Ray Winkel

Dear friends and family of Ray

Dear friends and family of Ray,

On Thursday, November 9th, Ray finished his journey with us and was brought to his eternal rest in Jesus. Ray wanted to cross the finish line. I was privileged to read him some of his last words: “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” Even though he was troubled a little at the end by sickness, he never wavered in God’s love for him. He was not shaken.

I am comforted to know that Jesus won a great victory for Ray. Death is defeated, evil is undone, and the world belongs to God and his children. God is giving Ray and all who trust in him the gift of life. I pray that you have the same comfort and look to your own eternal rest:

“Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude… shouting, ‘Hallelujah! For our God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bridegroom has made himself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given him to wear.'” (Revelation 19)

I don’t know of a person who wasn’t blessed by Ray when they spent time with him. I spoke with one of his caretakers the other night, who had only been with Ray for a few years. Even though they weren’t his best years, they meant a great deal to this young man. Ray similarly impacted me and many others. God used him to be a blessing.

Ray has been an integral part of Peace for many years. He was part of the committee that planned the first parsonage, he helped design the first bulletins, and he was on the board to start the day school. He celebrated the cancelation of the first mortgage.

Obituary: To read Ray’s obituary, please visit https://www.winkelfuneralhome.com/raymond-a-winkel/

Funeral: Ray will receive a Christian funeral on Monday, November 13th at Peace Lutheran Church at 11:00 a.m. The service is open to the public.

The service will be available via livestream for those who are unable to attend in person. Please see our site https://peaceotsego.org/worship or visit our YouTube page Peace Lutheran Church - YouTube. The service will be available a little bit before 11:00 a.m. and be archived afterwards.

Visitation: Visitation will take place on Sunday November 12th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Winkel Funeral Home in Otsego, MI.

Internment: Ray will be interred following the service at Mountain View Cemetery. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Light meal: Everyone is welcome to enjoy a light meal immediately following the service at Peace.

Memorials: To give a memorial to Peace in honor of Ray, please go to https://peaceotsego.org/give and select “Memorial” or attend the funeral.

I invite you to gather with all of us to mourn and celebrate the victory Jesus gave to Ray. May Jesus give us eternal peace.

Serving the living Savior

Pastor Nathaniel Timmermann

Please pray for Ray’s family: 


Lord Jesus, by your victory over death you have opened the way to eternal life for all of us. Comfort Ray’s family in their loss. Let their grief empty their souls of pain, hurt, and disappointment. Fill them up with new life. Renew their joy each morning. In Jesus’ name, Amen.