Mengis Funeral Home

Raymond E. Bollweg, 87, of rural Canton, died Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at the Gundersen Harmony Care Center in Harmony.

Ray was born on September 3, 1938, in Wheaton, Illinois to Edward and Anna (Schoemann) Bollweg. He grew up in Wheaton and worked as a mechanic while he attended and graduated from Wheaton High School. Ray was always good with numbers, so he attended North Central College for a couple years considering a career in engineering.  However, he decided college wasn't for him, and not to complete his degree and started hauling oil locally for Wageman Oil. On May 14, 1960, he married Gretchen Weinheimer in Wheaton and started their family.

Ray started building his interest in farming by helping a local farmer and then buying some land where they built a house, a barn, raised 3 horses and grew hay. They decided they wanted to farm full-time, but land in Illinois was expensive - so, they bought a farm and moved to Canton, Minnesota in 1973.  They milked cows, raised hogs and chickens, and grew crops. Starting in 1990, Ray gradually retired from farming, selling the cows and eventually renting the land. He started driving truck again, hauling grain for the Harmony Elevator, and then rock for Pederson Brothers. He later drove for Viesman Milk Hauling and sold insurance for 40 years before fully retiring in 2020.

Ray was a member of the Assumption Catholic Church and loved farming, trains, and hanging out with his grandkids.

He is survived by his wife Gretchen; children Linda Schimming, Raymond “Dan” (Jody), Rebecca Peterson, and Nick (Denise); grandchildren Mark Schimming, Emily Mulcrone, Allison Schimming, Chris Bollweg, Grace Carroll-Bollweg, Sheena Tollefson, Adam Suckow, Meretta Peterson, Lauren Braun, Nicholas “Cole” Bollweg, and Rheanne Bollweg; and twelve great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; son-in-law Mike Schimming; and two sisters Mary Anne Davis and Margaret Futch.