Harvey Ray Fletcher

My cousin Ray Fletcher died November 1, 2025, at the age of 85. Harvey Ray Fletcher, known to most of us as "Ray" was born on May 17, 1940, to Clyde and Edna Peterson Fletcher, in the small rural community of Clitherall, MN. He came from a typical farm family who were honest, believed in God and attended church religiously. Ray was the youngest child in the family. He had an adopted brother Lyle who was six years older than he was, as well as a biological brother Lane, who was four years older than him.

Ray attended school up to the 8th grade. Along with physical disabilities from birth, he suffered seizures that were so embarrassing. A special classmate, Charleen, was his angel. When a seizure came on, she was there to see him though the episode. She also saved him from drowning one time which he always remembered and loved to share. He was so grateful to her and mentioned her friendship often. As he grew older, he finally got medication that would control the seizures, so he never had them again since age 15. For the rest of his life, he took this medication to keep from having to relive those awful seizures again.

One month short of his 18th birthday he was helping to burn off a farm field when the fire grew rapidly and pinned him in an area from which he couldn’t move. He was badly burned on the lower part of his body. The fire caught his pant leg on fire, and his left leg still carries the scars. This happened in a remote rural area and it took a long time for his brother Lane to reach him. Lane gathered Ray up and got him to the car so he could take him to a nearby town for help. There was little that could be done in this small community. Only Ray can explain the pain that he suffered on that day.

He was taken to the University hospital in Minneapolis about 200 miles southeast of his hometown of Clitherall. That was his home for 9 months as the nurses and doctors treated his burns and preformed surgeries to correct his misshapen leg and foot. This enabled him to walk better than he had before. He suffered many painful skin grafts.

His mother was his whole life, and she treated him with kindness and loving care for many years as he healed. After his father died in 1969, Ray got a job at a cabinet factory in Fergus Falls and was able to earn enough money for him and his mother to live comfortably. He was able to drive a car and could take his mother to appointments or to run errands. They also took several trips to places near and far away, they’d always dreamed of going to different places.

Ray never married nor had children but loved the little nieces and nephews that would come and visit. He always smiled when he talked about them.

Ray was a lifelong member and an elder in The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutler).

After his mom died in 1994, he lived alone in Fergus Falls. The members of the church in Independence asked Ray if he'd like to move to MO and be near the church and family here. He agreed to that and in February 1995, several of us went up to MN and loaded up his belongings and brought him to Independence. We located a nice place with a garage. He lived in his two-bedroom home on Ash Street, for almost 19 years after adapting to a busy city from a small rural community.

Ray bought a small truck so he could apply for work. He was able to get a job at the Window Factory in Kansas City and worked there for quite a while. He was happy to be able to have a job and be self-sufficient. Unfortunately, one of his co-workers struck him on the back of his left leg with a board and "killed" one of the many grafts that he had received in 1958. It took nine months of treatments which included 30 hyperbaric treatments before the wound was healed.

After he retired, he continued to live alone and cared for himself and his house. He did laundry, mowed his yard, went to the store for his groceries and drove to church. As he grew older his back pain began to worsen and on December 20, 2005, his back gave away, and he fell in the kitchen and broke his right leg. He was finally able to drag himself to his phone and call us. He spent time in the hospital and then was at The Groves for 6 weeks in rehab. When he was released from rehab, he went back home and returned to his life. He never gave up.

If Ray would have had his health, his desire was to study law and become a lawyer. He always watched the court shows on TV. But college was not in his future. He had limited use of his left hand which motivated him to create other ways to complete a task. He “invented” a tubular form that would hold a large leaf bag upright which would aid him in picking up his leaves in the Fall. Cousin Stan was good at welding and more than once made his ideas become a reality.

In time Ray’s back got progressively weaker as well as his legs. X-rays on his back showed a degeneration of the spine as well as some arthritis. He needed help to get to the store and church. He was unable to walk safely and continued to fall. Cooking had been very hard for him as standing up was difficult even for short periods of time. Therefore, he had lost weight and dropped to 115#. With the weight loss came weakness over all his body.

He resigned himself that he needed help and asked to go to The Groves. It was a place he was familiar with having been there in 2005. He recalls how nice the people were who took care of him. On December 5, 2014, Ray moved to Rosewood Health and Rehab Center, a part of The Groves. He gained weight and made new friends. He was happy there. He walked the halls many times a day to make sure he was getting good exercise. He was also willing to help anyone that he could.

Over the years Rays health declined partly due to age. He was 81 on May 17, 2021. His left leg that was burned in 1958 began to deteriorate and it could not be saved. Sadly it was amputated in June, 2021. He was fitted for a prosthesis but was not able to adapt to using it.

At the beginning of 2020 when the virus hit, Ray decided he didn’t want to take the COVID-19 vaccine when the shots were offered. His desire was to leave this world and go to a better place where he could be with his Mother and other family members. He longed to meet his maternal grandparents who came to America from Sweden as most of them died before Ray was born. Perhaps there’s been a glorious reunion waiting in heaven.

Ray tested positive to the virus on January18, 2022. After thirteen days in isolation, he tested negative for COVID but was greatly weakened by the virus. However, Rays strength came back and he survived and continued to live a happy life. He praised the nurses and caretakers of the kindness that has been given him. He said, “just look at what I have.” Ray was very grateful.

Update: December 7, 2024, Ray is now 84 years old and still resides at Rosewood Health Center. His plans for burial were to be cremated and taken back to Minnesota where he had purchased a large lot in the Girard Union Cemetery in Henning, MN. His plan was to be buried in one of the four lots he owned.

Recently when we went to visit him, he said he’d been thinking that it would be hard for us to take his ashes back north and he has nobody in Clitherall anymore. He wondered if we thought it would be easier if he was buried here. That was a complete surprise! He was thinking of us and I am grateful for that thoughtfulness. We will do as he has wished. He now has a grave site at Mound Grove Cemetery in Independence, Missouri near many family members that have gone before him. He decided to donate the Girard Union Cemetery plots to the Funeral Home in Henning, MN to be used for someone that can’t afford to buy them. No money will be used.

This brings to mind a hymn in our little black hymn book.

Now he’s gone, we’d not recall him

From a paradise of bliss,

Where no evil can befall him,

To a changing world like this.

His lov’d name will never perish,

Nor his mem’ry crown the dust,

For the Saints of God will cherish

The remembrance of the just.

Join your mother and rest in peace brother Ray.

Ray is survived by nephews, nieces and cousins.

No services will be scheduled, a cremation and burial will be Mound Grove Cemetery in Independence, Missouri.