Raymond Pottebaum

Raymond J. Pottebaum, 85, of Miller and formerly of Orient, passed away Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at the Good Samaritan Society in Miller.

Funeral Mass will be 11:00 a.m., Monday, July 22, 2024, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Orient, with Father John Short, celebrant.  A rosary will held at 10:00 a.m., prior to the funeral.  Burial will follow Mass at St. Joseph Cemetery, Orient.

Raymond was born February 10, 1939, in Faulkton, SD as the fourth child and only son to Joseph and Matilda (Lenhoff) Pottebaum. He grew up on the family farm a half mile south of Orient.   He attended all 12 grades in Orient and graduated in 1958 with the last graduating class from Orient High School.  After graduation, he worked for Reg Conway as a farmhand. Ray then started working for Cenex, which at the time was Farmers Oil Company.  While employed at Cenex, he delivered gas to area farmers, often carrying bubble gum for the children on his route.  During his employment, he achieved several certifications for flammable fuels.  He retired in 2004 after nearly 45 years of employment with Cenex.  He moved into town with his family in 1963 and lived in Orient until 2021 when he moved to the Miller Manor in Miller, SD. 

Raymond lived a simple life.  He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He attended his niece and nephew’s weddings and opened a Facebook account so he could keep up with the happenings in their lives. Ray was a regular at the Orient Cenex station for coffee and conversation and continued driving from Miller after he moved.  He enjoyed carpentry, watching westerns, and was a very good cook!  In 2023 he was honored as the Grand Marshall for the Orient parade.

Raymond is survived by three sisters, Norma Miller, Faulkton, SD; Elaine Joyce, Alexandria, MN; and Cele (Frank) King, Sioux Falls; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Dolores Edgar; and brothers-in-law, Donald (Fud) Edgar, Robert Miller, and Patrick Joyce. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Orient Community Club or St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

Luce Funeral Home of Faulkton has been entrusted with Ray's arrangements.