ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Births
• Engagements
• Weddings
• Anniversaries
• Obituaries
• Tribute: Richard Fenstermacher

Births

Paul and Heather (Anderson) Wakin of Portland, Oregon, are happy to announce the birth of their first child, Isaiah David-Allan. Isaiah was born Dec. 7, 2006. He weighed 6 pounds 5 ounces and was 19 inches long. Isaiah is the first grandchild of extremely proud grandparents, Allan and Jane Anderson of Salem, Oregon, and Michelle Wakin of Vancouver, Washington. Isaiah is a very happy baby and is a wonderful blessing to our family.

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Chad and Lora Mortier of the Topeka, Kansas, congregation are excited to announce the birth of their daughter, Ava Loren. Ava was born on March 21, 2007, weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces and measuring 20 inches long. She is a very happy baby and grows more every day. Ava is the third grandchild for Donn and Alice Mortier of the Oshkosh, Wisconsin, congregation and the first for Leonard and Kathryn Hatter of Brodhead, Wisconsin.

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Andy and Alisha Edinborough of the Salina, Kansas, congregation are happy to announce the birth of their son, Andrew Ray. He was born June 4, 2007, weighing 8 pounds 14 ounces and measuring 19 inches long. He was also welcomed by older sister Alana Faye.

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Jeff and Stacie (Hollis) Yost are happy to announce the birth of their twin daughters, born March 14, 2007. McKinley Brooke weighed 6 pounds 1 ounce and Kennedy Anne weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces. Big sisters Madison, age 7, and Reagan, age 3, welcomed the additions to the family. Grandparents are Ron and Roxanna Yost of Joplin, Missouri, and Maynard and Cindy Allen of Creston, Iowa, and the late Dale Hollis. The family attends the Portland, Oregon, congregation.

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Engagements

The family of the late Dewey and Lola Spradling would like to announce the engagement of their sister Carolyn (Spradling) Meadows to R. Cecil Campbell. Both of their spouses died about three years ago. Carolyn and Cecil were childhood sweethearts; a fairy tale could be written about their courtship. They will be wed just before the Feast of Tabernacles. They will be in Alaska for the Feast. They will be living in Phoenix, Arizona, in winter and Somerset, Kentucky, in the summer, attending the London, Kentucky, congregation. Cecil is very happy to go back to the "promised land" where he grew up. Carolyn has one son and one granddaughter, and Cecil has two daughters, two granddaughters and two grandsons.

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Michael and Holly Beyer of Kansas City, Missouri, are very pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Valerie Beyer to Caleb Creech, son of Glenn and Ronda Creech of Cincinnati, Ohio. Caleb and Valerie were engaged on Dec. 23, 2006, at the Winter Family Weekend, where they first met four years earlier. Caleb is studying accounting at Morehead State University in Kentucky where they will reside after their marriage. A wedding is planned for May 25, 2008, in Kansas City.

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Weddings

Charlene Langner and John Williams were married on a gorgeous springlike day, March 11, 2007. David Treybig performed the ceremony at the Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore in front of 70 family members and friends. Standing with Charlene and John were sons, Ryan Colbert and Jacob Zeman. John's brother, Jared Williams, and Joel Crocker and Christopher Rader served as ushers. John's nephew, Wyatt Clement, served as junior usher. Charlene is the daughter of Mrs. Renell Book of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the late Donald Langner. John is the son of John and Jan Williams of the Houston, Texas, North congregation. They reside in Port Richey, and are members of the St. Petersburg, Florida, congregation.

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It is with great delight that Jim and Lorinda Springer announce the marriage of their daughter, Kimberly Marie Springer, to Kyle Aidan Mullen, son of Gerald and the late Carmel Mullen.

The wedding took place in Placerville, California, at a restored gold rush era mansion, with the father of the bride performing the ceremony. Leslie Schwartz and Sarah Bates, longtime friends of the bride, were the maids of honor. The bridesmaids were the bride's cousins, Heather and Erica Bennett, and another friend, Melanie Van Kol.

The best man was Orin Mullen, younger brother of the groom. Other groomsmen were brothers Shaney and Kieran Mullen; Geoff Pate, friend of the groom; and Jim Springer, brother of the bride. The ring bearer was William Neff and the flower girl was Emily Neff, both young friends of the bride.

The groom has recently completely his master's degree in education and plans to teach high school biology. The bride works as a chemical engineer for HP. The newlyweds reside in Corvallis, Oregon.

