary Catholic Church
Interment: , at St. Mary Cemetery
KEOTA-Ray Eakins, age 62, of Keota, died Thursday, July 15, 2004, at his home, following a courageous battle with cancer. Ray was born April 18, 1942, in Davis County, to Dale and Bettie (Ashcraft) Eakins. He graduated from Blakesburg High School and attended LaSalle University in Chicago, where he studied welding. Ray enlisted in the National Guard Engineer Division in Ottumwa, building bridges. Ray came to Keota from Ottumwa to install the equipment at the Ke-Wash fertilizer plant. On August 8, 1964 he married JoEllen Peiffer at St. Mary Catholic Church in Keota. Ray was a partner in Tadlock and Osweiler Spray Division (later known as Keota Chemical) and designed a belt conveyor to use in the spreading business to move lime from a dump truck to the spreader. In 1975, Ray and JoEllen formed Ray-Man, Inc., where he began manufacturing lime conveyors. Today, the company manufactures fertilizer tenders and belt conveyors, which are sold throughout the United States and Canada. Ray has coached Little League and Pony League baseball, served on the Keota City Council, has served as president of the Lagos Acres board of directors and Keota Unlimited. He is also a member of Holy Trinity Parish-St. Mary Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus and the Holy Trinity Choir. Ray especially enjoyed golfing and spending time with his grandchildren. Survivors include his wife: JoEllen of Keota; four children and five grandchildren: Brian and wife Luann (Kelci and Kyle), Bob and wife Amy (Alex, Carly and Jack) and Melinda, all of Keota, and Lori of Iowa City; two sisters: Barb Kampe of Moline, Illinois and Judi Long of Moravia and one brother: Ron Eakins of Ottumwa. Mass of the Resurrection will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 19, 2004, at the Holy Trinity Parish-St. Mary Catholic Church in Keota, with Revs. Marty Goetz and Robert Mann officiating. Burial will be at St. Mary Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Sunday, July 18, 2004, at the church, where there will be a prayer service and K.C. rosary at 7:00 p.m. A general memorial fund has been established. Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Keota is handling the arrangements.