Ted Rauh,

April 23, 1926 – Feburary 20, 2018

One of those amazing people, Ted had his great side, and his more difficult side, but overall an amazing All-American Character.
Decided at age 16 he needed to go “fight Hitler” he lied about his age and joined the Army. Soon after he was stationed in Germany in Patton’s 3rd Army, 5th division. Ted won the purple heart, and two bronze stars while still a teenager.
He was injured by shrapnel but attempted to hide the injury so he could keep on fighting, but his commanding officer discovered his injury and sent him to a hospital in Paris to recover, by the time the injury was discovered, his knee had swollen so much they had to cut his pants off, and gang green was about to set in…. he almost lost his leg over that.
Later he was sent to paratrooper school, but then the war ended, and he was soon back home in Oklahoma where he married his wife Teresa who passed away in 2009 and became a fireman.
He later obtained a job at the Federal prison in Okeene Oklahoma, but in 1959 he packed up his family and moved to Texarkana TX where he became a guard in the Federal Prison. He purchased his home at 3002 Hamilton Ln in Texarkana and lived there until Dementia forced him to enter in to a care home at age 89.
I used to love to hear him talk about all is adventures, and his feats of strength, as he was truly a very strong man who had pictures of himself doing hand stands on top of the water tower in Okeene, or driving his motorcycle 100 miles per hour to Oklahoma city siting side-saddle and not holding onto the handlebars. He would challenge local men to tests of strength that he would devise, such as climbing two ropes tied to a tree and touch the tree branch they were tied to… except he would climb them upside down. One time he did a hand stand at the top of one of those high ladders firetrucks use in fighting fires…. A true daredevil.
Ted was a very generous man, but I think Chris Hooten the preacher of Highland Church of Christ where Ted was a member for many years., said it best; “Ted would give you the shirt off his back, but no one would ever take it”
At age 32 he was saved, and became a devout Christian, becoming a Christian soldier with the same intensity, and passion he demonstrated in Germany.
He once told me he wasn’t allowed to take a bible with him to work to witness to the prisoners, so he just memorized the verses he wanted to share. At one time I’m sure he could have quoted verses for an hour without stop.
He retired at age 50 and became a full-time evangelist… not like those on TV but one on one. He would spend hours creating his own “hand-outs” such as he “round to its” that he must have given to half of Texarkana.
Days on end he would walk the streets of Texarkana knocking on doors attempting to talk to people about Jesus Christ, attempting to lead them to salvation.
When we would take him with us to a restaurant there was no thought that he might actually sit down with us and visit. No, he had work to do; we would sit and order, and then he would be up and gone “working”. He would visit everyone in the restaurant handing out his round-to-its and other writings. It was the same with shopping, he would go around attempting to talk to everyone he could.
Only the Lord knows how many lives he may have led to salvation.
Rest in Peace Ted, we will think of you often.

Obituary;

Ted Rauh, 91, of Texarkana, TX passed away February 20, 2018 in a local nursing home. Mr. Rauh was born April 23, 1926 in Okeene, OK. He was a member of Highland Church of Christ; and was a U. S. Army veteran of WWII; received two Bronze Stars and Purple Heart.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Theresa Joy Ayers Rauh on December 21, 2009, and a son, Ronnie Lynn Rauh.

Survivors include his son, Jerry Rauh of New Boston, TX; daughters and sons-in-law, Connie and David Adcock of Queen City, TX and Jody and Jim Carmichael of Tulsa, OK; grandchildren, Tim and Teri Frost of Texarkana, Ashley Hawthorne of Houston, TX and Danya and Rhett Thompson of Texarkana, and Brannon and Kerry Adcock of Texarkana, AR; 6 great grandchildren; and one great great granddaughter.

Services will be 2 p.m., Thursday, February 22, 2018 at East Memorial Chapel – Downtown with Chris Hooten officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park under the direction of East Funeral Home – Downtown.