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Raymond Kenneth Gramm Obituary
Description: Raymond Kenneth Gramm Obituary... Our Heartfelt Condolences To His Loved Ones...
Raymond Kenneth Gramm
September 6, 1934 ~ August 23, 2025 (age 90)
Obituary
Raymond Kenneth Gramm was born to John Henry and Freida Veronica Gramm at their home in Bethune, CO, on September 6, 1934. He departed this life on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Grace Manor Care Center in Burlington, CO.
Raymond was the second child of John and Freida with older brother Richard and younger sister Gladys. The family lived north of Bethune in the German Settlement until they moved to Burlington in 1952. Growing up in the “settlement” Raymond was bilingual knowing both German and English.
The family attended Hope Congregational Church, which his father helped establish. Raymond and his siblings attended country school and would ride their horse to and from school every day. In the morning, they rode the horse to school and after arriving they would send the horse back home. At the end of the school day, Freida would send the horse back to school to pick the kids up and bring them home.
Raymond only attended formal school to the 6th grade but continued to learn his whole life. He was drafted into the armed forces but was unable to serve due to being deaf in one ear.
After moving to Burlington, Raymond went to work driving a hay truck for Wayne Clark. Wayne would say that Raymond was the most dependable driver he had at the time. After leaving the Clarks, Ray went to work for Sim Hudson at the car dealership. While working at Sim Hudson, his co-worker, George Gustin, set him up on a blind date with Margaret Richards. On their first date, Ray went to the door and when answered said “tell her I’m here” and went back to the car. They were married 2 years later on September 2, 1962. After the car dealership, Raymond worked for Forrest Miller laying underground pipe.
Raymond did a correspondence course to learn refrigeration and had his own small business of refrigeration repair. He loved this job, and it provided a good living for him and his family. When the business became too much to keep up with, Ray went to work for the Econo Lodge as their maintenance person. He worked there until his retirement.
Ray and Margaret began their married life in a small mobile home in the backyard of Margaret’s parent’s house while they built their forever house on So. 16th Street. They had wanted to start their family but were told they would most likely not be able to conceive a child of their own. After beginning the adoption process, Margaret realized she was pregnant with John. John Lloyd was born on July 16, 1967. Ten years later, Russell Allen was born on April 28, 1977. The house on 16th street was their family home until Raymond went to Grace Manor in Aprill 2022 due to declining health. Margaret went to Grace Manor in August 2024.
After retirement, Raymond and Margaret bought a shop building on Hwy 24 and 5th Street. Raymond began rebuilding old tractors and went on to enter Antique Tractor Pulls with his 1953 Massey Harris and 1960 International 510. Raymond would pull with the Massey and Margaret would pull with the International. These tractors were Raymond’s pride and joy. He spent many hours restoring them and would talk “tractors” with anyone.
In these last few years at Grace Manor, Raymond found a new hobby of drawing. He spent a lot of his time drawing and coloring pictures. Some pictures were drawn free hand and some were copied then colored. He very much enjoyed this new hobby and became quite an artist. In his final days, he didn’t draw or color as he once did, but he continued to work at it as much as he could.
Raymond was a quiet man but a had a sense of humor and sarcasm. Watching scary movies with Raymond was the greatest as he talked thru the whole movie giving away all the scary scenes. He didn’t attend the things that his kids and grandkids were involved in but couldn’t wait to know all the details when they got home. He loved his family fiercely and was very proud of all of them. Raymond passed away peacefully in his sleep after a short but hard battle with cancer. Preceding him in death was his beloved wife Margaret in January of this year, his parents, his siblings, and his in laws.
Those left to mourn his passing are his sons; John and his wife Becky; Russell and his wife Gwendolyn; grandchildren and great grandchildren: Jessica Gramm; Christopher Gramm, his wife Deanna and their boys Kayden, Korbyn, Kolsyn, and Kyeson; Nathan Gramm, his fiancé Rachel and their boys Braiden and Baby Gramm due in January 2026; Benjamen Gramm, his wife Erin and their son Everett; Trenton Gramm and his fiancé Jadi Lockhart; Ephrem Gramm; and Bethany Gramm.
