Harvey Raymond Nereng, age 103, of Whitehall, formerly of Blair, died on Saturday, September 19, 2015 in the Gundersen Tri-County Hospital in Whitehall.

Ray was born on January 7, 1912 in Pigeon Falls to Orvil and Josie (Tomter) Nereng. He grew up on a farm in rural Pigeon Falls, attended elementary school there and graduated from the Whitehall High School in 1930, the beginning of the Great Depression. After graduation, Ray was employed as a truck driver until 1936.

Ray owned and operated a gas station in Blair until he was drafted into the United States Army. He served four years in the United States Army during World War II and continued in the Army Reserve until he was discharged in 1962 as a major in the Intelligence Branch.

Ray married Clarice Davis on June 1, 1946 in the North Beaver Creek Lutheran Church in rural Ettrick. They were members of the Blair Lutheran Church during their lives together. Ray and Clarice became parents of two sons, Kenneth and Norris and two daughters, Theona and Charlene.

Ray continued in auto sales and service and also owned and operated a fleet of school buses in the Blair-Taylor School District until 1970. He was treasurer and clerk for the city of Blair from 1961 to 1977 and mayor of Blair from 1981-1985. Ray served as project manager of the Lake Henry dredging project from 1976-1979.

Ray was a member of the Trempealeau County Board of Supervisors from 1956-1988 and its chairman ko from 1965-1968. As a county supervisor he served on various committees such as the Unified Board of Trempealeau, Jackson and Buffalo counties, Agriculture and Extension, Land Conservation, County Aging, Area Agency on Aging and Water Resources Board. He also served on the Western Dairyland Equal Opportunity Committee and the Trempealeau County Housing Authority, of which he was chairman from 1960-1995.

While Ray lived in Blair, he was a member of the First Lutheran Church, Blair Lions, Masonic Lodge, American Legion and the Grand View Care Center Board of Directors.

Ray and Clarice divorced in 1983. After living alone for five years, he married Beverly Lund on August 8, 1988. They made their home in rural Arcadia until 1994. They moved to LaCrosse in 1995, spent their winters in Arizona until 2000 and then lived in LaCrosse prior to moving to Whitehall. Ray and Beverly were active members of Saint Paul's Lutheran Church in LaCrosse.

Ray was an avid enthusiast in baseball, skiing, snow-mobiling, hunting, fishing, bowling and golf.

Ray is survived by two sons, Kenneth (Linda) Nereng of Blair and Norris (Michelle) Nereng of Patton, PA; a daughter, Theona Smith of Smithsburg, MD; six grandchildren, TJ(Jenny) Nereng of Eau Claire, Ashley (fiancé, Kyle Stanek) Nereng of Rhinelander, Matthew and Mark Nereng both of Onalaska, Michael (Annie) Nereng of Enon, OH and Jason (Kristen) Reiland of Smithsburg, MD; three great-grandchildren, Nicolai Nereng and Aiden and Kierstin Reiland.

In addition to his wives, Clarice, who died February 27, 1994 and Beverly, who died December 10, 2013, Ray was preceded in death by a daughter, Charlene in infancy; a brother, Roger and three sisters, Dorothy Rongstad, Ruth Bond and Mary Jane Schmudlach.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in Blair Lutheran Church East in Blair with Pastor Barbara Bruneau officiating. Military honors will be conducted by the Knudtson-Mattison American Legion Post # 231. Burial will be in the North Beaver Creek First Lutheran Cemetery in rural Ettrick at a later date.

Visitation will be Friday, September 25, 2015 from 5-8 p.m. in the Jack Funeral Home in Blair and also one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.