Ray Lyle Tweed

LAKE MILLS - Ray Lyle Tweed, 75, of Lake Mills passed away Thursday, Oct. 20 2011, at the Good Samarian Center in Forest City after fighting a courageous battle with Alzheimer's.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, October 24, 2011, at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills with Pastor David E. Jordan officiating. Interment will be at the Salem Memorial Cemetery immediately following the service. Military rites will be performed at graveside by Otto/Chose American Legion Post 235.
A gathering of family and friends will be 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, October 23, at the Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 East Main Street, Lake Mills, IA, 50450.
Ray Lyle Tweed was born January 25, 1936, in Forest City, Iowa, the son of Joseph Harry and Opal (Hovland) Tweed. Later that year, the family moved to a farm north of Lake Mills, Iowa, where Ray attended country school and graduated from Lake Mills High School. Following graduation, he served his county by enlisting in the Army.
On February 10, 1956, Ray was united in marriage to Barbara Johnson at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Scarville, Iowa. They lived in Downers Grove, Illinois, while Ray finished his Army stint. They then moved back to the Lake Mills area where Ray farmed and started his carpentry career. In 1974 they moved to the family farm north of Lake Mills where Ray lived until entering the Good Samaritan Center in February 2011. Together Ray and Barbara raised four children.
Ray was a member of Salem Lutheran Church, where he served on several committees and as an usher. He took special joy in his grandchildren, watching football, reading Louis L'Amour novels, playing cards, fishing and creating with wood. He will be remembered as a great family man, carpenter and friend who was always willing to help out someone in need.
Ray is survived by his wife, Barbara, of Lake Mills, Iowa; four children, Beverly Retland of Forest City, Iowa, Debra (Brian) Banwart of Garner, Iowa, Rebecca (Dave) Arneson of Joice, Iowa, and Lynn Tweed of Fayetteville, N.C.; eight grandchildren, Lance Corporal Ethan Retland of Camp Lejeune, N.C., Matthew Retland of Forest City, Iowa, Brent Banwart of Austin, Minn., Tyler Banwart of Sioux Falls, S.D., Danielle Appel of Burnsville, Minn., AJ Appel of Brookings, S.D., Drew Appel of Edina, Minn., and Trent Tweed of Ames, Iowa. He is also survived by two sisters, Dorothy Alden of Dougherty, Iowa, and Bonnie DeWall of Mason City, Iowa; and by two brothers, Roger (Lib) Tweed of St. Cloud, Minn., and Michael (Jeannine) Tweed of Thompson, Iowa. Ray is also survived by three sisters-in-law, Arlie (Al) Thies, JoAnn (Ron) Haroldson and Bev Twito, and by one brother-in-law, Robert (Ardis) Johnson, along with many nieces and nephews.
Ray was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Leona Thompson, Yvonne Wiele and Gayle Bolton; three brothers, Deward Tweed, Don Earl Tweed and Dean Tweed; brothers-in-law Dale Thompson, Raymond Bolton, Fred Wiele, Hartley Alden, Don DeWall and Don Twito; and a sister-in-law, Iris Tweed.
You can contact the family with online condolences at www.mittelstadtfuneralhome.com. 641-592-0221