Raymond Andrew Duch

Raymond Andrew Duch, 90, of Hazen, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, September 7, 2014 while at the Stuttgart Baptist Hospital with his family and loved ones by his side. He was born October 23, 1923, the son of Julius and Mary Potkan Duch who had traveled from Hungary to settle in Slovak. He attended Sts. Cyril & Methodius Catholic school in Slovak. At a young age, he began farming with the family. At a later age, he enlisted on January 17, 1944, and served in the Army during WWII and other foreign wars. He received a purple Heart in December of 1944 along with other campaign ribbons and medals. During a leave home to help the family finish getting the farm crop out he walked by the telephone office at the air base in Stuttgart and met the love of his life, Hazel Tucker. They began corresponding until he was discharged from the Army on June 1, 1946 and they were married October 12, 1946 and he engaged in farming again. Their life together expanded with the addition of their one child, Nancy, in 1957. Raymond was an early entrepreneur. He was the first one in Hazen to purchase a cab-over John Deere tractor and later the first one in the area to purchase laser-plane surveying equipment to perform that operation. He was assisted by his loving wife Hazel during the many years they surveyed the many farms on the prairie in and around the Hazen area until he retired many years later. He also graded rice in the off-season at the Riceland mill here in Hazen.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Hazel Tucker Duch; his parents, Julius & Mary Duch of Slovak and his brothers and sisters, Albin Duch, Bernadine Duch Skarda, Richard Duch, Lorraine Duch Madar, Jerry Duch, and Daniel Duch. He is survived by his one child Nancy (Bunny) Duch of Hazen and 4 grandchildren; Carrie Harrison of Searcy, Wendy (Jason) Kizzire, Cruise (Anna Scranton) Brinker all of Stuttgart, and Ashton Reichenbach of Hazen; six great-grandchildren, Ashlie Dryden of Hazen, Aaliya Ford of Searcy, Makenzie Ford and Taylor Leigh-Ann Borchert of Stuttgart and Kelsy and Kayla Caler of Elkins. Visitation will be at the Westbrook Funeral Home in Hazen on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 from 5:30-7:00 P.M. followed by Rosary at 7:00. Funeral services will be held 10:00 A.M., Thursday, September 11, at St. Rose Catholic Church in Carlisle. Burial will be in the Slovak Catholic cemetery in Slovak.