Herschel Ragains

Funeral services for Herschel Ragains will be Tuesday, August 14, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. at Driftwood Christian Church with Doug Graham officiating. Burial will follow at Hawley Cemetery in Grant County with arrangements by Lanman Funeral Home, Inc. of Cherokee.  Visitation with the family will be Monday from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with the family.   www.lanmanmemorials.com  Facebook: Lanman Funeral Home Inc.

Memorials may be given to Driftwood Church or Burlington FFA through the funeral home.

Herschel Leon Ragains was born September 1, 1939 to Charley Forest and Stella Mae “Venn” Ragains on a farm two miles south of Sand Creek, Oklahoma. He passed away August 8, 2018 at the age of 78 years, 11 months, and 8 days.

He attended Gore School southwest of Wakita for eleven years until the high school closed, at which time he transferred to Wakita where he graduated in 1958.

On August 26, 1959 he was united in marriage to Betty Gayle Hill in the Waldron Christian Church in Waldron, Kansas. Their son, Bradley Leon was born in 1961 and a daughter, Ronda Ralyn, arrived in 1964. The couple lived in Driftwood and Cherokee before moving to Burlington in 1971.

Herschel worked for various farmers over the years before accepting a job at the Burlington Feed Mill in 1974 and later becoming manager, a position he held through 2002. During those 28 years, he put Burlington on the map for his show feed with customers from all over Oklahoma and surrounding states, the farthest being from Farmington, New Mexico.

As a young man, at the age of 16, in 1956 Herschel joined the Oklahoma National Guard in the 45th Infantry Division. He retired from service in 1981.

His favorite activities included woodworking, gardening, watching sports of all kinds, tending to his animals, going to sheep shows and especially spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Herschel was an avid supporter of the FFA and received an Oklahoma Honorary FFA Degree.

Herschel is preceded in death by his mother and father; a brother, C.L. Ragains and a half-sister, Oleatha Magner.

He is survived by his wife, Betty of the home; a son, Bradley Ragains and wife, LeeAnn of Kingfisher; a daughter, Ronda Zimmerman and husband, Brad of Ringwood; three granddaughters, Leticia Parker of Oklahoma City, Lakin Kastl and husband, Zachary of Yukon and Kalei Curtsinger of Aline; a grandson, Tyson Kirkendall and wife, Krystin of Lindsay; two great-grandsons, Cameron Parker and Kashton Parker and six great-granddaughters, Kaila Curtsinger, Rhyleigh Curtsinger, Macie Curtsinger, Ella Kirkendall, Andi Kirkendall, and Wilsy Kastl.