March-April 2008

Announcements

Births

Scott Anthony Blanchard, May 15, second child for Philippe and Michelle (Dick) Blanchard, of Hollywood, FL. 7 lb 4 oz, 19" long.

	Rayden Rain Holmes (left), Dec. 6, first child of Ryan and Franchesca Holmes, of Boswell, OK, first grandson of Katherine Swanson of Boswell, OK, and first great-grandson of Colleen Swanson of Sherman, TX.
	Luke David Goddard, June 28, first son of Dareta (Roller) and Mark David Goddard, of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
	Kristina Joy Stearns (right), July 28, first child for Janet (Schabow) and Bradley Stearns, of Delavan, WI.

Graduations

Amy Anderson Wendland graduated on Dec. 15 from St. Edward’s University at Austin, TX, with a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Management. Part of Amy’s program included two trips to Central Europe to study business in Hungary and the Czech Republic with the chair of St. Edward’s Global Business Program.  Amy is a deacon who serves as the worship coordinator in the Austin congregation. She is the daughter of proud parents Philip and Gladys Anderson of the Jackson, TN, congregation.

Cathlena Beth Conrad will graduate with Honors in May 2008 from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her major is in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Elementary School Teaching. She was named to the Who’s Who at UTSA and the Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges. She is a member of the San Antonio congregation.

Wedding

Clayton Joseph Conrad and Lindsay Scheibe Towles were married by Summit Life pastor Rodney Schuler on Dec. 28, 2007 in San Antonio, Texas. Clayton recently returned from duty in Iraq and is currently stationed in Hawaii. Clayton is the son of San Antonio members Rocky and Donna Conrad.

Elder ordinations

Lorna Laister and Gill Khoury, Nov. 18, both of Redhill, South Africa.
Brian Spurgeon, NewLife Fellowship, Pasadena, CA.

Retirement

Larry VanLanduyt retired on Dec. 7. He began full-time work with us as an Imperial Schools teacher in 1963. He was in the Personal Correspondence Department from 1984 to 1996, at which time he began pastoring the Chico and Redding, CA, congregations. He will continue to serve as a bivocational pastor in Chico.

Anniversary

Frank and Margie Roberts of Garland, TX, both celebrated 80th birthdays and their 61st wedding anniversary in October. Their son, Ray Roberts, took advantage of his visit with them to attend his first Garland High School football game in 37 years. His wife, the former JoAnne Arnold, is a 1972 Garland High graduate. They’ve been married 31 years, and both graduated from Texas A&M. They live in Abilene, and he coaches the nearby Treant school district’s junior and senior high boys and girls basketball teams. He is also a history teacher. Blake, 24, the eldest of Ray and JoAnne’s children, is a graduate student in Pittsburgh. Nicole, 22, works in Florida for Ironman. Kelly, 18, is a freshman at the University of South Carolina.

Obituaries

Lucille Vera Beam, 92, formerly of Wabash, IN, died peacefully at the home of her daughter in Marysville, MI, on Jan. 31. She was born July 3, 1915 in Wabash County, IN, to Minnie and Earl Pressler. She married Billy Beam on Dec. 28, 1955. He died Sept. 30, 1997. She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. Mark (Liz) Cross of Marysville; eight grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren; a daughter-in-law, Janet Tyner of Wabash; and a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bruce and Anne Chwalek of Fairborn, OH. She was preceded in death by a son, Harold “Pete” Tyner; a daughter, Carol Morrison; two brothers, and three sisters. She was buried in Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Wabash, IN.

Dennis F. Castro, 77, of Kansas City, KS, Sept. 11. He was a member since 1969 and served as a deacon in the Kansas City North congregation for many years. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; four children, Mike Castro, Steve (Dayna) Castro, Phil (Judy) Castro, and Pete (Toni) Castro; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Victor Freeman, 98, of Kansas City, MO, Jan. 3. He was a long-time member of the WCG Kansas City congregation, and was well-known and loved by his church family. His wife Velma preceded him in death in 1998. He is survived by a son, Ronnie Freeman. Victor will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Donald L. Gent, Sr., 71, of Youngstown, OH, Nov. 16. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Patricia, four children: Terry (Richard) Lyons, Tammi Bartolone, Patty (Guy) Di Pillo, and Donald Jr. (Michelle) Gent, ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was baptized in 1983 and attended Word of God Fellowship in Canfield, OH.

Martha Estell Massey, 90, of Big Sandy, TX, Dec. 29. She was born Aug. 10, 1917, in Willis, OK, and was a homemaker. Survivors include daughters, Lynn Rodgers of Willis, TX, and Sally Atkinson of Lufkin, TX; sons Thomas Edward Massey of Star City, AR, Joe Aaron Massey of White Sulphur Springs, WV, and Lyndel G. Massey of Chandler, TX; 19 grand-children, 29 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren.

Naomi Robinson, 95, of Pageland, SC, Sept. 24. She was a long-time member of the Charlotte, NC, congregation. She has four children, 32 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by five sisters and five brothers.

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