Raymond Charles Grambihler

Raymond Grambihler, 85, of Tripp passed into eternal rest Friday, March 27, 2020 at Good Samaritan Center in Scotland, SD.
Ray was born in Plankinton Friday, June 1, 1934 to Albert and Martha (Soppe) Grambihler. After graduating from Plankinton High School in 1952, Ray worked for a number of years at local businesses before entering the Army. He was stationed in Germany for the majority of his tour and returned to Plankinton in 1957. He met his future wife, Carol (Maruska) on a blind date and the two of them were married three months later August 2, 1961 in Scotland, SD. They settled in Kennebec, SD where Ray ran the family wheat farm as well as working for local business and serving as a volunteer fireman. Both of their children were born while they resided in Kennebec, Mark in 1963 and Daniel in 1966.
They moved to Renville, MN in 1970 where Ray worked as a mechanic for the local John Deere dealer. In 1979, they moved to Ethan, SD where Ray took up farming and opened a repair shop, keeping the neighbors’ tractors, combines, pickups, cars and other machines running. Ray raised hogs, cattle and various grains while also running the wheat farm in Kennebec, as he had the entirety of his time in Renville. In their later years on the farm, he and Carol raised a number of dog breeds.
Ray and Carol retired from the farm into Tripp in 2012, where Ray focused on his garden, tinkering with various inventions (including a very successful throttle friction disk that he sold across the country), restoring tractors and waging a battle to keep his cat, Blizzard, in the yard (Ray won that battle). He became a resident at the Good Samaritan Center in Scotland in September of 2019 as a result of declining health and passed away Friday, March 27, 2020.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father; his infant sister, Zeta; his brothers Bob and Lawrence; his sister Frances Kinyon; brothers-in-law John Haines, Paul Desrochers, Francis “Blubber” Maruska, Don Kaiser, Jack Turner and Norman Maruska; and sisters-in-law Dorothy (Frances) Maruska, Arlene (Don) Kaiser, Marge (Jack) Turner and Helen (Anton) Grambihler.
He is survived by his wife Carol of Tripp; sisters Delores (John) Haines and Mary (Paul) Desrochers of Green Bay, WI; brother Anton of Richland, WA; brothers-in-law Harold Kinyon of Plankinton and Gerald Maruska of McAllen, TX; sisters-in-law Marilyn (Bob) Grambihler of Plankinton and Nellie (Norman) Maruska of Scotland; sons Mark of Parker, SD and Daniel (Joan) of Gilbert, AZ; grandchildren Renée and Steven; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and their children and grandchildren.
Ray will always be remembered for his wit, his humor, his willingness to help those in need and his ability to fix all things mechanical. He will be dearly missed.