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It is with great joy that Charles and Gay Oren of Murphy, Texas, announce the marriage of their son, Joshua Dan Oren, to Jessica Martha Yandle, daughter of Bill Yandle, of Rochester, Washington, and Mr. and Mrs. John Gray of Rudy, Arkansas. The wedding and reception took place in McKinney, Texas, at the Eldorado Country Club on a gorgeous early summer evening, June 3, 2007. Don Hooser, pastor in Sedro-Woolley, Washington, performed the ceremony.

Jessica's sisters, Jennifer Dyer and Joelene Brown, were the maids of honor. Bridesmaids were family members Veronica Puryear and Reaghan Francis and close friends Audrey Gibson and Denise Vulchev. Taylor Hansen of Richardson, Texas, niece of the groom, was the flower girl. Standing with Joshua were his best men, close friend Marshall Moluf and childhood friend Maurice Lopez. Groomsmen included his father, Charles Oren; his new brother-in-law, Jeff Dyer; his brother-in-law, Jerry Hansen; and his friend, Daniel Palacios. Jayden Dyer, nephew of the bride, was the ring bearer. The bride's sister, Joelene Brown of Onalaska, Washington, performed a vocal solo, "Come Away with Me," during the ceremony.

Josh has completed a degree at Stephen F. Austin and has since been employed at Sanmina-SCI. Jessica received her associate's degree from Texas State University and will finish up a bachelor's degree soon. She is currently working for the Screen Actors Guild. The new Mr. and Mrs. Oren reside in Plano and are members of the Dallas congregation. The couple spent three days in Frisco, Texas, at the Westin and will be taking their honeymoon during the Feast 2007 in St. Lucia.

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Jerry and Mary Reisdorff of Phoenix, Arizona, and Ruperta Betoy of Bacolod, Philippines, are pleased to announce the marriage of their children Anthony Reisdorff and Ketchel Betoy. The church ceremony, performed by Florante Siopan, took place Oct. 8, 2006, during the Feast of Tabernacles in the Philippines, where the couple resided until recently moving to the United States. After a warm reception by the Phoenix East, Arizona, congregation, the couple is now relocating to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area.

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Anniversaries

Peter and Anne Korneluk celebrated their 50th anniversary in June. After services in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on June 23, family and friends gathered together in the Korneluk's beautiful backyard for a barbecue to honor them on reaching this special milestone in their lives.

It was wonderful that Anne was able to be out in the yard for a good part of the evening to enjoy the great fellowship and food with everyone. Because of some health problems, she isn't always able to come to services, so the brethren all appreciated the opportunity to visit with her and Peter that evening. Peter and Anne Korneluk have been longtime Sabbath-keepers and Church members. They moved from Yorkton to Saskatoon a number of years ago and have supported UCG strongly.

Their only son, Bob, and his wife, Kristen, from Edmonton, Alberta, were able to be there and spend a few days with them, which made the occasion even more special for them. Others attending included brethren from North Battleford and Saskatoon, elder Bruce and Donna Bird and pastor Robert and Valerie Berendt from Edmonton, along with some family members.

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Melvin and Sadie Parks of the Asheboro, North Carolina, congregation celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 17, 2007, with around 150 family members and Church members at the Exchange Hall in Asheboro. The celebration was sponsored by their family members and included an enjoyable slide presentation of their marriage, comments by guests, a buffet dinner and cutting of the anniversary cake.

Melvin and Sadie began their courtship by letters in 1956 when Melvin was in the Air Force and Sadie was in the 11th grade. This led to their marriage on June 22, 1957, at the home of Melvin's parents in Wilkes County, North Carolina. They moved to Ramseur shortly after Melvin was honorably discharged from the Air Force, and have lived there most of their 50 years of marriage.

They have three sons: Ken of Clarksville, Tennessee; Maurice, who died in 1986; and Orlando of Greensboro, North Carolina. They have four grandchildren: Austin, Dale, Devon and Donovon. They have two step-grandsons, John and Lawrence, and one step-granddaughter, Moneka. And they have three step-great-granddaughters, Camille, Kaylie and Elise, with two more on the way.

Melvin and Sadie became baptized members of the Church in 1976 and later served as deacon and deaconess in the Greensboro congregation. They attended with United Church of God in Asheboro at its beginning in May 1995. Melvin was ordained as an elder in 2000, and he and Sadie continue to serve faithfully in Asheboro and also occasionally in Charlotte and Raleigh.

On July 7 the Asheboro congregation surprised Melvin and Sadie with a special celebration after the service, including an anniversary cake with punch and finger foods, along with a crystal serving set as a gift from the congregation.

