Patti J Raley

I was raised in a Christian home and blessed with an environment that helped me grow up knowing and learning about Jesus Christ being the Son of God and our Lord and Savior.   Throughout my lifetime, I discovered how knowing Him could bring varying levels of peace, love and fulfillment of the essential parts of life.  However, it took a growing knowledge and many experiences to discover that those levels completely depended on me and my freedom of choice, my participation, my free will.  Even when you stumble and make mistakes or commit sins, you can gain value if you learn from you consequences.  All around us see that, just guidance, growing up in a Christian family, or attending Church on Sunday cannot and does not guarantee anyone the rewards of a Life of Eternity with Him in Heaven.  He was our perfect and sinless sacrificial lamb that paid for your sins with His death and crucifixion on the cross.  This decision is personal between each of us and God, if you put off too long, it can be too late.  I made that decision and have now realized with each second, each person I cross paths with a desire to build an empathy within those people to realize the importance of not waiting to make their decision, of if you already have accepted Christ as your Savior, you are sharing it with someone?

Realizing that this will not be a traditional obituary, but the words to express the testimony of my heart, I present this as my legacy.   Some may disregard it because it is not the materialistic inheritance they expected, but the intention is potential that words may linger, long enough and be considered as a value to your life, one that is critical.  So, with that being said, and with God’s guidance this is my obituary.

On January 6, 2017 at 8:05PM, I Patti Jayne Raley began my journey of resurrection to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ the Son of God.  Born on June 12, 1946 in Bloomington, Indiana to Hal B. and Martha (Barry Rayborn.  I was preceded in death by both parents; two Brothers William “Bill” Rayborn and Bert C Rayborn and infant son Toby Lee Kline.

My Husband John T. Raley, whom I married September 12, 1986 and our daughter Kourtney, I. Raley lovingly cared for my final needs at our Putman County Home in Coatesville, Indiana where they currently reside.  As this self-written obituary offer the opportunity, I want them to always remember my love and appreciation for them.  I so appreciated their stepping outside of their comfort zones to help in ways that were often extremely uncomfortable for them, but meant the world to me.

Feeling much more than a member of a church, I could not leave out my extended Christian family of brothers and sisters at Canaan Community Church.  I am filled with love, respect, and great appreciation for each of them accepting me as their sister through the blood of Christ.  They are true Prayer warriors and servants of our Lord.  Appreciation does not fill the need I desire to express. Shalom, is perhaps the word with unending definition I would like to express to each of them.  It is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye.

Also surviving me in Indiana are; two sons and their families, William R. Kline and David Kline Sr., and through my marriage to my husband John, two stepsons Steve and Chris Raley and one step daughter Cindy (Raley) Baird.

Genealogy of Grandchildren still residing in Indiana include, Margaret Kline, Christine Kline, Carlos Kline, Anthony Kline, David H. Kline Jr., John W. Kline and River Joy Kline, Brandon Raley, Kendall Raley and Carson Baird.   In addition, my oldest Granddaughter Danna Noel (Kline) Gunter and her husband Adam, live in Louisiana.  Children were always a big part of my life such as Great grandchildren, Trinity Brittney, and Dakota. My older brother Bert Rayborn resided in Columbus, Indiana (Precedes me in death) and his wife June blessed us also with two nieces, Rita and Trisha and a nephew Aubrey.  Brother-in-law William Raley currently of Arizona gave us two nephews Wesley and David of Lafayette and a niece Amy residing in Indianapolis,   Sister-in-law Jacqueline (married to Steve Short at the time of her passing in 2015 in Monroe County) was mother to Marty, Michelle, Tracie and Patrick.

My life was also enriched by teaching and caring for other peoples’ children through foster care, baby-sitting, Awana, Sunday School, teaching at Kingdom Academy and lastly, but certainly not bringing the least of my blessed memories, I was a substitute teacher for special needs students in Putnam County.  Many of these children also knew me as “Grandma Patti.”

For those reading or hearing this unusual obituary, here are some facts for our family genealogy trivia.  Graduating from University High School in 1964, I also attended Methodist School of Nursing for six months, later completing an Associate Degree in Business Administration at Saint Mary of the Woods College in Terre Haute.   In later years, I was blessed to study in an external degree program thought the campus of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.  My life’s work experiences ranged from waitress, telephone operator, buyer for Wicks Department Store, Desk Clerk at Poplars and Indiana Motor Lounge, QC with RCA, all while residing in Bloomington.  After working at Citizens Bank in Newport, IN, I was a Clerk Typist for Corps of Engineers and later a Chemical Operator for DuPont’s at Newport Army Ammunition Plant.   Then in 1973, I accepted a position with Eli Lilly at Clinton Labs.  Due to my Chemical training with DuPont’s I accepted a position with Eli Lilly and Company as a Chemical operator and a little over a year later changed positions and with them as a financial clerk.  In 1989, I accepted a transfer with Lilly’s to Dry Products Financial in Indianapolis where I finally retired in 2002.  One would typically feel satisfied with a successful career – but I only saw this as opportunities.  During all this time I hate to think of the opportunities that I have missed to share the story of our Lord with anyone that would listen and that is why I am using this last bit of time to share with anyone that will listen.  I have stumbled and fallen but always have known that Jesus died for my sins.  If any of you want my memory to live in your heart; you need to know, your heart has to first hold the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, or I may love you, but I have to tell you my memory will fade and not reside there without Him.   I just could never survive in a heart that His light in not shining and He is not living in first and foremost.

Eternity is between each individual soul and God.  Even if you witness to one person, and you think it ignored, perhaps the person standing next to them has heard your words, God works that way sometimes.

In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donation of love be given to people you meet daily in your lives.  Our Lord commanded in, John 13; 34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another.  I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Although a closed casket with grave side rights will be held at Thomas Cemetery in Newport, Indiana at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, January 10, 2017.   The Family realized the distance and Canaan Community Church will offer a local memorial service for friends and family at  4:00 PM, Saturday, January 14, 2017 located at 3517 N. CR 800 E., Coatesville, IN 46121