Obituary - Horace J. "Buck" Raty

Horace J. "Buck" Raty passed away of natural causes on Jan. 14, 2015, at the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home.

Services were held at the LDS church in Chinook. Public viewing was at 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 17, with funeral at 2 p.m., Graveside services were to follow. Condolences for the family may be left at http://www.edwardsfuneralhomemt.com

Buck was born in Challis, Idaho, on July 10, 1925. He was raised in the Idaho Falls area and resided there until enlisting in the U.S. Navy at the age of 16. He served his country during World War II, and the Korean Conflict.

After his time in the Navy, Buck moved to Geraldine, Montana, where he met and married his wife of 61 years, EmmaD (Dee Dee) Jones. He spent many years working construction until moving to Chinook to buy the family dairy farm from his in-laws, Dick and Helen Henderson. Buck spent many years working for the irrigation company until his retirement in 1995. He then spent his time working on the family farm well into his 80s.

Family was important to Buck and Dee. Together they raised seven children and he mentored his many grandchildren. He also loved to fly. He bought his first plane in 1953, and his second in 1984. He would find any excuse to take to the air, even using the plane to check his cows. Buck loved to spend his time experimenting with alternative energy and took a particular interest in hydrogen for gas. He even managed to convert the minivan to run on hydrogen.

Buck is preceded in death by his father, Horace S. Raty, mother Olive Frandsen, brothers Arthur, Harold, Bill and Bobby, his sisters Dorothy Edwards and Mabel Schiler, and his children Shawn and Clifford Joseph "Joe".

He is survived by his wife, Emma D. (Jones) Raty; children Gail (James) Hoag, Sallie (Aaron) Brown, Harold (Linda) Raty, Keith (Colleen) Raty and Mark (Tamara) Raty; brother Jack Raty, and sister Bonnie Mayo.

Memorial donations can be made to the Chinook AAU Wrestling Cub or the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.