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The New Orleans, Louisiana, congregation surprised Julius and Elizabeth Pitre with cake and punch after Sabbath services on June 9, honoring them in recognition of their 50th wedding anniversary. Julius and Elizabeth were married on June 9, 1957, in Houma, Louisiana, where they presently reside.

They have three children: Jerylyn, Ted and Patricia; and four grandchildren: Talia, Shawn, Felicia and Kristofer. Julius is a retired welder and Elizabeth is a homemaker. They began attending God's Church in 1986. Both love gardening. In fact, their yard is one big garden!

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Gary and Claudia Loo observed their 45th anniversary on June 30, 2007, with the Tallahassee, Florida, brethren in a Chinese restaurant. Gary and Claudia were married on June 30, 1962, in San Francisco, California, and relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii, with the Army Corps of Engineers in March 1965. Their eldest child, Laurie Lai (grandsons Byron, Ryan and Gunther; granddaughter, Daisy) was born in San Francisco.

Four of their children were born in Honolulu: sons Gerald (daughter-in-law Debbie, grandsons Alexander, Timothy and Brenton of Sydney, Australia), Leslie (daughter-in-law Silvia) and Daniel (daughter-in-law Alice, grandson Zachary); and daughter Lianne Valenzuela (son-in-law Tony). Their son Jonathon (ABC graduate of 2005) was born in South Pasadena, California.

Gary became a coworker with Christ in the Radio Church of God in February 1962. Gary and Claudia were baptized by Wayne Cole in Honolulu in June 1965, and were original members of the first congregation in Hawaii in December 1968. They relocated in August 1974 to Southern California, where five of their children reside.

They served many years in YOU sports, refreshments stands and hospitality service, including 15 years in Pasadena Rose Parade duties. They were ordained deacon and deaconess in July 1988 in Pasadena.

After taking early retirement from the California Public Utilities Commission in November 1989, Gary worked nearly eight years as the rate manager of San Gabriel Valley Water Company, retiring again in September 1997. They then moved to Havana, Florida, where they assist in the Tallahassee congregation. Gary is a registered civil engineer in California and Florida.

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Obituaries

Lela Shabi, 83, of Palm Coast, Florida, died peacefully after a brief illness on Dec. 22, 2006.

A longtime member of the Church of God, she and her husband, Paul, who preceded her in death, were baptized in 1964. Over the years, they attended congregations in LaGrange, Illinois; Crown Point, Indiana; Columbus, Indiana: Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and Las Vegas, Nevada. After her husband's death, she relocated to Florida with her daughter and attended church when able.

She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother and grandmother, who, right up until her last days, was loyal to her calling and always placed the needs and comfort of others above her own.

Lela is survived by her son, Rick (Deborah) of the Orlando, Florida, congregation; daughter, Kathleen; and four grandchildren, Eric, Kristin, Katie and Patrick Shabi.

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Joanne Rutis of Portland, Oregon, died at the age of 59 on March 25, 2007, in her home after a long battle with cancer. Born May 12, 1947, Joanne Raab was raised in Zeeland, Michigan. She lived on a working farm and had two brothers, one older and one younger.

She moved to Oregon with her parents and younger brother, and there her family was called into the Church. She was baptized in 1969 at the age of 21. She also met John Rutis and in August of 1970 they were married. They had six children; one they lost right before birth. She homeschooled all five of her children. She also taught preschool classes at church.

Once her children were grown she started an Internet business, Rutis Enterprises, with her husband, John. This included Antelope Publishing, which produced browser-readable e-books for all ages, including a lot of her own work. One of her greatest joys to come from this was "Christian Children's Corner." Her religious stories for children have also been broadcast on the radio. A number of her writings appeared in Virtual Christian Magazine, and she had been published in The Good News magazine.

In 2004 she became a grandmother to Samantha Mae, and in 2006 to Spencer Avery. She loved her grandchildren very much, and enjoyed reading, coloring, drawing and playing with them. Even as the end drew near, she welcomed her grandbabies onto her bed so that they could be close and spend time together.

She is preceded in death by her son John Charles and parents, Joyce and Melbourne Raab. She is survived by her husband, John; children, Rebecca, Anna (and Bill) Veek, Merry (and Douglas) Stewart, Daniel and Clara; and grandchildren, Samantha and Spencer Stewart.

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Addie Ice, 92, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, died July 7, 2006. Until she went into the hospital shortly before her death, she had been able to live at home with her husband of 75 years.

Mrs. Ice was born May 25, 1914, in Chaonia, Missouri. She married Robert Ice Feb. 6, 1931, and they were blessed with over 75 happy years together. An article regarding them appeared in the June 2006 United News, page 14.

