Alva D. Ray

Alva D. Ray, age 75 of Litchfield, MN died on Sunday, November 28, 2021, at Meeker Memorial Hospital. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, December 4, 2021, at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Litchfield, MN. Visitation will be held from 5:00 - 8:00 PM on Friday December 3, 2021, at Johnson-Hagglund Funeral and Cremation in Litchfield, MN with a time of sharing at 8:00 PM. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at church. Interment will be held at Ripley Cemetery, Litchfield, MN. Alva Dorothy Ray, the daughter of Karl and Linda (Stueber) Retzlaff, was born in Boon Lake Township, MN on April 12, 1946. She grew up around Litchfield where she attended country school and graduated from Litchfield High School in 1964. Alva was united in marriage to the love of her life, Ernie Ray, on August 14, 1965, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Litchfield, MN. Their marriage was blessed with a son in August of 1977. In 1978, Alva and Ernie moved to a hobby farm south of Litchfield and they became a family of four with a daughter in November of 1979. They raised their family and many pets on the farm. Upon Ernie’s passing in December of 2019, Alva then moved into town. She was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, MS Society, and T.O.P.S. Despite her MS, Alva was a true fighter and always saw the positive in every situation life threw at her. Alva was a loving caregiver, taking care of her father and opening her home to many family and friends over the years. She loved having a house filled with food, music, family and friends, and often hosted parties and gatherings. She made countless pies for the 4-H food stand and sold produce, jelly and a variety of baked goods at both the Litchfield and Hutchinson farmers markets. A typical day for Alva included running errands for friends, cooking for her family, and watching The Price is Right followed by soap operas, Wheel of Fortune, and Family Feud. She enjoyed music, dancing, playing cards and games including Yahtzee and Aggravation, gardening, and cooking. She loved birds and going on trips to the casino, especially with Ernie. Alva knew the importance of having laughter and happiness as a constant in her life. Alva is survived by her children Kyle (Amber) Ray of Litchfield and Rosalyn (Erick) Kotila of Cokato; granddaughter Hannah; sisters-in-law Sherri Smith and Jane (Dick) Fisher; brother-in-law Myron Kuechle; and many nephews, nieces, family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Karl and Linda; husband Ernie; brothers Arthur, Arnold and Herman; and sister Ruthie. Thank you sincerely for sharing our sorrow. Your kindness is deeply appreciated and will always be remembered by our family. Blessed be her memory.