Edwin Ray Carothers Obit

Edwin Ray Carothers, age 80, of Granite, passed away early Sunday morning, September 25, 2011, at Grace Living Center, in Mangum.

Ray was born in Granite, on December 28, 1930, to George Bryant and Esther Tressie (Roberts) Carothers. Though being born in Granite, the family lived in the Lake Creek Community until 1944, when they moved to Granite. Ray attended Granite School and married the love of his life, Rudean Hunt, on March 19, 1949, in Wellington, Texas, just before graduating, from Granite, in 1949. After establishing their first home in Granite, Ray began working for Warren Steel at the City Service Station. A short time later, they moved to Odessa, Texas where he worked for Phillips Oil Company. Later they moved to Grants, New Mexico, for two years, where Ray worked in the uranium mines and then on to La Harbra, California where he was employed with the Bryon Jackson Rubber Company for one year before returning to Grants and the uranium mine. In 1962, the family moved back to Granite where Ray purchased the Conoco Service Station and later added the Mini Mart, where he served the public for the next twenty-two years. In 1984, when his health began to fail, Ray sold the Conoco Station and later began buying and remolding houses to rent.

Ray was a devoted husband as well as a loving father and an avid basketball, baseball and football fan; he enjoyed watching his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren participate in their activities. Ray was a long-time member of the Masons, member of the Lion’s Club, member of the Granite Housing Board. He enjoyed coaching little league and summer league basketball and baseball, as well as fishing with Rudean. Ray also enjoyed attending the First Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and a Sunday School Superintendent.

Preceded in death by his parents and three sisters, Pearl Demarest, Ethel Witherspoon and Rita Coffman.

He is survived by his wife, Rudean, of sixty-two years; five children, Debra Caid and husband Skip, Sue Hahn and husband Larry and Brenda Petzold and husband Billy, all of Granite, Teresa Zachary and husband David of Lamont, Oklahoma and Rusty Carothers of Clinton, Oklahoma; eleven grandchildren, Wendy and Ryan Sites, Mandy and Alan Jefferson, Cindy and Jeremy Rogers, Justin and Amity Hahn, Andy and Tammy Hahn, Aaron and Karen Zachary, Mikki Zachary, Braden Petzold, Chase Caid, Kaeli Carothers and Darian Carothers; eight great grandchildren and two on the way; one brother, Bill Carothers of Anaheim, California; three sisters, Joyce Richardson of Lone Wolf, Imogene Snow of Stillwater and Mary Hutson of McComb, Mississippi along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Funeral services for Ray Carothers will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, September 29, 2011, at the Granite First Baptist Church with David Hogg, Arol Steverson and Rev. Ben VanVacter officiating. Interment will follow at Rock Cemetery under the direction of Greer Funeral Home of Granite.

The family will greet friends at Greer Funeral Home, in Granite, on Wednesday evening, September 28, 2011, from 6 until 8 p.m.

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