Rev. Raymond E. Forsyth, 81, of Burlington Junction, MO, passed away Tuesday morning, October 12, 2010 at St. Francis Hospital in Maryville.

Raymond Edward Forsyth was born at Griswold, IA, on April 1, 1929, the son of Ralph S. and Hattie B. (Mueller) Forsyth. He attended and graduated from rural school near their home and graduated from Griswold High School in 1947 receiving a Normal Training Certificate. That fall he started teaching in the rural school he had attended. In the next several years, he attended classes at the University of Nebraska – Omaha and at Drake University in Des Moines renewing his teaching certificate, continuing to teach in the area schools. He moved to Maryville, MO, in 1962 and attended Northwest Missouri State University graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Education. He was accepted into the United Methodist Ministry in 1963 and was awarded a license to preach. Later he graduated from Perkins School of Theology (Southern Methodist University) in Dallas, TX, and was ordained and served several churches in the Missouri West Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. On July 27, 1981, he married Elva Mae Shipley Jones in Skidmore, MO. They retired to Burlington Jct. in 1988. Mae died on April 8, 2010, and Raymond has been a resident of the Golden Living Care Center in Maryville since August. He was a member of the Burlington Junction United Methodist Church and the Golden Key Senior Citizens.


Preceding Raymond in death were his parents, his wife, his brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Betty Forsyth, his step-grandsons Vaughn Lee Jones and Byron Jay Ryan, his step-granddaughter Renee Lyn Lowe and his step-son-in-law Richard Weaklend.

Surviving his passing are three step-sons, Ronnie Dean Jones, Charles Robert Jones, and David LeRoy Jones all of Colorado, and two step-daughters, Dorothea Weaklend of Osceola, IA and Lillian Marie Custer of Oroville, CA. Also surviving are several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren, one uncle, one aunt, one nephew, and two nieces as well as other relatives and friends.

Memorial services will be held on Tuesday, October 19, 2010, at the Burlington Jct. United Methodist Church at 2:00 PM. Burial of cremated remains will be held at a later date in Oakwood Cemetery at Lewis, IA. A memorial fund has been established. Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold is in charge of the arrangements.