Raymond H. Whetstone

Pastor Raymond H. Whetstone, 80, of Chetopa, passed away at 1:28 p.m., Friday, December 25, 2020 at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Missouri.

He was born on August 3, 1940 in Kansas City, Missouri to Ben R. and Verla (Leftwich) Whetstone.  He grew up in the Kansas City, Missouri area and graduated from Raytown High School.  He then attended Southwest Baptist College at Bolivar, Missouri where he earned an Associates of Arts Degree. He graduated from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas where he earned his Bachelor's Degree.  He later received a Master of Bible Theology from the International Bible Seminary in Orlando, Florida.

Raymond preached his first sermon in February of 1961, and was first licensed to the Gospel Ministry on July 2, 1962, by the Lakeland Baptist Church of Sunrise Beach, Missouri.  He was ordained to the Gospel Ministry on August 5, 1965 by the Linn Creek Baptist Church in Linn Creek, Missouri.  Over the past 59 years, Raymond has pastored churches in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.  He also preached revivals in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Trinidad, West Indies, and mission trips in Vera Cruse, Mexico, and the Indian reservation at Macey, Nebraska.  He was the founding and current pastor of the Faith Victory Church in Chetopa.

He enjoyed spending time with his family and fishing.

Raymond was a member of the Independent Assemblies Ministry and the Chetopa Ministerial Alliance.

Raymond and Nancy Overman were married on April 26, 1985 in Norman, Arkansas.  She survives of the home.

Survivors:

Wife - Nancy Whetstone of the home

Six Sons – Eric Schertz                      St. Louis, Missouri

Joshua Schertz                         Miami, Oklahoma

David Schertz                          Chetopa, Kansas

Raymond Lee Whetstone       Sunrise Beach, Missouri

Benjamin R. Whetstone          St. Louis, Missouri

Jonathan Whetstone                Chetopa, Kansas

Three Daughters – Teresa Whetstone            Sunrise Beach, Missouri

Portia Avery                Chetopa, Kansas

Mary Whetstone         Woodward, Oklahoma

Eighteen grandchildren

One Sister – Carol Durr          Chetopa, Kansas

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa.  Burial will follow at Oak Hill cemetery.  Friends may call at the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., on Monday. The funeral service can be viewed live on the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home Facebook page.   For all events, social distancing guidelines will be followed, including the requirement of face masks.

Memorials are suggested to the Gideons International.  These may be left at or mailed to Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 346, Chetopa, KS  67336.

Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.