Raymond Raymond Watne, Sr.

Funeral services for Raymond Watne, 86, Binford, ND, were held December 31, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Binford. He died December 27, 1977, in the Griggs County Hospital in Cooperstown.

Allen Raymond Watne was born November 11, 1911, near Cooperstown, the son of Cornelius and Lena (Amundson) Watne. He grew up in the rural Cooperstown and Binford area where he attended school. He was baptized in the Lutheran faith and was confirmed in Hillsboro at the age of 22. During the depression, Raymond worked on the WPA, was a member of the CCC and served in the National Guards.

He married Alma Overby November 18, 1940, in Moorhead, MN. They moved to the Fred Lewis farm in 1941. In 1942 they moved into Binford where he worked for Edlund Motor Co. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy Seas Bees October 23, 1943 and served in North Africa during WWII. He was honorably discharged November 9, 1945, as a Machinist Mate 2nd Class.

Following his discharge, he and his family lived south of Cooperstown until 1947, when they moved to a farm near Sutten. In 1949, they moved to a farm south of Binford, where they lived until 1964, when they moved into their present house in Binford. June 6, 1966, he began working for Reiten Equipment Co. which later became Clark Equipment, retiring in 1976. The couple continued to make their home in Binford.

He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and member of the Jonas A. Helland American Legion Post, both of Binford.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years: Alma of Binford; three sons, Allen Jr. (Lillian) of Fallbrook, CA, Bernard (Bev) of Highland Ranch, CO, Terry (Johanna) of Grand Forks; two daughters, Darlene (Richard) Brandvold, West Fargo, and Renee (Joe) Martin, Valley City; three sisters, Gladys Martin, Shirley (Carrol) Retzlaff, both of Cooperstown, Mable Mergenthal, Hillsboro; one brother, Chester, of Cooperstown; 18 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, infant Bernard, Vernie and Stanley; one sister, Lillian Mergenthal.

Source: Sentinel-Courier, Cooperstown, ND, January 1998