World War II Vet Ralph Henry Fauth was born April 13, 1926 to Jacob and Christina (Fuhrman Walker) Fauth. After a lengthy illness Ralph went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on November 5, 2016.
Ralph was the tenth child of seventeen children. His parents home-steaded in the Baylor Community and he was born at the family farm.
Ralph attended school at the South and North Fuhrman School. He was his Dad’s shepherd during part of his grade school years and summers when in high school. He attended high school in Glasgow. While in High School he set pins at the Dunn’s Bowling Alley after school. He graduated in 1944. He was drafted into the Army right after High School and served in the Pacific Theater in World War II including Hawaii and the Philippines. His duties included motor pool and combat duty, and he was responsible for twenty-five to thirty-five POWs. Ralph was on a boat to Japan, intended to make a beachhead landing, when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ralph’s boat was rerouted back to the Philippians to clean up the military base and then he returned home, to the United States.
Ralph spent some time in Minneapolis recovering from his time in the military. After that he farmed with his Dad and purchased a farm and in 1956 he married Carolyn Schmidt of Lustre. They were married in Minneapolis and honeymooned there. They settled on his farm in the Baylor community. Daughter Joleen was born. Ralph also helped build Glasgow Army Base. Ralph and his wife Carolyn helped care for Carolyn’s mother for two years in the Lustre Community. The family moved back to the Baylor Community. Several years later they rented a farm at Lustre, where they farmed for 40 years.
Ralph accepted the Lord at a special revival meeting in Glasgow after returning home from the army. He was later baptized upon his confession of faith.
The Fauths attended the Assembly of God Church in Opheim where Ralph served as board member. Later, the church in Opheim closed and the Fauths attended the MB Church in Larslan, where Ralph served as usher. After moving back to Lustre, the Fauths attended the EMB Church, where Ralph served on the trustee board and was church treasurer for a number of terms. Ralph and Carolyn also served as greeters at the EMB Church in Lustre. Ralph and Carolyn served on the food committee and did the advertising for the annual Schmeckfest at Lustre Christian High. Ralph loved missions, focusing on Menno and Barb Kroeker, who were missionaries in Brazil, supporting them from the time they went to Brazil, until they retired.
Ralph and Carolyn retired from farming when Ralph turned eighty. They purchased a house and moved to Glasgow. While in Glasgow, Ralph and his wife Carolyn attended the First Baptist Church where Ralph’s grandparents had attended.
Ralph enjoyed family and friends stopping by and going to McDonalds. He also enjoyed going to their farm in the Baylor Community, visiting their daughter Joleen and grandchildren, Chad and Jennifer in Washington. Ralph and Carolyn also traveled to other parts of the United States visiting family and friends.
Ralph was an avid toy tractor collector and had a special place in his heart and shelves for Case and Case-International tractors.
The last years Ralph and Carolyn stayed near their home in Glasgow as Ralph’s health began to fail. Ralph always enjoyed family and friends stopping by their home in Glasgow for a visit.
Present at his home going were his wife, Carolyn and daughter, Joleen.
Ralph leaves to mourn his departure: wife, Carolyn, and daughter, Joleen; grandson Chad and his wife Sarah; granddaughter Jennifer and her husband, Harold; Chad’s children, twins, Maci and Mason, and Jennifer’s children, Noubide and Yemi, as well as Ralph’s brothers Mark and his wife Pat, Bobby Dale and his wife Susan, sister Linda, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Preceding Ralph in death were his still born daughter Peggy; his parents, Jacob and Christina; brothers, Albert Walker, Gilbert, Art, and Delbert Fauth; and sisters, Martha (Walker) Hullinger, Lilly (Walker) Fuhrman, Edna (Walker) Larson, Violet (Fauth) Cornwell, Ellen (Fauth) Paris, Anna Jean Fauth, Wilma Fauth, and Lanora Walker. Ralph left us November 5, 2016, to meet his Lord and Savior, yet we know we will see him again in Glory.
Margaret Todd says
Dear Joleen and family, may God be close during this time off loss. We are remembering you in our prayers.
Sincerely,
Margaret T