Raymond N. "Ray" Salm

1936 - 2019

Raymond N. "Ray" Salm

Appleton - Raymond Nicholas Salm, age 83, of Appleton, went to his eternal home on Wednesday, April 24, surrounded by loved ones and the comforting sounds of the family rosary.

Ray was born April 15, 1936, a devoted son to Roman and Marie (Hietpas) Salm, the oldest of their 13 children. The course of Ray's life altered significantly in his early teenage years when he left school to take care of things at home as Mom spent a year in a sanatorium suffering from TB.

Ray was born, lived most of his life, and died as a resident of French Road. Starting life on the grounds of Hietpas Dairy on the southern end of French Road, it's no surprise that Ray became "the milkman"; he loved the relationships formed with families on his route and the dairy products he delivered. Thanks to our sister Cathy, he enjoyed a glass of rich chocolate milk from a local dairy until his last days. Another key job in Ray's life was managing Salm's Darboy Fried Chicken in Combined Locks, a place where he could be found most every day of the week, always with a cup of coffee in hand.

Ray served in the Army Reserve and was a life-long member of St. John Parish in Little Chute. He was an avid photographer and enjoyed flower gardening, music (his album collection was eclectic and huge!), the theater and travel. He loved going to the County Fair - an integral part of his long relationship with 4-H - and a sunny afternoon cruising the countryside in his 1968 Chrysler convertible. Riding with Ray was always an adventure!

Ray had a great affection for all things "farming" and we thank our brother Bob for making sure he could live on the homestead for so many years. We are forever grateful for the loving care provided by Rhonda and her staff the past few years at Care Partners, a senior living home kitty-corner from the Salm Family Farm at the intersection of French Road and JJ. Thanks also to Dr. Demery and her team.

Ray is survived by siblings Doris Jansen, Jim Salm, Roman Jr. (Virgie) Salm, Marian (Jack) VandeHey, Jerry "Soupy" (Lois) Salm, Cathy (Dick) Bauer, Bob (Gail) Salm, Dick (Peg) Salm, Deb (Steve) Halverson, and Anne (Glenn) Higgins; his brother-in-law Ken VandeHey; and hundreds of nieces, nephews, their spouses and their descendants. He was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings Harold "Ringo" Salm and Jan Vande Hey, his siblings in-law Bill Jansen and Patti Salm, and his nephew Roman Peter Salm III.

A Funeral Mass for Ray will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Monday April 29, 2019, at ST. JOHN NEPOMUCENE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 323 S. Pine Street, Little Chute, with Msgr. Jim Vanden Hogen officiating. Visitation will be at the church Monday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. until the time of Mass. Burial will be at St. John Catholic Cemetery at a later date. For online condolences, please visit www.verkuilenfh.com.