Ray Lyle Tweed, 75, of Lake Mills, Iowa, died Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, at the Good Samaritan Society in Forest City, Iowa, after fighting a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills with the Rev. David E. Jordan officiating. Interment will be at the Salem Memorial Cemetery immediately following the service. Military rites will be performed at graveside by Otto/Chose American Legion Post No. 235.

A gathering of family and friends will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 East Main Street, Lake Mills.

Ray Lyle Tweed was born Jan. 25, 1936, in Forest City, the son of Joseph Harry and Opal (Hovland) Tweed. Later that year, the family moved to a farm north of Lake Mills, where Ray attended country school and graduated from Lake Mills High School. Following graduation, he served his county by enlisting in the Army.

On Feb. 10, 1956, Ray was united in marriage to Barbara Johnson at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Scarville, Iowa. They lived in Downers Grove, Ill., while Ray finished his Army stint. They then moved back to the Lake Mills area where Ray farmed and started his carpentry career. In 1974 they moved to the family farm north of Lake Mills where Ray lived until entering the Good Samaritan Society in February 2011. Together Ray and Barbara raised four children.

Ray was a member of Salem Lutheran Church where he served on several committees and as an usher. He took special joy in his grandchildren, watching football, reading Louis L’Amour novels, playing cards, fishing and creating with wood. He will be remembered as a great family man, carpenter and friend who was always willing to help out someone in need.

Ray is survived by his wife, Barbara of Lake Mills; four children, Beverly Retland of Forest City, Debra (Brian) Banwart of Garner, Iowa, Rebecca (Dave) Arneson of Joice, Iowa, and Lynn Tweed of Fayetteville, N.C.; eight grandchildren, Lance Cpl. Ethan Retland of Camp Lejeune, N.C., Matthew Retland of Forest City, Brent Banwart of Austin, Tyler Banwart of Sioux Falls, S.D., Danielle Appel of Burnsville, AJ Appel of Brookings, S.D., Drew Appel of Edina, and Trent Tweed of Ames, Iowa. He is also survived by two sisters, Dorothy Alden of Dougherty, Iowa, and Bonnie DeWall of Mason City, Iowa; and by two brothers, Roger (Lib) Tweed of Saint Cloud and Michael (Jeannine) Tweed of Thompson, Iowa. Ray is also survived by three sisters-in-law, Arlie (Al) Thies, JoAnn (Ron) Haroldson, and Bev Twito and one brother-in-law, Robert (Ardis) Johnson along with many nieces and nephews.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Leona Thompson, Yvonne Wiele, Gayle Bolton; three brothers, Deward Tweed, Don Earl Tweed, and Dean Tweed; brothers-in-law, Dale Thompson, Raymond Bolton, Fred Wiele, Hartley Alden, Don DeWall, Don Twito and a sister-in-law, Iris Tweed.