Raymond A. Nowak, age 79, of Wells, died Monday, Nov. 17, 2003, at Parkview Care Center in Wells.

Funeral Services will be 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at St. Casimir Catholic Church in Wells. The Rev. Eugene Stenzel will officiate. Visitation will be Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells from 4-8 p.m., with a prayer service at 7 p.m., and one hour prior to services at the church on Thursday, with rosary at 9 a.m. Interment will be St. Casimir Cemetery, Wells, with military honors by the Wells Color Guard and the Freeborn American Legion Post.

Ray was born on Dec. 10, 1923, In Dunbar Township, the son of Joseph A. and Ella (Kalis) Nowak. He lived in the Wells area his entire life except when he was in the service. He attended country school and served in the U.S. Army during World War II from May of 1944 to May of 1946 and earned the Victory Medal, American Theater Ribbon, and European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with two bronze battle stars, one overseas service bar, Army of Occupation medal (Germany), and the Good Conduct Medal.

On May 7, 1952, he married Mercedes Ann Formanek in Garner, Iowa.

He farmed and did custom baling, carpentry work, digging graves, tree cutting, trucking, woodcrafts, was a salesman and field manager for Furst-McNess Company and was a gun safety trainer for Wells and Freeborn. He was a member of the St. Casimir Catholic Church, a member and past-commander of the Wells VFW Post #1778 and the Freeborn American Legion Post. He also was a member of the Freeborn Rod and Gun Club and enjoyed fishing, Polish gadgets, jokes, making sausage and horseradish and spending time with family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Mercedes Nowak of Wells; eight children: James R. (wife Carolyn) Nowak of Geneva, Donald J. (wife Linda) Nowak of Wells, Clara L. (special friend Steve) Halverson of Billings, Mont., Betty J. (husband Bob) Shannon of Jacksonville, Fla., Edward M. (wife Wendy) Nowak of Janesville, Nancy (husband Greg) Dahlen of Hayfield, Charles A. Nowak of Wells, and Ruth A. (husband Matthew) Schaper of Wells; 13 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; two sisters: Elaine (husband John) Buzicky, and Alvera (husband Bob) Formanek of Britt, Iowa; and brother, Jacob Nowak of Wells.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Jane Schultz; and one brother, Ambrose Nowak.