The funeral service commemorating the life of Raymond Jay “Ray” Kirk, 90, of Balaton, MN, will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Balaton. Visitation will be Tuesday, September 2, 2025, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Horvath Remembrance Center in Balaton with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. A visitation will continue on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church. Interment with military honors will follow the service at the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery. A luncheon will follow the interment at the Balaton Community Center. Raymond died on Sunday, August 24, 2025, at the Prairie Home Hospice McLaughlin House in Marshall, MN. The Horvath Funeral Service in Balaton is handling the arrangements.
Raymond Jay Kirk was born December 4, 1934, to Jahugh “Jay” and Lo Villa “Dolly” (Jacobson) Kirk in Currie, Minnesota. He was baptized and confirmed into the Christian faith. His early years were spent in the Dovray, Woodstock and Walnut Grove areas. He then attended District #52 country school in Custer Township from second grade until his eighth-grade graduation, after which he farmed full-time with his family. In April 1955, Ray entered the U.S. Army. He spent 16 months in Japan, serving in the motor pool. He also committed to six years of reserves. After his honorable discharge in April 1957, Ray farmed and worked various jobs, such as hauling gravel for Rupp Construction, helping build the bridge in Currie and with highway work from Balaton to Florence, helping at Balaton Lumber Yard, and wheeling eggs and loading boxes of butter onto boxcars at Marshall Produce. On July 14, 1955, Ray married the love of his life, Jane Van Winkle, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Balaton. Soon after, they settled onto their farm home east of Balaton, building a beautiful life together for more than 50 years. Along with farming for most of his life, Ray also raised pigs, dairy cows and beef cattle in addition to putting up about 50,000 haybales a year. For 10 years in the off-season, Ray worked on the railroad for Harry Swick. He also hauled fertilizer for CHS, helped out sometimes at the local power plant, and custom-combined for a lot of people. Ray was a Balaton Legion member for many years, oftentimes serving as Sergeant of Arms. He was also a Custer Township board member for more than five years. Ray was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church. He was a hardworking man who wholeheartedly loved his family and friends. Ray was the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He thoroughly enjoyed visiting with people and playing all sorts of card games. He will, no doubt, be missed by all who knew him.
Ray died at Prairie Home Hospice’s McLaughlin House in Marshall on Sunday, August 24, at the age of 90.
He is survived by children Doug (Jill) Kirk of Breckenridge, TX, Deb (Darwin) Saxton of Tracy, Dan “Hondo” (Pam) Kirk of Balaton, and Jenny (Bernie Przymus) Kirk of Balaton; sisters-in-law Margaret Kirk of Tracy and Betty Johnson of Casa Grande, AZ; 26 grandchildren: Dustin Kirk, Lindsay (David) Berryman, Brandi McDiffitt, Billi (Kevin) Ohme, Brad Kirk, Mandi Moreno, Terrin Pender, Eric Nogelmeier, Missie (Mike) Erbes, Sara (Joe) Haney, Kelly (Robert) Hanson, Matt (Missy) Jones, Nate (Monica) Jones, Shelbie (Derek) Walters, Sean (Sue) Kirk, Alyssa (Shane) Ball, Brianna (Matt) Zettler, Riley Kirk, Kaylee Kirk, Braelynn Kirk, Dalton Kirk, Kassidy Przymus, Adam Przymus, Megan Stalboerger, Micayla Jones, Ryan Murphy; 45 great-grandchildren, 5 great-great-great-grandchildren and many other relatives and friends. Preceding Ray in death are his parents, wife Jane, daughters Julie and Brenda; brother Wes, along with brothers Bobby, Fran, Ted and Claire and their wives Rosemary, Donna, Wanita and Sharon; brothers-in-law Arnold Van Winkle, Dean Van Winkle, Royal Johnson and Lawrence Fedde; sisters-in-law Helen Van Winkle, Rosie Van Winkle and Irma Fedde.
