Raymond Leon Gruben, of Mineral Wells, Texas went on to be with the Lord on April 27, 2024, after a bout with pneumonia. He had been living in Fort Worth, Texas, in a nursing home after a stroke that happened in Mineral Wells, Texas, in November 2023.
Raymond (or Leon as he was known by many in his family) was born on May 27, 1929, to Ed and Alma Gruben in Rotan, Texas. He moved with his family to Mineral Wells, Texas and later Raymond graduated from Mineral Wells High School in May 1947. He married Eugenia Walker in 1954 and they would have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this current year. They were married at Calvary Baptist in Mineral Wells, Texas
which is the church where he was a member when he died. They went on to have three children,
Raymond Lee, Charlotte, and Walter.
Raymond served in the Air Force from September 1948 to August 1952 during the Korean conflict
although he did not serve in Korea. Duty stations included Tinker AFB, Keesler AFB and Enewetak atoll. He acquired the skill of and certification of air traffic controller and worked at this career after the Air Force until his retirement. Work provided the opportunity to move to different locations and he moved his family to El Paso, TX; Las Vegas, NM; Montezuma, NM; Santa Fe, NM; and San Antonio, TX. When he retired, he and Eugenia continued to work on and finish their well-planned log cabin near Pipe Creek, Texas. They lived there until they sold this place and moved back to Mineral Wells in 2014.
During the retirement years they spent five summers working in and enjoying the adventure of Yellowstone Park. Raymond also occupied himself with church activities, continuing to play and teach the
harmonica, hunting, traveling (including a trip to the Ken Ham’s Creation Museum/Answers in
Genesis Ark Encounter in Kentucky and an Alaskan cruise), working on cars, and improving his
house and land near Pipe Creek, Texas.
Raymond was predeceased by his father and mother and his sister Pauline. He is survived by his brother Kenneth Gruben.
He is also survived by his three children, thirteen grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.
Services will be held at White’s Funeral Home chapel in Mineral Wells, Texas, on Wednesday, May 1st at 1PM.