Raymond George Linn, 92, passed away Saturday, May 12th at the Oahe Manor in Gettysburg, SD.


Visitation will be from 9:00-11:00 at the Faith Area Memorial Chapel in Faith, SD on Saturday, May 19, 2012 and the graveside service will be held at 11:30 a.m. MDT Saturday, May 19th at the Dupree Cemetery in Dupree, SD with full military honors afforded by the Edwin Hodgdon American Legion Post 124.


Pallbearers are his nephews, Marvin Linn of Sturgis, SD, Robert Linn of Newell, SD, Ronald Linn of Dupree, SD, Gary Linn of Lead, SD, Ken Beck of Black Hawk, SD, Derrick Linn of Sturgis, SD and Bryan Linn of Sioux Falls, SD.


Ray Linn was born July 28, 1919 in a cabin on lower Bear Creek north of Lantry, SD to Frederick and Alice (Main) Linn. His early childhood was spent at the family homestead north of Lantry; in 1929 the family moved to the old log cabin on Bear Creek east of Dupree. He attended Elm Creek Country School until it closed, then attended school in Dupree, graduating from Dupree High School in 1937. He worked in the CCC at Blue Bell Lodge in Custer State Park doing a number of projects throughout the park.


In June of 1941 Ray was drafted into the service during World War II. He was a Staff Sergeant with the 57th Fighter Squadron in the 54th Fighter Group, working as the Mess Sergeant at Harding Field, LA. After his honorable discharge in 1945 he returned to Ziebach County where he ranched with his brother Leonard on the Linn Brothers Ranch north west of Dupree until he moved to the Oahe Manor in 2003 at the age of 84.


Ray was an avid outdoorsman and hunter. He took numerous big game hunting trips to the Yukon in Canada. He also enjoyed traveling and took many trips over the years throughout the western United States and Alaska. Ray was an enthusiastic rock collector and enjoyed showing people his large rock collection, trips out of town usually involved stopping at a rock shop to spend hours visiting with other rock hounds. He loved to cook and was known for his sourdough pancakes and crock pot stews. He was a true historian and loved sharing family history, along with the history of this area, telling stories about the "good old days" from his early childhood, to his days living in a sheep wagon and trailing cattle and sheep throughout Ziebach County. As one of the old time cowboys Ray continued to ride until he was in his early 80's. Ray never married but his nieces and nephews were a very special part of his life as he was in theirs.


Ray was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, the American Legion and the South Dakota Stockgrowers.


He is survived by two brothers, Leonard Linn of Sturgis, SD and Floyd Linn of Gillette, WY, his sister-in-law Irene Linn also of Gillette, 13 nieces and nephews, 24 great-nieces and nephews and 24 great-great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Alice Linn, his sisters Elva Straight and Barbara Capp, Brother-in-law Gene Straight and sister-in-law Violet Linn.


The Family would like to thank the nurses and staff of the Oahe Manor in Gettysburg for the love and care they gave Ray over the 9 years he resided there, they ask in lieu of flowers Memorials in Ray's name be made to the Oahe Manor Alzheimer's Wing, in Gettysburg, SD.