Raymond Robert Oldenburg passed on May 28, 2019, with family by his side, at Seasons of Life Hospice in Woodruff, Wisconsin at the age of 91 years. He was born June 30, 1927 to Robert and True (Raess) Oldenburg in Merrill, Wisconsin. Ray attended school at Parrish Elementary Graded School in Parrish, Wisconsin and high school in Gleason and Merrill, Wisconsin. Ray was Town of Parish Supervisor from 1964 to 1970, Town Assessor from 1969 to 1970 and Chairman from 1970 to 1972. Ray worked in logging in his younger years and then began working on road construction from 1957 to 1962. He and his wife, Delaine, owned and operated Rays Saw Sales & Service from 1960 to 1989. In 1962 Ray bought logging equipment and began hauling logs to various mills for himself and others. He changed careers in the early 1970’s to an excavating and dirt business until his retirement in 1996. Ray spent over 55 years selling Christmas trees and wreaths in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the last 17 of those years in Plano, Illinois. Ray lived nearly his entire life near the Prairie River where he enjoyed catching trout, fishing for just about any kind of fish any time of year, hunting, golfing, spending time with his family, going out to eat and going to the casinos. Ray loved selling his Christmas trees and we always loved watching him out on the lot talking with the people about his trees.
Ray was married to Delaine Bergman on November 18, 1949 in Bessemer, Michigan. They had four children: Wayne (Susan) Gleason, Shirley (Michael) McCabe, Mundelein, IL, Delyn (Craig) Ritchie, Rhinelander and Kevin (Margo) Cherney, WA. Ray had 12 grandchildren: Lori (Joe) Schoone, Teri (Scott) Krueger, Kerri Bushor, Melissa (Jason) Ratliff, Alison (Ryan) Wood, Kristen McCabe, Erin McCabe, Kate (Daniel) Everson, Megan (Michael) Rudie, Mark (Katie) Ritchie, Nina Oldenburg and Ian Oldenburg, 13 great grandchildren, and 7 great great-grandchildren. Ray was preceded in death by his wife, Delaine of 54 years, his parents, two brothers Dale and James and one sister Hope Fisher.
Ray has requested to be cremated and that there be no funeral. He will be forever missed and remembered by us all. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hildebrand Funeral Home & Cremation Specialists, 24 E. Davenport Street, Rhinelander, Wisconsin 54501, 715-365-4343. You are invited to light a candle, sign the guestbook, leave a photo or an online condolence at www.hildebrandrussfh.com