John Rauh

John Rauh, 87, of Des Moines, Iowa passed away on Friday, March 11, 2022.

He was preceded in death by his parents Georg and Maria (Gubesch) Rauh. He also had two older brothers, both named Georg, whom he did not meet in this life, and a younger brother, Martin, who died in childhood.

John is survived by his wife of 54 years, Nancy; children Janet and Robert; step-son, Michael; grandchildren Royce, Tegan, Joseph, and Mikayla; and many other relatives and friends who will miss him dearly.

John was born on July 29, 1934 in Kyrieleis, Romania. Growing up on the farm inspired many lifelong traits, including a pride in working hard, a commitment to frugality, and a devotion to the church. After being forced to flee Romania in 1944 at the close of World War II, the family settled in Austria. John attended business school in Salzburg, and later the family moved to Germany where John worked in a coal mine. John’s father passed away in 1954.

John immigrated to the United States in 1955 with his mother’s family, and they began their life in Des Moines. John was a factory worker before his long career with the U.S. Postal Service, from which he retired in 1992. He was also a U.S. Army veteran, having completed two years of active military service, plus additional years in the reserves. He was a founding member of the Des Moines Soccer Club, and spent many years traveling all over the Midwest to compete in soccer matches. John also enjoyed boating and water-skiing. He was a former member of Bethany Lutheran Church and a current member the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd.

In 1968, John and Nancy were wed in Des Moines. In 1974, John and his family traveled to Austria and Germany. They visited relatives and friends that John had not seen in almost 20 years. Sadly, John’s mother unexpectedly passed away in 1975. In 1978, John purchased an acreage in rural Madison County to construct a new house. He took on the planning and contracting himself, literally adding his blood, sweat, and tears into the building of it. In 1989, with their children grown and moved out, he and Nancy sold the house and returned to Des Moines.

John and Nancy became grandparents four times over between 1993 and 1997, thus entering a new and gratifying phase of their lives.

After the fall of the communist dictatorship in Romania, John was delighted to be able to travel back to his homeland in 1996, and again in 2001, 2004, and 2010. He was especially pleased to be able to take his family to share in these experiences.

John and Nancy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on March 30, 2018.

As a husband, father, and grandfather, John was absolutely steadfast and always ensured his family had everything they needed. He (sometimes loudly) encouraged his children to be self-reliant, to try new things, and to learn. He could be demanding, but he also had a deeply sentimental heart and a surprising sense of humor. He was a strong proponent of personal responsibility.

John had many ingrained routines from which he never wavered. He was always confident about sharing his thoughts on the “right way” to do things. But he also frequently joked around with his family and with strangers, although no one ever suggested he quit his day job to become a comedian.

It was always important for John to keep everything well-maintained: home, cars, accounts, and, especially, the yard. He took great pride in the look of a freshly mowed lawn, refusing to ever allow anyone else to complete that specific chore. He waged an eternal, endless war against the squirrels and the “dandy-loins” that spoiled the look of the green, neatly trimmed grass that he worked so hard to maintain.

As the years went by, John’s advancing age unfortunately began to take its toll. On March 6, 2022, John suffered a severe stroke and was rushed to the hospital. His family remained by his side during his final days, and sadly John left this world on March 11.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, March 20 from 3 PM to 6 PM at Hamilton’s near Highland Memory Gardens, 121 NW 60th Avenue, Des Moines. Service will take place on Monday, March 21 at 12 PM at the same location, followed by burial at Highland Memory Gardens, 1 NE 60th Avenue, Des Moines. After burial, there will be a fellowship at the funeral home.

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