Mrs. Ice was baptized in March 1965 and remained a faithful member over these many years. Her husband, Robert, was also baptized at the same time and remains a member to this day.

Survivors include her husband, Robert; one daughter, Karen (and Gary) Jones; three sons, Robert Allen (and Claudia) Ice, James Gerald (and Brenda) Ice and Ronald Ice; nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. A daughter, Bernice Ray, preceded Mrs. Ice in death, March 30, 2001.

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Larry Dueitt Sr., 69, a longtime member of the Corpus Christi, Texas, congregation, died on June 19, 2007. He was a member of the high school all-American football team. Larry graduated from Rice University on a full football scholarship where he played in the Cotton Bowl.

He and his wife, Evelyn, were baptized in April 1968. Many of his football teammates said that Larry was a tough competitor on the field and a man with a sense of love and care for others.

Larry is survived by his wife, Evelyn; son, Wade Dueitt, and his wife, Judy; daughter, Kelly Rodriguez; daughter-in-law, Laura Dueitt; and grandchildren Shelby, Garon, Alex, Jonathan, Ryan, Dina and Hannah.

Larry will be missed by his family, by the congregation and by his former teammates and many friends in the community.

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Paul Anderson (of McMinnville, Oregon) and family are saddened to inform you of the death of Eunice Anderson June 26, 2007. She and Paul would have been married 61 years July 4. She was 82.

Eunice had recently encountered some difficult health problems that resulted in her death. Thankfully, she was under hospice care and was peaceful and free of pain, surrounded by her husband and four of her children when she died.

Eunice was baptized in 1964. She remained a faithful wife and mother till the very end, and took great comfort in the knowledge of God's plan. She will be greatly missed, but we all look forward with anticipation, as Eunice did, to the resurrection to life.

The family deeply appreciated all the prayers and expressions of concern offered on her behalf.

Eunice is survived by her husband, Paul, and her six children, Mary Campbell, Aumsville, Oregon; Nickie Johnson, Tumwater, Washington; Chris Anderson, Pasadena, California; Frances Siebert, McMinnville, Oregon; Joy Vail, San Leandro, California; and John Anderson, Lake Forest, California. Nickie is the wife of elder Gary Johnson of the Olympia, Washington, congregation. John attends the Eagle Rock, California, congregation, and Chris is the Church's corporate risk manager. Eunice is also survived by 17 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

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Ken Howard, 87, died on June 21, 2007, at Chesalon Retirement Village in Wollongong, Australia. Ken was quite frail at the end of his life. His wife, Phyllis, died two years earlier and his son, Wayne, last year. He is survived by his son, Barry, and daughter, Fairlie, and seven grandchildren.

Ken grew up in the Albury region on a farm. The young family moved to the coast at Merimbula and later to Nowra. Ken kept working on his property well into his late 70s.

Ken and Phyllis were deacon and deaconess and served the Wollongong congregation for many years. Both Ken and Phyllis carried out those duties with no fanfare. Ken was an honorable man with integrity. He always carried himself with dignity and had such a warm smile.

Bible studies were held in Ken and Phyllis' home, and they were always very hospitable to anyone who came to their home. They set a fine example to so many of genuine Christianity. Earlier this year his pastor, Bruce Dean, was able to thank him for his years of service to the Church and told Ken he hoped that the next generation of leaders would have the same attitude of selfless sacrifice as he and Phyllis had.

Funeral services were conducted on June 28 by Mr. Dean. It poured with rain that day, which was quite fitting for an old farmer.

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Emily Dewyer, age 74, longtime member of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, congregation, finished her race on April 25, 2007. Emily, a deaconess for over 25 years, was known for her loving acts of service. She organized Y.O.U. concessions, church potlucks, coffee service and typed weekly church announcements. One of her great joys was to cook and then share her creations for others to enjoy. She was an awesome cookie maker and loved showering her grandchildren with "Grama kisses." Her deep faith in God and gentle nature were a comfort and source of strength to all. She leaves a beautiful legacy to follow. She will be dearly missed by her husband, Jim; children: Pam (Myers), Jim Jr. and Jonathan; their spouses: Dave, Judy and JoAnn; her grandchildren: Melissa, Philip, Branden and Morgan.

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Helen J. Merkle, formerly of St. Petersburg, Florida, died Feb. 25, 2007, in Omaha, Nebraska, of congestive heart failure following an illness of a year and a half. She is survived by her daughter, Robin (Williams) Dohrmann, son-in-law Christopher Dohrmann and two grandsons, Grant and Forrest, who now reside in Homosassa, Florida. She was baptized in 1965 by Harold Lester and Robert Bertuzzi and was faithful to God's Word until the end.

