Raymond Freund

Raymond J. Freund, age 96, of Faribault, died on Monday, August 15, 2011 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester following a brief illness.             Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Dr., Faribault. Interment will be at the St. Lawrence Cemetery in Faribault.             Visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory in Faribault on Friday from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday for one hour prior to the services at the church.             In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated to the Raymond J. Freund Memorial Endowment Fund at South Central College, Faribault.             Raymond John Freund, the son of Clement and Emma (Breyer) Freund, was born on August 18, 1914 in Abbott Hospital in Minneapolis. He attended grade school in Long Lake and graduated from Wayzata High School, class of 1934. From 1934 to 1938, he attended St. Cloud Teachers College, working for Wheelock Whitneys both in St. Cloud and Lake Minnetonka. In 1938, he taught high school students in Jordan, MN. Then he spent three years in the United States Navy as a Chief Petty Officer.             On June 11, 1941, he married Dorithy Zeimes in St. Joseph's Church in North Minneapolis. She preceded him in death on November 4, 1997.             In 1946, he became a teacher and vocational coordinator at Faribault High School and earned his Master's Degree in Vocational Education from the University of Minnesota. Upon passage of the bond referendum in 1964, Ray became the first director of the Faribault Vocational School, now South Central College. He retired in 1977.             Over the years he was active in Scouting, Chamber of Commerce, Red Cross, Exchange Club and local and state teacher's organizations.             He is survived by his children, Michael (Carol) Freund of Sharpsburg, GA; Mary Jo Freund Benoit (Dennis Stadler) of Faribault; Benet (Cheryl) Freund of Faribault; Timothy (Margaret) Freund; Mesa, AZ; and Peter Freund of Bloomington; 14 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.             He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorithy Freund; parents, Emma and Clement Freund; step-father, LeRoy Haverson; sister, Irene (Paul) Luxem; and brother, Laurence (Joyce) Freund.