Raymond Howsare, age 95, of Indianola, Iowa, formerly of Crawfordsville, Iowa died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 3:00 a.m. at Mercy Hospice in Johnston, Iowa.

Celebration of life services will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 2, 2013 at the United Church of Crawfordsville with Pastor Jason Collier officiating. Visitation will begin 4:00 p.m. Friday, March 1, 2013 at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. Friday evening. A Masonic Lodge Service will take place at the United Church of Crawfordsville in conjunction with the celebration of life service. Interment with military honors will take place at the Crawfordsville Cemetery. A memorial has been established to the United Church of Crawfordsville. Online condolences may be sent for Raymond's family through the web at www.jonesfh.com .

Gerald Raymond Howsare was born September 13, 1917 the son of Augustus "Gus" and Ida Mae (Page) Howsare. He was raised southwest of Crawfordsville, on the old Hawthorne place. He graduated from Crawfordsville Consolidated School District. Raymond was a member of the United States Army, and was a veteran of World War II. On March 10, 1948, Raymond was united in marriage to Ada Marie Welch at the First Methodist Church in Burlington, Iowa. They were married for over fifty-six years when she died on November 23, 2004.

Raymond started his work life working for his brother Lloyd on a farm. He worked for a year at Rath Packing in Waterloo until he was drafted into service. After returning from the military in 1946, he started farming with help from Clarence Fulton. He farmed in Ainsworth, until fire totally destroyed his home in 1957. After that, he moved to farm in Columbus Junction, then east of Crawfordsville. He also worked as a bus driver in Crawfordsville, and as a custodian and bus driver at Cotter Elementary. Raymond thoroughly enjoyed taking his wife, Marie, as he drove the girls softball and basketball teams to games, and trips with Special Olympics. He retired from Columbus Junction at sixty-two years old.

Raymond was a member of the Crawfordsville United Methodist Church, where he was a past chair of the church board. He was a sixty-eight year member of the Crawfordsville American Legion where he had served as Vice Commander for two terms, and was a member of the firing squad. He joined the Masons when he was twenty-two years old, and was a Master Mason. He served eighteen years as the leader of the Crooked Creek Cyclones 4-H Club, and was a two-term member of the County 4-H Extension Council.

He still enjoyed the trips he could make to watch the Iowa Hawkeyes basketball teams, both men and women, and was excited to see the Hawkeyes new coach bring back the press, just like Dr. Tom Davis had. He also loved his horses, especially Chief, and his many horse-drawn carriages, sleighs, and carts.

Raymond is survived by son Galen Howsare and wife Kathy of Urbandale, Iowa; son Kirk Howsare and wife Deb of Indianola, Iowa; grandchildren: Anne Howsare Boyens and husband Jesse, Mark, Austin and Brooke Howsare; one great-grandchild: Jude Boyens; as well as many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Marie; his parents; brothers Lloyd and Merle Howsare; sister Ethel Nicholson; half-brothers Bill and Ed Squires; and half-sisters Elizabeth Gingery and Rebecca Lease.