Saturday, October 25th, 2014
Ralph Winner
Ralph "Lefty" Winner, 90, Osgood, left us on Oct. 24, 2014, while at the Versailles Health Care Center, where he had just been admitted.
He was born Sept. 13, 1924, in Yorkshire, to Robert and Kathryn Bergman Winner. On Oct. 19, 1950, at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Osgood, he married Elsie Schulze, who survives.
Also surviving are three sons, Bruce (Brenda Scott) Winner, Alan (Nancy Thein) Winner and Brian (Beth Huelsman) Winner; a son-in-law, Rich Vagedas; four siblings, Urban (the late Babe and Connie) Winner, Tom (Henrietta) Winner, Kenny (Bev) Winner and Karen (Ron) Schwieterman; a sister-in-law, Ag Winner; 12 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren; and one soon-to-be-born great-grandchild.
Deceased are a daughter, Brenda Vagedas in June 2000, and four siblings, Robert, Vera Mae, Patrick and Vernon.
He was a 1942 graduate of Minster High School. He then attended Nashville College before going to work at the Willow Run Bomber Plant in Ypsilanti, Mich., for two years.While at the bomber plant, he helped to build the B-24 Bomber, which was integral to winning World War II. He then joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany. After two years, he came back to Osgood, where he lived the rest of his life and worked for Robert Winner Sons as a partner in the family business for more than 40 years until his retirement in 1990.
He was a member of Osgood Legion Post 588, Osgood Fire Department, Knights of St. John and the Minster Eagles and the St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Osgood.
Throughout his life, he loved all sports, especially the Cincinnati Reds and the Marion Local Flyers, and he loved to tell jokes. He played and enjoyed baseball, horseshoes, bowling and golf. He also was one of the directors who helped get the Western Ohio Baseball League started in the early 1950s, when he played for the Osgood Crackers for more than 10 years. Later in life, he took his talents to the card table, pool table and making puzzles.
He just recently celebrated two major milestones in his life: his 90th birthday and his 64th wedding anniversary, and he enjoyed both greatly.
Funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Osgood. Burial with full military rites will follow at St. Martin Cemetery, Osgood.
Calling is 1-6 p.m. Sunday and 9-10 a.m. Monday at Hogenkamp Funeral Home, Minster.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Osgood Fire Department and Rescue or to the Osgood American Legion Post 588.
Condolences may be sent to www.hogenkampfh.com.
