Raona Ra Miller Hentz Nilsson

Raona Hentz Nilsson, age 77, a church, school and community leader in Poplar Bluff, died Saturday, May 10, 2014 at her residence after battling cancer.

A career educator, Mrs. Hentz Nilsson, known to her friends as ""Ra"" (pronounced Ray), taught home economics at Qulin High School for two and a half years after graduating from Southeast Missouri State University in 1957 with a bachelor's degree in vocational home economics and a minor in art. She later earned a master's degree in education from Webster University. At Qulin, she fondly recalled sponsoring the pep club and yearbook and directing a school play in addition to her classroom duties. After a 10-year hiatus to begin her family of seven children, Ra taught art and home economics at Poplar Bluff Junior High School from 1971 to 1985 and finished her career as a resource specialist at the local Technical Career Center. She retired in 1996.

She was married to William G. Hentz on April 5,1959, at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Oran, Mo. Mr. Hentz, who was the chief juvenile officer for Butler and Ripley counties for many years, died in 1993. On April 30,2011, she was married to her brother-in-law, Norman L. Nilsson, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She was diagnosed with cancer less than two years later and was fond of describing her new husband as ""my rock, a Godsend to me."" He survives her.
Born Raona Kathryn Miller on Nov. 25, 1936, at Vanduser, Mo., she experienced a difficult early childhood. Living in 10 homes in five states, she was sent to live with several relatives while her mother was treated for tuberculosis and her father was frequently absent. After her parents divorced, her mother remarried and the family settled in Oran, when Ra was 10. She graduated as the salutatorian of Oran High School in 1954.

Ra once said she wanted to be remembered as someone who ""loved my family, my church, my God and my community."" Her legacy of activities is likely to achieve that. She said that the most fun she ever had was when she was working and trying to make things better for everyone around her.
Always focused on her large family, for the past 28 years she organized a weeklong reunion of her six children and their families, her mother and her Aunt Sue. Each reunion ended with the group singing ""It's a Wonderful World."" When son Kurt was playing basketball at Rhodes College in Memphis, Ra once cooked and served Thanksgiving dinner at her home for about 20 players and coaches as the team was en route to a tournament somewhere in the Midwest. In that period, as she and her first husband struggled to help finance college educations for their six children, five of whom were in college at the same time, she rented four of her bedrooms to eight Three Rivers Community College female athletes for several years.

As a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church since 1957, she had served on all the major church committees and was involved in virtually every church activity. She had been a member of St. Ann's Altar Society, the Sacred Heart School Board and the Parish Council, twice serving as Council president. She also was a member of the Strategic Planning Committee at the time of her death. She served on the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery Board for 20 years and recently co-chaired a capital campaign that raised more than $700,000 for church improvements. On April 6, 2014, she was presented with an Episcopal Blessing from the Most Reverend James V. Johnston, bishop of the Diocese of Springfield and Cape Girardeau, honoring her for her sacrificial service to Sacred Heart Church.

Although she was a lifelong Catholic, Ra had a special interest in the ecumenical activities of Poplar Bluff. She was a regular attendee at most music and drama presentations at the various community churches. ""It's so important for all of us to realize that the people in the various churches are all on their way to the same place,"" she told a friend.
She was an avid gardener and also loved her participation in her three bridge clubs. She was a charter member of Chapter MF of P.E.O. and also belonged to the Junior Citizenship Club and Alpha Beta Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa, a teacher's organization. For the past 20 years she had been a member of the board of the United Gospel Rescue Mission and had been active with the Friends of the Poplar Bluff Public Library, Friends of the Margaret Harwell Art Museum, Poplar Bluff SHO-ME Marching Band Boosters, Mules Boosters, Poplar Bluff Museum Board, TRCC Patrons of the Arts and other organizations.

Ra was president of the Poplar Bluff Community Concert Association for several years and was a co-founder of the old Bluff Supper Club. She also had been active in Democratic Party activities. For a number of years, she operated a catering business with close friends: Phyllis Burton, Gwen Drury and Margaret Hennessy, but once laughed that they ""probably hadn't made $50 in 12 years.""

Besides her husband, Ra is survived by six children: Robert ""Rob"" Miller Hentz (Maureen), of O'Fallon, Mo., Kathryn ""Kate"" Elizabeth Hentz, of Sugar Grove, Ill., Kurt Andrew Hentz (Sara) and Kristen Ann Doepke, both of Frontenac, Mo., Rory William Hentz, of Bismarck, ND, and Mary Shannon Kieny, of Park Ridge, Ill.; 12 grandchildren: Caden Hentz, Jacob Hentz, Rory Hentz, Will Hentz, Josh Hentz, Rick Hentz, Drew Doepke, Dale Doepke, Rory Doepke, Sean Kieny, Erin Kieny and Colin Kieny; one great-granddaughter, Gracie Doepke; one sister, Stephanie McCallister Turek (Dennis), of Fenton, Mo.; one nephew, Jonathan Turek, of St. Louis; four step-children: Mary Nilsson Kienstra, of Naperville, Ill., Thomas Norman Nilsson, of Broken Arrow, Okla., Michael ""Ty"" Norm Nilsson, of Newburg, Ind., and Julie Nilsson Smith, of St. Louis; 13 step-grandchildren: Ryan Kienstra, Jeff Kienstra, Katie Kienstra, Matthew Kienstra, Tanner Sturm, Blake Nilsson, Drew Nilsson, Christopher Childress, Taylor Nilsson, Hunter Nilsson, Ian Smith, Jack Smith and Sean Smith; and one step-great-granddaughter, Kimber Nilsson.

Preceding her in death were her mother, Naomi Ghent Miller McCallister; her stepfather, who raised her, Ebon Andrew McCallister; her father, Arnold Eugene Miller; a son, Rick Arnold Hentz, and a nephew, Christopher Turek.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel in Poplar Bluff with a Prayer Service following at 8 p.m. in the funeral chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Mike McDevitt and Father David Coon officiating and Deacon David Farris assisting.

Ra will be cremated and a private family burial will be in Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery. She requested that any memorials be in the form of donations to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Building Fund.