First Church

a place to belong

Ray and Eddie have been married for 64 years. I asked their formula for a long and good marriage. In Ray’s words, it is their ability to meet all difficulties because of their faith in God and His promises.

Ray was born in Kansas City in May 1920 to Frank H. and Golden Sunshine Owen Money. Ray’s father was a WWI veteran who died in 1928 as a result of his service. Ray and his sister were raised by their single parent mother in Wichita, Kansas. After high school and two more years of education, Ray enlisted in the Army in November 1940. He married Edna Mae Wood of Atchison, Kansas in August 1942 and was promoted to Warrant Officer and assigned to duty in the Military Personnel Office in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in September 1942. A son, John Richard was born in August 1943. In 1945 Ray was assigned to an organization in Italy. During this time it was his privilege to be in the papal audience with Pope Pius XII at the Vatican in April 1945. He retired from the Army Reserve as Chief Warrant Officer in May 1980. His civilian employment was as Purchasing Agent for National City Bank (now United Missouri Bank) from which he retired as Vice President – Director of Purchasing in 1981. Ray was involved with neighborhood activities, scouting, veterans’’ organizations, and politics. He and Eddie have traveled extensively since retirement. They now reside at John Knox Village.

The church has been a part of Ray and Eddie’s life since childhood. Ray’s parents were active in the Disciples of Christ in Kansas City and then in the South Broadway Church in Wichita, Kansas. Soon after settling in Kansas City, Linwood Methodist Church became their family’s church home. They moved to the Raytown area in 1948 and joined the Blue Parkway Methodist Church at 50th and Hardesty in 1952. The church planned to move to Sni-A-Bar Road and Skiles Avenue which was within walking distance from their home. He soon became a part of the building fund campaign for this move and teaching an adult Sunday school class. He continued to serve in many church capacities and to teach through merger of Faith UMC and Calgary UMC, now known as First UMC of Raytown. Due to their move to Independence in 1998, Ray gave up teaching. Ray feels he learned much more than he ever taught. Eddie was also active in church life, particularly in the Women’s Society for Christian Service, now known as the United Methodist Women. She served in several offices, including President. She was awarded lifetime membership. Both Eddie and Ray recently received certificates recognizing their 50 year membership in the First UMC, Raytown, and the former Faith UMC, and its processors.

Each morning Ray and Eddie share a morning devotional from the Upper Room. Eddie’s favorite Bible verse comes from Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Ray likes Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” He also finds Paul’s words in Romans eating meat and causing a brother to stumble to be of interest. If only we could follow the intent of these words, the world would be a much better place to live in.

I liked this response when I asked him to describe his faith. Ray said his faith has always been in a questioning mode and is based on the realization that so many of our forebears have believed in the mystery of Christ as the hidden source of our faith as described in First Timothy. Ray often says he wishes he had the faith that his mother had and that Eddie and his sister have. Ray and Eddie Money are a couple with an abiding faith in God and an abiding love for each other indeed.

Ray & Eddie Money - Testimony