Cover photo for Raphael Barnard's Obituary
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1924 Raphael 2014

Raphael Barnard

August 18, 1924 — December 28, 2014

Raphael F. “Ray” Barnard, 90, Mandan, died December 28, 2014 at Sanford Health Hospital in Bismarck.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, January 3, 2015 at Christ the King Catholic Church, Mandan, ND with Rev. Nick Schneider as celebrant. Burial will be at Mandan Union Cemetery.

Visitation will be held Friday, January 2, 2015 from 5:00-8:00 pm at Weigel Funeral Home, Mandan, ND. A Catholic Daughters Rosary will be held at 6:30 pm, a Knights of Columbus Rosary at 7:00 pm, and a Parish Vigil at 7:15 pm. Visitation will continue at the church one hour prior to the service on Saturday.

Ray was born on August 18, 1924 to Roland and Clara (Smith) Barnard in Mandan, ND. He was raised and educated in Mandan, graduating from Mandan High School in 1943. As a member of the US Army Air Corp he was a B-17 and B-24 radio operator, serving on pilot training crews throughout the rest of the war. While in the service he attended 1 year of college in Tempe, AZ. He was honorable discharged in 1946 and returned to North Dakota where he attended Jamestown College for 2 years. He married Aldene Holden on August 13, 1949 in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Ray sold insurance in South Dakota and Colorado before becoming an engineer for Burlington Northern and Northern Pacific Railroads where he worked 40 years, retiring in 1988. Ray was a socially outgoing and enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, who knew him affectionately as "Barney". He and Aldene spent many hours volunteering at Christ the King, doing many tasks and jobs to help out the school. Ray also enjoyed flower and vegetable gardening. He was especially fond of black walnut trees which he brought from Wisconsin and was responsible for their emergence in Mandan. In his free time he enjoyed river bank fishing, ice fishing at Garrison, and hunting upland game, ducks and geese. Another hobby Ray enjoyed was metal detecting, allowing him quiet time outdoors hunting for treasures.

Ray will be deeply missed by his wife of 65 years, Aldene, Mandan; daughters, Laura (Joseph) Kalvoda, Bismarck, ND and Nancy Smith, Greeley, CO; sons, James (Jane), Atlanta, GA and Steven (Deborah), Mandan, ND; 6 grandchildren, Stacey Kautzman, Dawn Renner, Jessica Barnard, Joni Barnard, Kevin Kalvoda, Brian Kalvoda; 6 great-grandchildren and one sister, Dolores Vyzralek, Bismarck, ND.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents; one grandson, Jeremy Barnard; three brothers, Gordon, Clement (Glena) and Leo; and one brother-in-law, Frank Vyzralek.

The family asks that memorials be made to Christ the King School, Mandan.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Raphael Barnard, please visit our flower store.

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