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Mary Linda Douglass, 76, of Carbondale, Kansas, died July 14, 2007, at Midland Hospice House in Topeka, Kansas. She was born March 23, 1931, in Topeka, the daughter of Charles George Dodds and Mary Truman Wilson-Dodds. She spent most of her early life in Topeka and graduated from Topeka High School in 1949. She was married to Laurance Reeves Douglass on June 24, 1949. They moved to Mobile, Alabama, in 1959 and in 1966 returned to Topeka, where they owned and operated Douglass Pest Control. Her husband preceded her in death on Feb. 15, 1983. Linda was baptized in April 1980. Her example of love, joy and peace was observed and appreciated by her family and many friends.

Survivors include three daughters: Lorraine Rowe, Shelli Ohlsen and Janice Hernandez; two sons, Jeff Douglass and Christopher Douglass; a sister, Norma Degraff; a brother, Scott Covey; 11 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Memorial services were conducted by Dwaine Hudson in Topeka on July 18, 2007.

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Tribute: Richard Fenstermacher

Richard Kocher Fenstermacher, 84, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, died of pneumonia on June 12, 2007. He was the only child of the late George and Anna Fenstermacher whose ancestors can be traced back to the 1700s in the Palatinate region of Germany. Fenstermacher means "window maker" in German.

Richard served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946, the last several months in the Pacific theater of operations. While attending an Army specialized program at Penn State University, he had the good fortune to meet a sweet young lady named Grace Hoover at a dance. Richard was smitten, and it wasn't long after he was discharged that they were married on June 28, 1947. When asked by the preacher if he took Grace to be his wife, he replied excitedly, "I do, I do!" So they did for 59 years and 50 weeks.

Richard graduated from Lehigh University with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. He worked as a chemist in the textile industry. In November 1949, their son Robert was born and in October 1953, their daughter, Virginia.

Richard was a quiet man, given to witty, dry humor and always thinking before speaking. He loved to read, study, take photos and develop his own film. In the 1950s, he began a search for a church to attend with his family and was excited after hearing Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong on the radio. In July 1956 he was baptized by the traveling team of Gerald Waterhouse and Allen Manteufel. They said "see you at the Feast," and Richard had no idea what that meant. With a little cash, he and his family did attend their first Feast of Tabernacles in Big Sandy, Texas, that year. Grace was baptized in 1961.

Richard and Grace loved serving the Church members. Grace's specialty was running the kitchen for the festivals in various hotels in New York City and Philadelphia. One of Richard's specialties was eating Grace's food—especially her desserts.

Richard served on the welcoming committee, setting up chairs, taking up offerings, doing cleanup and singing in the choir. They were always among the first to arrive before services and the last to leave after services. They made a great team and served in any way they were asked. Richard became a deacon in 1967 and Grace, a deaconess in 1968. In 1969 Richard was ordained a local elder, an honor he cherished to the end of his life.

In the spring of 1995, they attended the first service of the United Church of God in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where Richard continued to preach until his eyesight was diminished by macular degeneration.

His joys in life were studying God's Word, music, mystery novels, travel and spending time with his family, especially his granddaughters.

He is survived by his wife, Grace; son, Robert, and his wife, Karen (Smith), of Coupeville, Washington; daughter, Virginia Bromfield, and her husband, Joseph, of Allentown; granddaughters, Lori Fenstermacher, Christa Blaser and her husband Zack, Tanya McIntyre and her husband Taige, and Erin Bromfield; and great-grandsons, Hunter McIntyre and Gavin Blaser.

No matter how important his family was to him, Richard's mission was striving toward excellence in the sight of God. His comfort through illness and passing was the knowledge of the resurrection and birth into God's family.

Grace and her family express their gratitude for all the prayers, cards, letters and flowers received from God's people.

Regional pastor Paul Suckling said, "When I first met Mr. Fenstermacher, he came across very clearly as a very converted individual who spoke well for the Church. He was highly respected by the congregation where he served and was solid in the faith. Several mentioned his wisdom and deep thoughtfulness concerning matters that were taking place during the early and late '90s. He will certainly be missed."

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Announcements: Members are welcome to submit announcements of the births, engagements, weddings, significant anniversaries (25, 40, 50, 60, etc.) and obituaries in their families. Please include a self-addressed envelope if you would like photos returned. Most items are 50 to 100 words and should not exceed 250 words. Please e-mail (preferred) or give them to your local pastor to forward to United News.