HARTFORD, Ky. — Raymond Rufus Lee, 85, of Hartford, passed away Monday, June 18, 2018, at Ohio County Hospital. He was born May 13, 1933, in the Cool Springs community of Ohio County, Kentucky, to the late Mary Justice “Jutt” and Anna Laura Wydick Lee.
Mr. Lee was a United States Army Veteran; he attended Cool Springs Baptist Church and was a member of the UMWA. Rufus was a retired farmer, his lifelong passion. He also retired from Peabody Coal Company where most knew him as “Papaw”. While working in the mines he spent time at both Alston 4 and Camp 11.
Aside from his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Joyce McCoy Lee; his second wife, Joan Geary Lee; one brother, Kenneth Lee; and one sister, Mary Frances Lee.
Survivors include his children, Michael Lee, of Beaver Dam, Kentucky, and Kathy (George) Minneman, of Urbana, Illinois; one brother, Wendell (Jenny) Lee, of Bowling Green, Kentucky; and one sister, Jackie Shultz, of Beaver Dam. Rufus was blessed with six grandchildren, Brian (Amanda) Lee, of Beaver Dam, Amanda (Dean) Pharris, of Beaver Dam, Ashley Lee, of Centertown, Kentucky, Stacy Pelmore, of Urbana, Erin Dillon, of Urbana, and Eric Minneman, of Champaign, Illinois; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Funeral Services will be held at 12 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at William L. Danks Funeral Home in Beaver Dam with Rev. Lealin Geary officiating. Burial will follow in Cool Springs Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the Ohio County Honor Guard. Friends may visit with the family of Raymond Rufus Lee from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. until the time of service Thursday at the funeral home.
Online messages of condolence may be left for Mr. Lee’s family by visiting his memorial tribute at www.danksfuneralhome.com.
